2019 August 2

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yesterday afternoon (August 1) at 4:15 pm there was just one butterfly on the Mount Tolmie reservoir – the West Coast Lady that has been there for several days.  On the area just outside the entrance to the  reservoir there was an Anise Swallowtail, and there was a Painted Lady near the Jeffery Pine.

   Another miscellany from Cheryl Hoyle, which we shall post if and when we manage to identify them!

We start with a remarkable photograph of a moth caught in flight!

Apamea amputatrix? (Lep.: Noctuidae) Cheryl Hoyle

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Since I first labelled the above moth with great confidence, and without a question mark, Apamea amputatrix, I have had correspondence with Libby Avis, and my confidence has wavered enough that I have just added a question mark to the above label. This moth bears more than a passing resemblance to a European moth called the Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis.  This is not a wild flight of fancy – some of the commonest moths in the Victoria area are – or probably are – of European origin.  Further photographs of moths resembling this one would be very welcome.

Oecogonia novimundi  (Lep.: Symmocidae) Cheryl Hoyle

Cuckoo wasp, probably Chrysis sp. (Hym.: Chrysididae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Aeshna sp. (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Jumping spider (species?)  (Ara.: Salticidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Thanks to Dr Robb  Bennett for the identification of the spider below:

Probably Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Aziza Cooper writes: Yesterday, August 1, at Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park on Salt Spring Island, I saw a Common Woodnymph and three Woodland Skippers.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

Common Woodnymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Aziza Cooper

2019 August 1 afternoon

   Spot the difference!   These two additional moths from Jochen Möhr’s haul yesterday look at first glance to be totally different species.  Yet, when you look at them again, you see that one of them is a pristine fresh specimen, while the other is well past its Best Before date, so they may well be the same species.  It required the experienced scrutiny of Libby Avis to see that they are indeed different species after all.  (While the adults may look similar, the caterpillars are quite different.)

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Iridopsis emasculatum  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

  Jeremy Tatum writes:   The caterpillar of Orgyia antiqua is a familiar creature, feeding on a wide variety of herbs and shrubs, very active, running hither and thither, and correspondingly difficult to photograph, and it grows up very quickly.  The caterpillar of its near-relative O. pseudostugata is quite similar in appearance, but very difference in character.  It feeds mostly on Douglas Fir, which is of comparatively little energy and nutritional value. The caterpillar is slow-growing, rather sedentary and inactive, rarely moving very far, let alone running, and is quite willing to pose for the photographer.

Orgyia pseudotsugata (Lep.: Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Jeremy Tatum

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

1 Campaea perlata

2 Clemensia umbrata

1 Dasychira grisefacta

1 Dichagyris variabilis

2 Drepana arcuata

1 Drepanulatrix sp.

2 Eulithis xylina

2 Homorthodes hanhami

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

6 Lophocampa argentata

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Nemoria darwiniata

4 Panthea virginarius

1 Pero mizon

1 Sicya crocearia

No photographs taken.

   A miscellany of insects photographed by Cheryl Hoyle on July 31st on Willow Way Trail by Maber Flats:

Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Here’s another pentatomid nymph – a different species from the one shown this morning.  We do not have an identification yet – if anyone can help, please let us know.  The closest match we have found so far is the European genus Pentatoma, though we don’t believe that genus has made it over here.

Pentatomid nymph (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Female Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Thanks to Charlene Wood for identifying this ladybird beetle:

Hippodamia sinuata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula (Hym.: Vespidae)

Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva (Col.: Cantharidae)

Cheryl Hoyle

Vespula pensylvanica (Hym.: Vespidae)

Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)

Cheryl Hoyle

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2019 August 1 morning

   Jereny Tatum writes:  At 4:00 pm yesterday afternoon there was a West Coast Lady and a Painted Lady on the Mount Tolmie reservoir, and two Painted Ladies around the Jeffery Pine.  The West Coast Lady is a rather worn specimen, and may be difficult to recognize, though it is still well able to fly.  It has been there for a few days.

  Here are some moth pictures from yesterday morning from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.

Campaea perlata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Clemensia umbrata (Erebidae – Arctiinae – Lithosiini) Jochen Möhr

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Note the small fourth tooth of the hindwing outer margin, and small dark elongated spot in the cell.

Sicya crocearia (Lep,: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

A somewhat exaggerated version of the typical pose.

Pero mizon  (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Over the past few weeks we have managed to accumulate several photographs of unidentified Hymenoptera.  Owing to the efforts of Sean McCann and Libby Avis, to whom we are most grateful, we now have partial identifications of some of them.  I repeat the photographs here, this time labelled.

Prionyx (probably canadensis) (Hym.: Sphecidae) Layla Munger July 15

Prionyx (probably canadensis) (Hym.: Sphecidae) Ren Ferguson July 26

Hym.: Pompilidae    Cheryl Hoyle July 17

Hym.: Ichneumonidae   Cheryl Hoyle July 28

Hylaeus sp. (Hym.: Colletidae)  Cheryl Hoyle July 30

Eumenes (Hym.: Vespidae – Eumeniinae) Cheryl Hoyle

Layla Munger sends a photograph of a bug and a very exciting moth – both identified for us by Libby Avis, who identifies most of our moths for us.

Nymph of Banasa sp. (Probably dimiata  or sordida)   (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Layla Munger

Catocala relicta (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae) Layla Munger

More later today…

2019 July 31 afternoon

   Scott Gilmore sends photographs of a caterpillar of Hesperumia latipennis from Bluffs Park, Galiano Island, May 3rd 2019.

Hesperumia latipennis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Scott Gilmore

Hesperumia latipennis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Scott Gilmore

   Here is a photograph of a Western Bumblebee by Laura Matthias on Mount Tuam:

Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis (Hym.: Apidae) Laura Matthias

And two by Ren Ferguson at Blackburn Nature reserve on Salt Spring Island:

Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis (Hym.: Apidae) Ren Ferguson

Western Bumblebee Bombus occidentalis (Hym.: Apidae) Ren Ferguson

And one from Rosemary Jorna in the Kemp Lake area:

Bombus flavifrons (Hym.: Apidae) Ren Ferguson

   Thanks to Annie Pang and Lincoln Best for the bee identifications.

Jochen Möhr’s moths in Metchosin this morning:

1 Biston betularia

2 Campaea perlata

2 Clemensia umbrata

1 Coryphista meadii

2 Dichagyris variabilis

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

2 Eulithis xylina

2 Hesperumia sulphuraria

2 Homorthodes hanhami

6 Lophocampa argentata

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Nemoria darwiniata

4 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Pero mizon

1 Sicya macularia 

Jochen writes:  This brings the total tally for July here to 585 individuals recorded from 111 species.

Pictures of some of them tomorrow…

2019 July 31 morning

   Kirsten Mills writes:  Jeff Gaskin and I went to Mount Washington on July 29th, where we saw several butterflies. Here is the list: Cabbage White, Purplish Copper, Anna’s Blue, Boisduval’s Blue, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady, Hydaspe Fritillary, 8 Great Arctic, and 2 Common Branded Skippers. Here are several photos.

Boisduval’s Blue Icaricia icarioides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

Great Arctic Oeneis nevada (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Kirsten Mills

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten MIlls

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

   Here’s another hymenopteran that we can’t identify.   If anyone can help, even to Family, please let us know.  Photographed by Cheryl Hoyle at Ida Anne Lake.

Unknown hymenopteran   Cheryl Hoyle

   Here are five damsel/dragonflies photographed by Cheryl Hoyle at Ida Anne Lake, July 29, and kindly identified by Dr Rob Cannings.

Young male Northern or Boreal Bluet Enallagma annexum or boreale (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)

 Cheryl Hoyle

Pacific Forktail  Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae) Cheryl Hoyle

Mature female Western Forktail Ischnura perparva (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Female Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

More to come as we identify them (if we can!)…