2023 April 23

St George’s Day

   Last year Ian Cooper found caterpillars of the Grey Hairstreak butterfly on the flowers of Mentha along the Galloping Goose Trail near Harriet Road.  Jeremy Tatum took one of them for rearing.  Photographs of the caterpillar are to be found on the Invert Alert posting for 2022 September 29, and of the pupa, 2022 October 5.  The adult butterfly emerged today, and was released by Jeremy and Ian where the caterpillar was found.  Below is a “studio” photograph of the underside by Jeremy.   After release, Ian managed to get photographs of the underside and upperside in a more natural setting, also shown below.

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum

  Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

      Val George photographed the moth below at his Oak Bay house this morning:

 

Sabulodes aegrotata  (Lep.:Geometridae)   Val George

Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper yesterday at Colquitz RiverPark.

Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola

– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae) 

Ian Cooper

Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola

– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae) 

Ian Cooper

Springtail – Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae)  Ian Cooper

Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae)   Ian Cooper

Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda: Armadillidiidae)   Ian Cooper

Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper