2018 April 10 evening

 

   Thomas Barbin writes:  I have a photo from yesterday evening (April 9, 2018) in Goldstream Provincial Park. At the time I thought the midge just had something stuck to its leg, it wasn’t until I had the photos on my computer that I saw what was going on.

   The photo is of a midge (Tribe Chironomini) with a nematode parasite emerging from the abdomen (Family Mermithidae). Photographed on the roof of my car. Both identifications were made by Viktor Baranov on iNaturalist.ca.

 

Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae –  inae  –  ini)

Nematode (Mermithida:  Mermithidae)

Thomas Barbin

 

 

   Ron Flower writes:  Today April 10 we saw our first Western Spring Azure by the large rocks in front of Swan Lake nature house.  And Val George writes (presumably of the same butterfly?): My first butterfly of the season, a Western Spring Azure  –  seen this morning, April 10, at Swan Lake by the Tuesday birding group.

 

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Val George

 

   Mike McGrenere writes: With the sun out this afternoon, Barb and I went hiking on the lower SW slopes of Mount Douglas, just up from Blenkinsop Road. We were looking for our first Sara Orangetip of the year and we saw one along the trail. There was only one and it preferred to fly below the trail (out of the wind) in the Garry Oaks. It was not cooperative for a photo.