2020 June 4 afternoon

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  These are the spiders and bees that I was able to photograph on the Galloping Goose yesterday afternoon (between Charters & Todd Creek Trestles).  Several of the moths were sharing the Yarrow with the dining crab spider, and one  seemed unconcerned when the spider finished the meal dumping the moth over the side and turning for more of the same.  I blew on the moth and it flew. The black dust around the spider (second photograph near bottom right) is the moth scales.

Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae) eyeing

 Adela septentrionella (Lep.: Adelidae)

Rosemary Jorna

Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae) eating

 Adela septentrionella (Lep.: Adelidae)

Rosemary Jorna

Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae) eating

 Bombus sp. (Hym.: Apidae)

Rosemary Jorna

The next bee (identified by Annie Pang and Lincoln Best) looks safe – for the moment:

Bombus melanopygus (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Below is a male Satyr Comma, underside.  The undersides of the sexes of the commas are different, although much more so in satyrus than in the other commas.  I reared two of them from caterpillar, hoping to show the undersides of the two sexes side by side – but inevitably the two turned out to be the same sex.   When I showed a caterpillar from Lochside Drive on May 22, I wrote:  “One just hopes that Saanich will not cut or spray the verges.”   When I went to Lochside Drive to release the adult butterfly, Saanich were right there, cutting the edges, with a big machine.  I spoke to the lady who was doing it, and I asked if she would spare the nettles, and I showed her the butterfly.  She was quite impressed, and she agreed to cut the vegetation on the verges only where it was seriously encroaching on the trail and impeding cyclists and pedestrians, and she did indeed keep her word.  There is hope!  The biggest danger to the nettles and caterpillars now is the large number of racing cyclists (known in the UK as Lycra Louts) who throw up large clouds of dust which covers the nettles and other vegetation.  The ordinary cyclist out for a ride is not a problem.  It’s the ones who use the trail as a racing track.

Male Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2020 June 4 morning

   Two pictures from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.  The first one rated PG.  We are greatly indebted to Dr Rob Cannings who identified the predator, and to Scott Gilmore who identified the prey!   That photograph is followed by a rather gentler one.

Male robber fly Laphria fernaldi (Dip.: Asilidae) and click beetle Hadromorphus sp. (Col.: Elateridae)  Jochen Möhr

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jochen Möhr

Jochen’s moths from Metchosin this morning.  (No pics.)

1 Nadata gibbosa – the permanent resident

4 Tyria jacobaeae

1 Udea profundalis

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake:  I walked the Galloping Goose between the Charters and Todd Creek Trestles yesterday afternoon and in that stretch I saw 2 blues ,  1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail and 3 Western Tiger Swallowtails.   Around kilometre 46 this Western Pine Elfin was so engaged with the flowers that I was able to get some good photos.  There was a 30 metre stretch of Yarrow that had 25+ fairy moths Adela septentrionella nectaring.  They let me take some interesting shots

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Rosemary Jorna

Adela septentrionella (Lep.: Adelidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2020 June 3 afternoon

   More small insects from Mr E, mostly as yet unidentified, tentatively labelled at Order level.

Diptera    Mr E

Diptera      Mr E

European Earwig Forficula auricularia (Derm.:  Forficulidae)  Mr E

European Earwig Forficula auricularia (Derm.:  Forficulidae)  Mr E

Ladybird beetle larva    (Col.:  Coccinellidae)      Mr E

Willow gall caused by sawfly Pontania sp. (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Mr E

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin  this morning:

1 Adela septentrionella (there are scores of them around!)

1 Lacinipolia sp.  

1 Nadata gibbosa (the permanent resident)

1 Scopula quinquelinearia

1 Tyria jacobaeae

Scopula quinquelinearia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Libby Avis writes from Port Alberni:  We’re seeing lots of Adelas too. Also three Polyphemus Moths in the last week, but very little else.

2020 June 3 morning

   This morning, a whole bunch of small unidentified insects – one by Jeremy Tatum, the rest by Mr E.  Suggestions would be gratefully received.  I have labelled them with tentative identifications – mostly at Order level.

The first, a small moth reared from Garry Oak on Christmas Hill.   Family Plutellidae, Subfamily Ypsolophinae, or, as some taxonomists would have it,  Family Ypsolophidae.   Somewhat resembles Ypsolopha cervella, also known as Abebaea cervella, but may be a different species.

Plutellidae – Ypsolophinae   Jeremy Tatum

Probably nymph of a bug (Hemiptera)   Mr E

Hemiptera-Homoptera      Mr E

Hemiptera nymph?   Mr E

Diptera?    Mr E

Diptera?    Mr E

   We are grateful to Dr Ed Mockford (Illinois State University) and to Scott Gilmore for the identification of the next insect.  Dr Mockford writes: The species was probably introduced from Europe but is now widespread on both east and west coasts of North America.  Dr Mockford also kindly pointed out that two other photographs in today’s posting, which I had originally labelled Psocoptera, are, in fact, Hemiptera-Homoptera.

Bark louse Graphoscopus cruciatus (Pso.: Stenopsocidae)     Mr E

Ladybird beetle larva (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Mr E

Class Insecta (Can’t go below that!)  Mr E

Hemiptera – Homoptera     Mr E

  More small unidentified insects to come…

2020 June 2

   Val George sends an interesting photograph from Island View Beach, June 1, of an Anise Swallowtail in which the backround colour is white rather than the usual yellow.  Although the butterfly is slightly worn, the white colour does not appear to be the result of wear, but is rather the intrinsic colour.

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