2022 May 2 morning

    May 1 was a lovely spring-like day after a long period with few butterflies, and sandwiched between two wet days, so we were lucky with the VNHS May Butterfly Walk led by Gordon  Hart.   Seven participants came along, and, although there weren’t huge numbers of butterflies, there were far more than we have typically been seeing  earlier this year.  Aziza Cooper kept score, and we totalled 14 individuals of six species.   One of them – the Propertius Duskywing – was a “lifer” for one participant.

On Mount Tolmie:

Cabbage White – 2

Western Brown Elfin – 1

Comma sp. – 1

California Tortoiseshell – 1, very worn

On Christmas Hill:

Sara Orangetip: 8

Propertius Duskywing – 1

 

 

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

 

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper

 

Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Gordon Hart

 

   Among other insects seen were the wasp and the caterpillar below:

 

European Paper Wasp Polistes dominula (Hym.: Vespidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Gordon Hart