2017 April 30

   Thomas Barbin made some interesting observations in the Highlands on April 28, of a pair of jumping spiders “not wasting any time” as Mike Yip would have delicately put it.  And the female was multitasking – eating a third jumping spider at the same time as enjoying the company of the male.  Here is a photograph of one of the spiders, kindly identified by Catherine Scott.

 Jumping spider Evarcha proszynskii (Ara.: Salticidae) Thomas Barbin

Ken Vaughan photographed a few insects in the wind today.   The first is a bee fly.  We don’t know whether it is the European Bombylius major or the native B. aureus.  If anyone can help us with this, please do get in touch.  jtatum at uvic dot ca

Bee fly Bombylius major/aureus (Dip.: Bombyliidae)  Ken Vaughan

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ken Vaughan

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)   Ken Vaughan

Val George sends a photograph of the underside of a California Tortoiseshell that was near the Observatory this afternoon, April 30.  The only other butterflies were two Sara Orangetips.

California Tortoiseshell  Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George