2020 July 13 morning

 

    We are grateful to Dr Rob Cannings for identifying these flies, photographed by Rosemary Jorna.  The first two photographs are of a tabanid biting fly, and Rosemary was rather daring in allowing it to settle on her hand.  Tabanids can produce very nasty bites.  The next two are an asilid robber fly.  They are dangerous to other flies, but I don’t think (but wouldn’t like to test it) that they bite humans.

 

 

Chrysops (probably proclivus) (Dip.: Tabanidae) Rosemary Jorna

Chrysops (probably proclivus) (Dip.: Tabanidae) Rosemary Jorna

Eudioctria sackeni  (Dip.: Asilidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

Eudioctria sackeni  (Dip.: Asilidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Kirsten Mills writes:   Ryan and I went on the logging roads to Rhododendron Lake yesterday. We saw numerous butterflies including the Roadside Skipper. It was seen just before the 5 km marker on the road. Here is the list:

 

17 Hydaspe Fritillary

7 Clodius Parnassian

3 Western Tiger Swallowtail

1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail 

1 Lorquin’s Admiral

1 Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

1 Roadside Skipper

2 European Skipper

2 Cabbage White

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Kirsten Mills

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here’s another photograph of the Red Admiral chrysalis shown on July 4. Now the butterfly is just about to emerge;  you can see the colour through the chrysalis skin.   My camera is mounted just in front of the chrysalis.  The butterfly is probably emerging right now as I type these words, and will be fully out when I return to the camera.  You only have to turn your back for a brief moment – then they will emerge.

 

Red Admiral  Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   More this afternoon…