2015 October 16

   Aziza Cooper writes:  A Painted Lady was on Brighton Avenue near Oliver Street this afternoon, Oct. 15. I think this is the latest Lady I’ve seen.  

   Jeremy Tatum comments:  This is certainly a late date for a Painted Lady, and a nice surprise.  The Painted Lady spends the winter as an adult butterfly, so in principle one might see one in any of the winter months.  However, I don’t know whether any actually survive the winter here in Victoria, or whether they fly south to avoid our winter (mild as ours are).  It is a highly migratory species.  Last year, 2014, there were two October sightings reported to Invertebrate Alert – the latest being October 7.   See the 2015 January 30 posting for a summary of 2014 butterfly sightings reported to Invert Alert.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

   There are still some Cabbage Whites around.  They were reported today (October16) from Lansdowne Road, Cattle Point and McMicking Point.  The caterpillar from Gordon Hart’s broccoli (see October 9 posting) pupated into a nice chrysalis today.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.:  Pieridae)  Jeremy Tatum