2024 July 4 morning

   This large crane fly (the leaf is a small portion of a leaf of a Bigleaf Maple Acer macrophyllum was photographed by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, July 2, evening after dusk.

Crane Fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

Crane Fly  (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

Jochen Möhr photographed the moth below at his Metchosin house yesterday morning, July 3.  It is evidently quite an uncommon moth here, identified by Libby Avis as Apamea cuculliformis.  It has appeared on Invertebrate Alert only once before – in Victoria on 2015 May 20.  Libby has seen it only twice in Port Alberni in 2008 and 2009, and she tells us that iNaturalist has only seven sightings for BC and none are from the Victoria area.

Apamea cuculliformis  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Aziza Cooper writes:  On July 3, I found at least six Clodius Parnassians along Nanaimo River Road near Elk Trails Road. Most of them were east of Elk Trails Road, and two were north up Elk Trails Road. They were constantly moving and only one stopped briefly for a photo. At the same location were two Western Tiger Swallowtails, four Lorquin’s Admirals, one Anise Swallowtail and one Cabbage White. There was one red-brown skipper which did not stop for a photo. At the Pipeline Trail there was a very worn butterfly, presumably a Cedar Hairstreak.

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Aziza Cooper

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper