2019 July 26 afternoon
Ren Ferguson writes: I had the most wonderful time observing butterflies, bees and other invertebrates on Mount Tuam, Salt Spring Island, yesterday July 25th.
It was a perfect butterfly day. Everywhere I looked there were Common Woodnymphs on the wing, second in numbers were Zerene Fritillary followed by Painted Lady, Woodland Skipper and my first Pine White of the season.
Every thistle patch I visited was full of action. One area in particular had almost 20 woodnymphs. I had one hang from one of my ears for some time imbibing on my sweat. The Zerene were super active with pairs making high speed spiral flights and attempts at mating.
In the “Zerene Pair One” photo you can see what appears to be a female shunning the advances of a male by holding her abdomen up in the air. This is just my theory and perhaps others with more experience could help out here. Zerene Pair Two shows another interaction. I am not sure if the males of this species have pheromone producing areas on their forewings, as I have read of other fritillary species. I also observed a pair of Zerene drop down into the grass. They were lined up head to tail and the individual at the rear was flexing its forewings forward and back in quick movements like a dance.
The “mystery” photo includes an insect (Hymenoptera) I would like to know. There were many of these seen yesterday. This individual has a black tip to its abdomen but others had an entirely luminous chestnut coloured abdomen. [Jeremy Tatum writes: It appears to be the same species as the one posted by Layla Munger on July 15. Identification suggestions, anyone?]
I am unclear as to what was happening with all of those butterfly behaviours but any rate spending the day with so many was sheer delight!
Cris Guppy comments:
The lifted abdomen of the female is indeed to tell the male to “bug off, I am not interested”. It is likely that she was also emitting rejection pheromones at the same time, although I do not think anyone has proven the pheromones for fritillaries. Whites, including Cabbage Whites, do the same thing and they have been proven to emit rejection pheromones.
Male fritillaries do emit pheromones from their wings, so the male behaviors were likely to waft the pheromones over to the female’s antennae.
Butterflies are fun to watch!
Zerene Fritillary Speyeria zerene (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Ren Ferguson
[Thanks to Cris Guppy for confirming the species. Jeremy Tatum]
Zerene Fritillary Speyeria zerene (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Ren Ferguson
Zerene Fritillaries Speyeria zerene(Lep.: Nymphalidae) Ren Ferguson
Zerene Fritillaries Speyeria zerene(Lep.: Nymphalidae) Ren Ferguson
Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Ren Ferguson
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Ren Ferguson
Common Woodnymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae) Ren Ferguson
Unknown wasp (Hymenoptera – Apocrita) Ren Ferguson
Jochen Möhr sends a picture of a flutter fly on his window in Metchosin today:
Toxoneura muliebris (Dip.: Pallopteridae) Jochen Möhr
Jochen had a very active night with moths – 55 individuals and 29 species – not counting numerous other micros:
2 Amphipyra tragopoginis
2 Biston betularia
4 Campaea perlata
1 Clemensia umbrata
3 Coryphista meadii
3 Dasychira grisefacta
2 Drepanulatrix sp.
2 Eulithis xylina
1 Hesperumia latipennis
1 Hesperumia sulphuraria
2 Homorthodes hanhami
2 Hydriomena californiata or marinata
1 Lacinipolia pensilis
4 Lacinipolia strigicollis
4 Lophocampa argentata
1 Lophocampa maculata
1 Nadata gibbosa
3 Nemoria darwiniata
2 Neoalcis californiata
3 Panthea virginarius
1 Perizoma costiguttata
1 Perizoma curvilinea
2 Pseudothyatira cymatophoroides
1 Pyrrausta perrubralis
1 Schizura ipomoeae
1 Scopula quinquelinearia or junctaria
2 Spiramater lutra
1 Ypsolopha canariella
Here are three of them. Some others will appear in future postings:
Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Drepanulatrix secundaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
