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.

May 10 morning

2018 May 9 morning

 

   Rhys Harrison sends photographs of a comma from halfway up the Eagle Chair on Mount Washington, at 4400 feet, May 8.   Would this be a Hoary Comma?  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I’m calling it a Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma, but I’d be glad of input from observers experienced with this difficult group.  [Added later:  Mark Wynja concurs!]

Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Rhys Harrison

Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Rhys Harrison

 

 

Annie Pang photographed this bug at Gorge Park Community Gardens in Victoria on May 8, 2019.  Thanks to Terry Thormin for identifying it as a Red-backed Stink Bug Banasa dimiata.

 

Red-backed Stink Bug Banasa dimiata (Hem.: Pentatomidae) Annie Pang

 

Rosemary Jorna writes:  There were ten or more of these little bugs on Miner’s Lettuce near the parking lot at Mount Wells on May 9.  Many thanks to Terry Thormin for identifying them as Cosmopepla intergressa.

Cosmopepla intergressa (Hem.: Pentatomidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  We stopped for lunch at the 17 Mile Pub. All was quiet on the butterfly front; then seven or eight Western Spring Azures were dancing up and down the row of flowers;  after about ten minutes they were gone.

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

   Annie Pang writes: I was at Playfair Park on May 7 thanks to a friend who seems interested
in learning about butterflies. While there we saw several Cabbage Whites, two Western Spring Azures and two Western Brown Elfins, one of which seemed keen on defending “her” territory.  This allowed me to get several pictures of this worn female, fat with eggs.

Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Annie Pang

 

   Aziza Cooper writes:  May 9, one Painted Lady was north of the northern parking lot on Mount Tolmie. I also saw three Spring Azures and two Propertius Duskywings.

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

 

   Rebecca Reader-Lee writes:  I was getting ready for bed last night (May 8th) and had quite the fright when I thought a bird had hit the window, but it turned out to be a massive moth which I believe to be Hyalophora euryalus.    I had no clue there were native moths of that size! [Wait until you see a Polyphemus!] I live in the North Highlands.