2024 June 21  evening

   Another miscellany of invertebrates from Ian Cooper.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the long-horned beetle in the first three photographs below.

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Female Running Crab Spider – Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)
preying on an Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)
Ian Cooper

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

Unidentified tortricid moth (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Ian Cooper

Val George writes:   This Anise Swallowtail was at the Mount Douglas summit yesterday, June 20. Also there were three Pale Tiger Swallowtails and a Painted Lady.

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

Gordon Hart writes:  This morning at Maber Flats some of our birding group noticed a number of butterflies – several Cabbage Whites, my first of the year Essex Skipper, and a Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Gordon Hart

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart

Jeff Gaskin writes:   Here is the list of butterflies and dragonflies that Kirsten Mills and I saw today, June 21.   First of all, after 2:30 p.m. we went to McIntyre reservoir where we saw at least 10 Tule Bluets and the odd Pacific Forktail.  The dragonflies included the following  :   3 Cardinal and 2 Variegated Meadowhawks,  1 Blue-eyed and 3 Common Green Darners, 1 Western Pondhawk,  1 Blue Dasher, and 3 Eight-spotted Skimmers.

Then at 4:15 p.m.  we went to the 7500 block of West Saanich Road to a field of daisies next to a cemetery where we saw 2 Field Crescents and up to 8 European (Essex) Skippers.  Finally, after 5:15 p.m. we went to Mount Tolmie where at the concrete reservoir there was a Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals.  Nearby there were a Western Tiger Swallowtail and a Lorquin’s Admiral.

More tomorrow morning…!

2024 June 21 morning

  Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, June 20, at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground there were:

Western Spring Azure – 2
Blue sp. – 2
Cedar Hairstreak – 10+
Possibly a Johnson’s Hairstreak
Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Satyr Comma – 1

 Satyr Comma  Polygonia satyrus   (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Satyr Comma  Polygonia satyrus   (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

Probable Johnson’s Hairstreak  Callophrys johnsoni  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes from Mount Tolmie reservoir at 4.30 pm June 20:
2 Cabbage Whites
3 Pale Tiger Swallowtails
2 Western Tiger Swallowtails
3 Lorquin’s Admirals that were very aggressively chasing a Swallowtail.
1 Painted Lady flying around.

These butterflies were very active during my visit of 20 mins.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Pale Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus eurymedon  (Lep.: Papilionidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Lorquin’s Admiral  Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Marie photographed these two Common Green Darners at McIntyre reservoir, June 18.  There were four of this species there, as well as a Cardinal Meadowhawk.

Common Green Darners  Anax junius  (Odo.:  Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2024 June 20 evening

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, June 20, I found my first of year European (Essex) Skippers.  At least five were at Panama Flats on the north west side.  Also, there were two Common Green Darners and one Lorquin’s Admiral.  A Western Tiger Swallowtail was on Wascana Street.

Jeremy Tatum writes that, at 6:45 pm on the top of Mount Tolmie, there was a Red Admiral sunning itself on one of the white spots on the surface of the reservoir, a Western Tiger Swallowtail was nectaring on the Philadelphus, and a Painted Lady was flying around the Jeffrey Pine.

2024 June 20  morning

Here are some pictures taken by Ian Cooper overnight at Colquitz River Park.

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)   Ian Cooper

Deroceras laeve  (Pul.:  Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

European Sowbug  Oniscus asellus (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper

Common Striped Woodlouse – Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper

Jeremy Tatum found this Yellow Douglas Fir Borer in the garden of his Saanich apartment this morning.

Centrodera spurca  (Col.: Cerambycidae)   Jeremy Tatum

2024 June 19 evening

Tomorrow, Thursday June 20, the Right Ascension (J2000.0) of the Apparent Sun will be 06h 00m at 1:51 pm PDT.  Welcome to Summer!    (Botanists might also note that today, the last day of Spring, appropriately, the flower Clarkia amoena can be found in Uplands Park in the area that is being “restored”.  I don’t know if it got there naturally, or whether it was introduced as part of the restoration process.]

Most viewers of this site will be aware that it is not always easy to identify invertebrates accurately.  We do our best here, but we have a policy that it is better to say “dunno” than to get it wrong.   For example, in spite of the obvious superb quality of Ian Cooper’s photographs that follow, even the experts are not absolutely certain whether the following four photographs are Clubionidae or Gnaphosidae.  Either way, enjoy!

Spider (Ara.:  Clubionidae or Gnaphosidae)    Ian Cooper

Spider (Ara.:  Clubionidae or Gnaphosidae)    Ian Cooper

 Spider (Ara.:  Clubionidae or Gnaphosidae)    Ian Cooper

 Spider (Ara.:  Clubionidae or Gnaphosidae)    Ian Cooper

{This reminds me, writes Jeremy Tatum, how can you tell the difference between a professional expert and an amateur dilettante?  One clue is that the former is sometimes unable to be sure of the identification of an organism; the latter is always confidently certain.   I wish birders understood that!]

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper
Ian writes: This one must be eating well.  It’s the largest Enoplognatha ovata I’ve seen so far this season.

There are several similar species of snakefly, distributed through two families, and we don’t always try to identify them. But, writes Jeremy Tatum, because of the quality of the photograph, I feel fairly sure that this one is a female Agulla assimilis.

Female Snakefly Agulla assimilis  (Raph.: Raphidiidae)

Two nematoceran flies in copula  (Dip. – Nematocera)  Ian Cooper

Camponotus vicinus  (Hym.: Formicidae)  Ian Cooper

Butterflies and, to a lesser extent, dragonflies are still scarce. Observers are reduced to reporting single sightings, or first-of-the seasons, of normally common species.  Thus, Wendy Ansell reports a single Western Tiger Swallowtail and one or perhaps two Lorquin’s Admirals from Rithet’s Bog on June 19, while Jeff Gaskin reports his first-of-the-year Western Pondhawk at Caleb Pike in the Highlands on June 18.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Top of Mount Tolmie, 5:15 pm June 19.   There were three Western Tiger Swallowtails and one Pale Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on the Philadelphus shrub, and a Painted Lady on the nearby blackberry blossom, all in pristine condition.  It is such a long time since I have had a good look at a butterfly that I had forgotten just how beautiful they are.  I stood there for half an hour just watching them in awe and delight.