2022 May 12

    Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of Euceratia securella from Mount Tolmie today.  Closely related to the well-known E. castella, its caterpillar, like that of castella, feeds on Snowberry.

Euceratia securella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 May 11

    Jeremy Tatum writes that there was a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir yesterday evening at 5:30 pm, and Gordon Hart writes that there were two Western Spring Azures on his Highlands property this morning.

  Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of the pug Eupithecia ravocostaliata from his Metchosin

 property this morning.

Eupithecia ravocostaliata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum sends  photographs of the beetle Calligrapha californica from Panama Flats this afternoon.

Calligrapha californica (Col.: Chrysomelidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Calligrapha californica (Col.: Chrysomelidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Rosemary Jorna sends a photograph of the recently-named new bee species Bombus vancouverensis.   Formerly thought to be part of B. bifarius, since 2020 it has been recognized as a distinct species.

Bombus vancouverensis (Hym.: Apidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2022 May 10

    Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of Xanthorhoe defensaria from Metchosin:

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Gordon Hart sends a photograph of a mining bee from the Highlands:

Mining bee Andrena sp. (Hym.: Andrenidae)  Gordon Hart

And, to complete this miscellany, Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a snail from Carey Road,Victoria:

Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 May 9

    Jeff Gaskin writes:  Just a couple of butterflies of note seen in the last two days.  First of all a Western Spring Azure seen on the Royal Roads University grounds.  It was seen while on the VNHS birding trip there.  Today,  May 9, a Mourning Cloak was in the south east corner of Panama Flats which was also where it was, the same spot, a few days ago when Geoffrey Newell saw it

Val George writes:  On May 8, I saw my first Red Admiral of the season. It was on the reservoir at Mount Tolmie. And for viewers of this site who may not have seen the short write-up I did for the most recent issue of the VNHS Newsletter, this past winter I put together a website called Vancouver Island Butterflies – a Photographic Guide. It can be found most easily by going to vancouverislandbutterflies.com.   [See also the April 30 entry on this site – Jeremy Tatum.]

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Rosemary Jorna writes:  A micro moth and  a small fly from the Galloping Goose yesterday  between Charters and Tod Creek trestles.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  The moth is Adela trigrapha, but I’m afraid I don’t even know the Family of the fly!  If any viewer can help, please do so!

Adela trigrapha (Lep.: Adelidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Unknown dipteran   Rosemary Jorna

2022 May 8

    Here is an upperside shot of Rosemary Jorna’s huge Ceanothus Silk Moth (see the May 6 posting), vibrating its forewings just prior to taking off after laying seven eggs.

Female Hyalophora euryalus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jochen Möhr writes:  Coming home from an errand yesterday, I was greeted by this crane fly.  Never saw one like this before.   Claudia Copley writes:  It is so cool!  Darren found one ages ago at Goldstream – most likely Ctenophora vittata, also known as Phoroctenia vittata.

Male Ctenophora vittata (Dip.: Tipulidae – Ctenophorinae)   Jochen Möhr

Male Ctenophora vittata (Dip.: Tipulidae – Ctenophorinae)   Jochen Möhr