INVERTEBRATE ALERT
This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

2023 May 18 afternoon

 2023 May 18 afternoon

 

Message from Gordon Hart

Hello, Butterfly Counters,
The May count period starts Saturday, May 20 until Sunday, May 28. This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas.   You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case
of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at http://www.vicnhs.bc.c n/?p=33
If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the
information. Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

 

Gordon
Gordon Hart,
Butterfly Count Coordinator,
Victoria Natural History Society

 

Gordon also sends photographs of two dragonflies from the Pike Lake substation ponds, May 17.  On Mount Tolmie today he saw an Anise Swallowtail and four Pale Tiger Swallowtails.

 

 

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Female Dot-tailed Whiteface  Leucorhinia intacta  (Odo.: Libellulidae) 

Gordon Hart

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Four-spotted Skimmer  Libellula quadrimaculata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

 

    Jeff Gaskin reports that he saw a Pale Tiger Swallowtail at Providence Farm in Duncan today, and he also saw one on Christmas Hill on May 14.

 

 

   Ron Flower writes:  Today May 18 we went to Goldstream River where
we saw a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, a Grey Hairstreak and a Cedar
Hairstreak.  We also saw a moth at Goldstream [shown and identified below]. The California Darner Dragonfly and Sara Orangetip were at Munn’s Road powerlines. We also saw two Pale Tiger Swallowtails and three more Satyr Commas and a Western Tiger Swallowtail at Moses Point.

 

 

   Jeremy Tatum notes:  The Orangetip butterfly below appears to be nectaring.  However, it is noted that it is a female and the flower (Lepidium) is one of the larval foodplants, so it is possible that she might be ovipositing.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sara Orangetip Anthocharis sara  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Ron Flower

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Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Ron Flower

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Cedar Hairstreak  Mitoura rosneri  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Ron Flower

 

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Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Aglais milberti  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

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Leptostales rubromarginaria  (Lep.; Geometridae)   Ron Flower

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California Darner Rhionaeschna californica  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Ron Flower