July 3 evening

  A beetle and a moth from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin.  Thanks to Claudia Copley for identifying the beetle, and to Libby Avis for identifying the moth.

Polyphylla crinita (Col.: Scarabaeidae)   Jochen Möhr

Lacinipolia strigicollis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum and Bill Savale visited the railway line north of Cowichan Station today, and we can report that there are still lots of Margined Whites there, as well as Lorquin’s Admirals and Western Tiger Swallowtails. 

July 3 morning

   A reminder – who photographed the fly shown on July 2?

   Annie Pang sends a photograph obtained by local gardener Janet Scott of a caterpillar of a Cinnabar Moth.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Janet Scott

   Bryan Gates sends photographs of a Common Emerald moth and a Tule Bluet damselfly, the latter being the only native North American species in the morning’s offerings.

Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Bryan Gates

Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Bryan Gates

   Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of an Essex Skipper:

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineaola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

     Jeremy Tatum writes:  Wanted!  Close-up photographs of the Essex Skipper clearly showing the underside of the tips of the antennae.

July 2 evening

New Book

   A problem with books with titles such as Butterflies of British Columbia,… or of Canada,…or of North America, etc., is that they include hundreds of species that we don’t see on Vancouver Island, which makes it difficult to identify a butterfly seen locally.  Val George has produced a beautiful little booklet that perfectly solves that problem, with 58 excellent photographs of 44 of the butterflies that you are most likely to see on Vancouver Island.   The book measures about 10 X 13 cm, and a few mm thick, and it will easily fit in your pocket.  It is made of strong paper and is sturdily bound so it is likely to survive well on many field trips.  The title is simply Butterflies of Vancouver Island.

  When last seen, Val was giving them away free to VNHS members who attended a VNHS field trip (you never know what rewards you may receive on one of these trips). If you would like a copy, Val gives his email contact as

valgeorge2006 at hotmail dot com

 I am sure that Val wouldn’t be offended if you were to offer a small sum to offset the cost of production of this delightful and useful little book.

   Aziza Cooper sends a picture of the European introduced snail Cepaea nemoralis from UVic’s Finnerty Gardens.

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Aziza Cooper

      Val George sends a photograph of a small moth found at Island View Beach during the VNHS Butterfly Walk on July2.

Male Choristoneura rosaceana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Val George

   Val sends a photo of another small moth that was on his garden fence in Oak Bay on June 30.

Pyrausta californicalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Val George

   Jochen Möhr sends photographs of Nadata gibbosa  and Campaea perlata from Metchosin.

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Möhr

Campaea perlata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Huge backlog – more tomorrow.  Jeremy

July 2 morning

    [In case you’re wondering, there was no July 1 posting.]

    Here’s a fly photographed a couple of weeks ago by someone and kindly identified by Michelle Locke as Dasysyrphus intrudens.   Apologies for the delay – it kind of got lost in the heap.  And more apologies – I had wrongly attributed the photo to Jochen.  Does anyone recognize it and can tell me whose it is?!

Dasysyrphus intrudens (Dip.: Syrphidae)

   Annie Pang sends pictures of a Western Tiger Swallowtail:

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Papilio rutulus (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Annie Pang

   Yesterday, July 1, we had the monthly VNHS Butterfly Walk, which is held regularly on the first Sunday of each month, led by Gordon Hart.  Nine enthusiasts attended.  Jeff Gaskin kept count, as follows:

On Mt. Tolmie   20 Lorquin’s Admirals,  1 Western Tiger Swallowtail,  and 1 or 2 Cabbage Whites.

At McIntyre Road reservoir  :  several Cabbage Whites and a few Essex Skippers.

At Island View Beach from the north parking lot to Saanichton Spit parking lot  :   16 Lorquin’s Admirals,  30 Essex Skippers,  2 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 1 Ringlet, and 4 Cabbage Whites.

Lots of dragonflies and sand wasps were seen (photos below), as well as an Otter with two young cubs (kittens?  otterlets?  Is there a name for young otters?).

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper

Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Sand Wasp Bembix americana (Hym.: Crabronidae)  Aziza Cooper

More to come this afternoon or evening…

2018 June 30

Gordon Hart writes:

Hello Butterfly Watchers,

This is a reminder that the monthly VNHS Butterfly Walk will be on Sunday July 1, Canada Day! We will meet at the summit of Mount Tolmie by the reservoir at 1 p.m.  I was thinking of a trip to Island View Beach for Purplish Coppers and whatever else might be around, but we can decide at the time.  The weather is supposed to be sunny, so hope to see you Sunday,

-Gordon

   Jochen Möhr writes:  June is practically over, and I have not seen or seen mentioned any June Beetles Polyphylla sp.   Are they gone?  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I looked up in the Invert Alert Index, and I see that we have six photographs of the adult sog. June Beetle. Only one of them is in June (June 25); the remainder are in July (latest is July 28).  So there is hope yet.   Claudia Copley tells me that our species is best referred to as Polyphylla crinita.

   Aziza Cooper sends an interesting photograph of the pale forma pallida of the Essex Skipper from Cattle Point.  Jeremy Tatum writes:   We see these from time to time – maybe I see about one a year, not more.  I’ve written to David Harris to see if he sees them in Sussex.  It’s not a subspecies – it’s just a “form”.  I suppose someone has worked out the genetics of it, though I don’t know.

 

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola f. “pallida” (Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Aziza Cooper