2021 October 3

     Yesterday (October 2) Kate Woods and Rosemary Jorna found another American Lady, on the summit of the Matterhorn, which, by the way, is not in Switzerland/Italy, but is in the Sooke Hills.  I am not sure, until I look at the records, but I think Invert Alert may have had more American Ladies than Painted Ladies this year.   On the other hand, it is a long time since we have had a West Coast Lady.

 

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Kate Woods

 

Also on October 2, Mr E photographed a Woolly Aphid near the beach at Mount Douglas Park, where several were hovering.

 

Woolly Aphid.  Probably Adelges sp.  (Hem.: Adelgidae)   Mr E

Woolly Aphid.  Probably Adelges sp.  (Hem.: Adelgidae)   Mr E

 

October is the month when we see Banded Woolly Bears.  I saw dozens of squashed ones (writes Jeremy Tatum) along the Lochside Trail this afternoon – and  I remember seeing similar numbers at Panama Flats last year.  I think there are far more corpses than would occur from accidental treading by pedestrians and bicyclists.  I think people are conditioned to think of insects as pests to be killed on sight, and I believe that the squashed corpses that we see are deliberately trodden upon by pedestrians.

It would be nice if some viewer were able to get a nice photo of a living Banded Woolly Bear for Invert Alert.