2022 September 30 evening

An all-butterfly edition

Colias Alert!

Yesterday, September 29, Marie Shaughnessy saw five sulphur butterflies.  One, at Lamont Road in Central Saanich,, was described as bright orange yellow, and was therefore presumably an Orange Sulphur.   The other four were at McIntyre reservoir, where Marie managed to get photographs of upper and undersides of two of them, and these seem to be male Clouded Sulphurs. 

 

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

 Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  

Male Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

    The two Painted Ladies reportedfrom the top of Mount Tolmie on September 28 and 29 were still there in the evening of September 30, flying around the Jeffery Pine or resting on the road or on the summit.  Although worn, they still fly well, chasing each other vigorously as if it were spring.  Marie photographed the upperside and underside of one of them yesterday.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

The day following Ian Cooper’s discovery of two Grey Hairstreak caterpillars (see yesterday’s posting) , Jeremy Tatum spotted (at 4:30 pm) an adult Grey Hairstreak perching on, and flying around, an oak at the top of Christmas Hill.

 

Cabbage Whites were seen at several locations today.  Today is September 30.  Are there butterflies to be seen in October?   Let us know!

 

More tomorrow…