2021 August 10

    Butterflies are by now becoming quite scarce, except for Woodland Skippers and Cabbage Whites, and there are probably still a few Pine Whites around in Metchosin and Colwood. Jeff Gaskin reports that on August 9 there was a rather late Western Tiger Swallowtail by the Summit Hill reservoir, while Gordon Hart saw a Lorquin’s Admiral in the Highlands.

    We have seen many a Large Yellow Underwing moth on this site, so we may well wonder, if there is a Large one, is there such a thing as a Lesser one?  There is indeed, writes Jeremy Tatum  – and a Lesser Yellow Underwing was in my bedroom in Saanich today.  The last one to appear on this site was in 2015.  Both species, like myself, are invasive European introductions.

Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

   An accidental overexposure, which won’t win any prizes, shows the markings and pattern a bit better:

Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2021 August 9

    Butterflies and moths from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin this morning.

   The hooked tip to the end of the antenna in Ochlodes shows up well in this photograph:

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Jochen Möhr

Female Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Autographa corusca  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Jochen Möhr

2021 August 7 afternoon

    The Catocala moths are a spectacular group.  Our default species is C. aholibah, but this year we seem to be having a nice variety of them.  This one was found in Metchosin by Chris Möhr and photographed by Jochen.  Jochen, Jeremy Tatum and Libby Avis all say Catocala semirelicta.

 Catocala semirelicta (Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

 Catocala semirelicta (Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes: I recently corresponded with Tim Zurowski concerning some tricky identifications.  This reminds me that Tim has a splendid gallery of natural history photographs, including many butterflies and moths and other invertebrates.  You can find it at

https//timzurowski.smugmug.com/Recent-Gallery-Images

2021 August 7 morning

    Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Just to let you know that for three days, we have Pine Whites here.  I never saw more than one, though.

Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake:  The micro moth  Diploschizia impigritella  is back on the same Tansy in our yard at the same time  for the sixth year.

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Diploschizia impigritella (Lep.: Glyphipterigidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2021 August 6

   Jody Wells sends pictures of dragonflies and a drone fly from McIntyre Reservoir and Pendray Farm in the last few  days.

Drone Fly Eristalis sp.  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Jody Wells

   Next is a picture of a female Eight-spotted Skimmer.  Compare with Bryan Gates’s picture of a male in yesterday morning’s posting.

Female Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae) Jody Wells

   Now a Black Saddlebags from McIntyre reservoir.  They seem to be unusually common in the last two years – especially this year.

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

   One supposes that this, too, is a Black Saddlebags!

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells

Female Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Jody Wells