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 August 8 morning

2023 August 8 morning

   Here are some of the photographs taken of insects during the VNHS Butterfly Walk on August 6.

 

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Aziza Cooper

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Gordon Hart

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata  (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Gordon Hart

 

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Aziza Cooper

 

Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

 

Grasshopper Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Aziza Cooper

If any viewer can help to identify either of the next two unidentified hymenopterans, please do let us know.

 

 

Unidentified hymenopterans   Aziza Cooper

 

Unidentified hymenopteran   Aziza Cooper

 

On August 7, Mike McGrenere photographed a Sulphur butterfly at McIntyre Reservoir – presumably the same one seen by participants in the VNHS Butterfly Walk on August 6.  It can be quite difficult to distinguish between Orange and Clouded Sulphurs.  For the time being I am labelling this one as either/or.  We may be able to get a more certain identification later.

 

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere

 

A few weeks ago, Jeremy Tatum found the caterpillar shown below stretched out along the midrib of a Nootka Rose leaf, protected by a silken shelter.  The adult moth emerged yesterday, August 7, and was identified by Libby Avis as Carcina quercana.

 

Carcina quercana (Lep.: Depressariidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Carcina quercana (Lep.: Depressariidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

 

 

Much more later…

Two many photographs is a nice problem to have – but…  it takes a little white to process them all, so, please, I’d like to impose a limit of six pics per person per day.  Sixpixmax!