2015 July 18

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Hi Butterfly Counters,

Today begins the July Butterfly Count. The count period is from the 3rd Saturday to the 4th Sunday: July 18 to July 26.

Please use the form at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/website/index.php/butterfly-count to submit your results. Submit a separate form for each area you count, so I can take the higher number in case of double counting.

If you’d like a suggestion about what area to count, send me an email.

If you want to be removed from this list or if you know of anyone who would like to be added, please email me.

Thanks for submitting your sightings, and happy counting!

The monthly butterfly walk is held on the first Sunday of each month. The next walk is on August 2. We meet at Mt Tolmie summit at 1:00pm and decide on our destination from there. The walk will be cancelled if the weather is cool or rainy.

Devon Parker writes:  I was up on the San Juan Ridge (that’s 22 km E of Port Renfrew) today and I found six species of butterflies and managed to get photos of 5 of them. I got lucky and found two blue-listed ones. Anna’s Blue (Lycaeides anna vancouverensis) and Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius clodius claudiannus). There were many (25+) Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa mariposa) just viewed from the roadside. There was a single male Anna’s Blue (Lycaeides anna vancouverensis). There were two Clodius Parnassians (Parnassius clodius claudiannus). There was a single Hydaspe Fritillary (Speyeria hydaspe rhodope). There was one Lorquin’s Admiral (Limenitis lorquini ilgae). I also saw what I believe was a single Pyrgus ruralis ruralis.

[Jeremy Tatum writes:  Gosh, San Juan Ridge sounds like a place well worth visiting for butterfly watchers. We don’t usually delve into subspecies on this site, but Devon has given us the trinomial names that have been given for recognizable races that have been proposed for Vancouver Island, so I have included them in this posting. Two races of the Mariposa Copper have been reported from Vancouver Island, and it is not certain from the photograph which species is involved here.   Also on this site I use the traditional name “Parnassian” for butterflies of the genus Parnassius, since the name “Apollo” properly belongs to the particular species Parnassius apollo, a species which we do not get here.   “Clodius Apollo” is a mixture of two separate species names!  Devon wisely doesn’t give us an English name for Pyrgus ruralis.  While some authors give it the name “Two-banded Checkered Skipper”, the genus Pyrgus properly belongs to the grizzled skippers and not to the checkered (chequered) skippers (Carterocephalus).]

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Devon Parker

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius  (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Devon Parker

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Devon Parker

Lastly, Jeremy Tatum writes that at 7:00 pm on July 16, several Painted Ladies and two Red Admirals were still hill-topping on Mount Tolmie.

2015 July 14

   Annie Pang notes that the new Gorge Tillicum Community Gardens are attracting goodly numbers of Woodland Skippers. 

   Jake Burton found an interesting-looking bug at Fort Rodd Hill.  I think it is the first treehopper to appear on this site.   Some authors would put this and similar insects in an order “Homoptera”, but I’m going to stick it in with all the bugs in Hemiptera.

Male Oak Treehopper Platycotis vittata (Hem.: Membracidae)  Jake Burton

      Jeremy Tatum writes:  Peas usually come in a tin from the grocery store.   But during the summer you can go shopping at the local farms and get fresh peas in the pod, which are absolutely delicious.  And if you are really lucky you might find a “worm” or two in the pods.  It is not a “worm”, of course, but the caterpillar of the Pea Moth.  I was lucky to find one in some peas that I bought, and the resulting moth that emerged today is shown below.  Those beautiful marks along the leading edge of the wings are what I think Eric would call costal strigulae.

 Pea Moth Cydia nigricana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Val George writes: Here is a photo of a Mylitta Crescent from the Tuesday birding group walk near Mill Bay, July 14.

Male Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.:  Nymphalidae)  Val George

2015 July 13

  Jochen Moehr writes from Metchosin:  Approximately a week ago I saw an Anise Swallowtail depositing eggs on my parsley plants.  She went to at least half a dozen plants.   Today, I found two larvae, one each on two plants.  

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae) Jochen Moehr