2105 July 29

   Bill Katz sends a photograph of a plusiine moth Abrostola urentis  from Goldstream Park, July 27.  The caterpillar is a nettle-feeder, and, unlike most plusiines, it has a full complement of abdominal prolegs.

Abrostola urentis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Bill Katz

   He also sends an image of a bombyliid fly, possible genus Anthrax, also from Goldstream, and, just to remind us that this Invertebrate site is not just for insects, he sends us a picture of the millipede Harpaphe haydeniana.

Probably Anthrax sp. (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Bill Katz

 Harpaphe haydeniana (Polydesmida: Xystodesmidae)  Bill Katz

   Jeremy Tatum writes: The Anise Swallowtail caterpillar from Jochen Moehr’s Metchosin farm, which first appeared on this site on July 13 and again on July 20 and 26, has now pupated (chrysalis shown below).  The adult will probably emerge next spring, although there is a small chance that it might emerge later this year.  Unlike the tiger swallowtails, which are univoltine, the Anise Swallowtail occasionally has a second brood  (is partially bivoltine).

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Aziza Cooper sends some pictures from Rocky Point, July 27 and 28.  The caterpillar is that of the Vapourer Moth, also known as Rusty Tussock.  The adult male is a rusty brown day-flying moth often seen flying in a rapid corkscrew-style flight and which could be mistaken for a butterfly (I’ve done so!).  The female is wingless. After emergence from the pupa she sits on her cocoon, waits for a male to visit her, and then she lays all her eggs in a batch on the cocoon.  And that’s all she ever gets to do.

Vapourer Moth Orgyia antiqua (Lep.:  Erebidae – Lymantriinae)  Aziza Cooper

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

   In this prolonged hot and sunny spell, the butterfly season seems to have moved along faster than usual, and now it almost looks as though the season is coming to a close.  I hope this is not so.  In any case, one butterfly that is still around in large numbers is the Woodland Skipper, and Annie Pang sends a photograph of one on July 25 in characteristic hesperiine pose.

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Annie Pang

   Aziza Cooper writes that at Rocky Point on July 27, she counted 25 Woodland Skippers, 4 Cabbage Whites and 1 Red Admiral.

   Jochen Moehr sends a photograph of a Woodland Skipper likewise in characteristic hesperiine pose, and an unknown bee – c’mon! – there must be some expert out there who can identify it for us!  Please let us know.

 Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Moehr

Unknown bee (Hymenoptera)   Jochen Moehr

2015 July 28

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I suppose I should have saved my White-faced Hornet note (July 26) for today, because today seems to be a Hymenoptera day.

Rosemary Jorna sends pictures of a fierce-looking wasp from Sooke Potholes, July 27.  If anyone can identify it to species, please let us know.

Wasp (yellowjacket)  Vespula sp. (Hym.: Vespidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Wasp (yellowjacket)  Vespula sp. (Hym.: Vespidae)  Rosemary Jorna

  Annie Pang sends some pictures of leafcutter bees.  The one below was photographed at Gorge Park on July 18. Thanks to Jared Amos, University of Alberta, for the identification.

Leafcutter bee Megachile (probably perihirta) (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Annie Pang

Leafcutter bee Megachile (probably perihirta) (Hym.: Megachilidae)  Annie Pang

Cheryl Hoyle sends a picture of the larva of a giant sawfly from Metchosin.

Giant sawfly Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae) Cheryl Hoyle

2015 July 26

   Cheryl Hoyle sends photographs of a caterpillar and a moth.

Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Caripeta aequaliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On Saturday July 25 I came across a huge active nest of a White-faced Hornet Dolichovespula maculata.  It was on an Ocean Spray bush only a couple of feet from the ground, near the top of Knockan Hill.  Believing this wasp to be rather docile and nonaggressive, I had a long, close look at all the activity that was going on.  Then when I got home I consulted the books and read that it was highly aggressive and dangerous. So what do viewers think?  I think they (the hornets, not the viewers) are probably nonaggressive in the sense that they don’t pester you like the Vespula yellowjackets do, and they doubtless leave you alone if you leave them alone.  But it is probably not at all a good idea to interfere with their nests.

   Lastly, a small guide to contributors.  Please remember to give the when and the where of your sightings and photographs.  Also, photos are easiest for me to process if they are sent in .jpg format as an attachment and not embedded in the body of the message.  Thanks.

2015 July 25

   Jeff Gaskin clarifies:   It was 240 Lavenders, hence 1200 Woodland Skippers (see July 23 posting).  Don’t worry, Jeff – everyone makes arithmetic mistakes every day!  Big bunch of skippers, whatever!

  Annie Pang photographed the Cabbage White below at Gorge Park, July 22.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Annie Pang

   Scott Gilmore writes:  There was a nice surprise at my black light this morning. A Black-rimmed Prominent.

Black-rimmed Prominent Pheosia rimosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)

Scott Gilmore

   Val George writes:  Today, July 25, I found this long-horned beetle Xestoleptura crassicornis on my bean plants.   Also today, you might be interested to know that I almost ate (really) a Myzia subvittata. [That’s the big ladybird reported recently by Libby Avis (July 22) and Scott Gilmore (July 12 – Jeremy]. I was picking blackberries and popping them into my mouth when I noticed  –   just in time  –   that the one I was about to eat had a beetle on it.  I immediately recognized it as one I thought I`d just seen on the Invertebrate Alert.  Sure enough, when I got home and checked, that’s what it was.

Xestoleptura crassicornis (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Val George

2015 July 24

   Gordon Hart writes:  This week in the yard (Highlands District) there have been lots of Woodland Skippers, a few Lorquin’s Admirals , a couple of Cabbage Whites, and a Grey Hairstreak. I have seen no Pine Whites this week.

   Gordon also sends a picture of a bug nymph that he found on his blueberry bushes.  While bug nymphs can be difficult to identify, Scott Gilmore suggests that it may well be a young specimen of Cosmopepla intergressa or a closely related species.  Scott has photographed an adult bug of this species, to be seen at

http://bugguide.net/node/view/1071352/bgimage   

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The Anise Swallowtail caterpillars from Jochen’s farm now seem to be almost full grown.  I was having difficulty finding a local source of Oenanthe, but fortunately they are very happy to feed on Fennel, of which there is a lot on Mount Tolmie.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Jeremy Tatum