2024 June 23 evening

Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this immature male meadowhawk at Panama Flats of June 22.  Because its colours are not yet fully developed, it is hard to be certain of its exact identity.

Immature male meadowhawk Sympetrum sp, (Odo.: Libellulidae)   Marie O’Shaughnessy

Aziza Cooper photographed this beetle at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground on June 20.  Scott Gilmore makes the tentative suggestion: Toxoleptura vexatrix

Probably Toxoleptura vexatrix  (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Aziza Cooper

She also photographed these beetles (below) in the same area.  Scoot Gilmore identified them for us as Bruchidius villosus.   If you Google this name, you will find a lot of interesting information about this beetle.

 Bruchidius villosus  (Col.: Chrysomelidae)   Aziza Cooper

Jeff Gaskin writes:  Both yesterday, June 22, and today I’ve been seeing Common Green Darners in the city.  Yesterday I was at UVic and there were three of them in a grassy field near Gordon Head Road and McKenzie Avenue. Today I saw at least two of them at Cuthbert Holmes Park.  This makes me feel that there are a number of them around as compared to other years.  Jeremy Tatum adds:  I was at Swan Lake for only a few minutes today, but I saw one there.  Also at Swan Lake there were lots and lots of Lorquin’s Admirals, all new and fresh.  I found a caterpillar of a Western Spring Azure on the Ocean Spray.

Aziza Cooper writes:  At Mount Tolmie about 6 pm, there was one Red Admiral, two Painted Ladies by the Jeffrey Pine, and one Painted Lady on the reservoir.

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

Red Admiral  Nymphalis atalanta  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Aziza Cooper

   She also sends a photograph of a Pacific Forktail from Swan Lake

Pacific Forktail  Ischnura cervula  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)  Aziza Cooper

2024 June 23 morning

   Here are two dipterans photographed by Ian Cooper.  We *think* we know what they are, but we can’t be quite certain, and we would welcome opinions by knowledgeable viewers.  We think the little yellow fly is probably a vinegar fly (Drosophilidae), but we can’t be quite certain.  We think the other is probably a nonbiting midge (Chironomidae), but it might possibly be a mosquito (Culicidae).

Probably a vinegar fly (Dip.: Drosophilidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably a vinegar fly (Dip.: Drosophilidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably a vinegar fly (Dip.: Drosophilidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably a nonbiting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)  Ian Cooper

We thank Dr Frans Janssens for the identification of the springtail below.

Entomobrya katzi  (Coll.: Entomobryidae) Ian Cooper

We thank Dr Rob Cannings for the identification of the young male Blue Dasher below, photographed by Aziza Cooper at Mary Lake.

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Aziza Cooper

2024 June 22 morning

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes from Swan Lake, June 21:

Dragonflies were out this morning:

11 Blue Dashers
1 Cardinal Meadowhawk.
2 Blue-eyed Darners
3 Common Green Darners

Butterflies seen were

2 Lorquin’s Admirals
2 Western Tiger Swallowtails
1 Cabbage White

Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

  Blue-eyed Darner Rhionaeschna multicolor (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

At Uplands Park on June 21, Marie saw at least nine Essex Skippers¸ as well as two Cabbage Whites  and three Sheep Moths.

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Sheep Moth Hemileuca eglanterina (Lep.: Saturniidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

Essex Skipper  Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Cabbage White Pieris rapae   (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Val George photographed this pair of Common Green Darners at McIntyre Reservoir, June 21.

 Common Green Darners  Anax junius   (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Val George

2024 June 21  evening

   Another miscellany of invertebrates from Ian Cooper.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying the long-horned beetle in the first three photographs below.

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Xestoleptura behrensii (Col.: Cerambycidae – Lepturinae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Female Running Crab Spider – Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)
preying on an Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)
Ian Cooper

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

Unidentified tortricid moth (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Ian Cooper

Val George writes:   This Anise Swallowtail was at the Mount Douglas summit yesterday, June 20. Also there were three Pale Tiger Swallowtails and a Painted Lady.

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Val George

Gordon Hart writes:  This morning at Maber Flats some of our birding group noticed a number of butterflies – several Cabbage Whites, my first of the year Essex Skipper, and a Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Western Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus rutulus  (Lep.: Papilionidae)   Gordon Hart

Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola  (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Gordon Hart

Jeff Gaskin writes:   Here is the list of butterflies and dragonflies that Kirsten Mills and I saw today, June 21.   First of all, after 2:30 p.m. we went to McIntyre reservoir where we saw at least 10 Tule Bluets and the odd Pacific Forktail.  The dragonflies included the following  :   3 Cardinal and 2 Variegated Meadowhawks,  1 Blue-eyed and 3 Common Green Darners, 1 Western Pondhawk,  1 Blue Dasher, and 3 Eight-spotted Skimmers.

Then at 4:15 p.m.  we went to the 7500 block of West Saanich Road to a field of daisies next to a cemetery where we saw 2 Field Crescents and up to 8 European (Essex) Skippers.  Finally, after 5:15 p.m. we went to Mount Tolmie where at the concrete reservoir there was a Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals.  Nearby there were a Western Tiger Swallowtail and a Lorquin’s Admiral.

More tomorrow morning…!