2020 September 21 evening

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Alucita montana 

1 Eupithecia sp.

6 Ennomos magnaria

2 Fishia illocata 

1 Mesogona subcuprea

1 Neoalcis californiaria 

2 Noctua pronuba

2 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Zenophleps lignicolorata 

Mesogona subcuprea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2020 September 21 morning

   Colias Alert!   Mike McGrenere writes:  Barb and I were at McIntyre Reservoir yesterday afternoon when Barb spotted a yellow butterfly in among the many cabbage whites. I was able to get some photos and have attached two.  Although we did not see any orange on the butterfly, it does have the row of dark spots on the wing. We think this is an Orange Sulphur. It was in weedy patch in the NW corner of the reservoir.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Is this an Orange Sulphur or a Clouded Sulphur?   Opinions (with reasons!) welcome.  Better still, go and have a look.  Last time we had an Orange Sulphur invasion we noticed a few that were paler than most and didn’t seem very orange.  I confidently (?) announced that they were probably female Orange Sulphurs, but ever since then I have had bad twinges of conscience and I have been wondering whether the pale ones were really Clouded Sulphurs.  Now we have another chance to find out.

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere

2020 September 20 afternoon

   Kirsten Mills photographed a rather late Lorquin’s Admiral near Warbler Alley on Mount Tolmie today:

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kirsten Mills

   Van George photographed one of the Anise Swallowtail caterpillars at Bow Park today.  You can see the yellow osmeterium just beginning to appear behind the caterpillar’s head.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

2020 September 20 morning

From Gordon Hart:

Hello Butterfly Watchers,

The last official count of the year started today, Saturday September 19, until Sunday September 27. This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas. 

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at 

https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

Gordon 

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

September 19 afternoon

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I have posted pictures of these two rather different geometrid caterpillars recently, but I couldn’t resist photographing them again.  I wanted a lateral view of Rheumaptera undulata to show the broad white spiracular stripe,  which helps to identify the caterpillar.  And, while I thought my previous photograph of Biston betularia was of the full-grown caterpillar, it has continued to grow since then and is now about 7 cm (2 ¾ in) long. 

Scallop Shell Rheumaptera undulata (Lep.: Geomatridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Peppered Moth Biston betularia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum