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.

2024 September 24

2024 September 24

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On September 6 Ian Cooper came across a white caterpillar with red spiracles hiding in a folded dead maple leaf on the ground along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.  Because it was half hidden in the dead leaf, it was impossible to get a perfect photograph without disturbing the caterpillar.  Nevertheless, Ian got the photograph shown below.

 

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

 

Ian handed the caterpillar to me for rearing, and, before I could get any further photographs, the caterpillar had made a white silken cocoon.  Just three days ago I had occasion to look inside the cocoon, and I discovered a pupa inside, white as the driven snow, something I had never seen before:

 

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Today, September 24, the adult moth emerged, enabling the identification as Sabulodes aegrotata.  After photography, I released it along the Lochside Trail near Blenkinsop Lake.

 

Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

This was an interesting find, because I had never before seen a moth pupa as white as this one.  Also, the caterpillar apparently has the English name Omnivorous Looper, suggesting that it is quite a well-known caterpillar, yet none of the images of the caterpillars of S. aegrotata that I could find on the Internet look at all like this one.

 

Jeff Gaskin writes:  This morning, September 24, at Swan Lake there were at least 2 Blue-eyed and 2 Paddle-tailed Darners.  Also, there were a few other darners which I was unable to identify, and one Blue Dasher.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were still one or two Cabbage White butterflies flying around in Mount View and Swan Creek Parks this morning (September 24).  When will the last butterfly be reported?  Is an October butterfly sighting possible?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2024 September 23

2024 September 23

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   The only moth at my apartment in Saanich this morning was this very worn Noctua pronuba.

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

Here are two caterpillars found today along Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

Yellow Woolly Bear Spilosoma virginica  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)   Jeremy Tatum

Abrostola urentis  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Jeremy Tatum

Abrostola urentis  (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)   Jeremy Tatum

2024 September 22

2024 September 22

No Invertebrate Alerts were issued on September 20, 21.

Here is the pupa formed by the hawk moth caterpillar shown on September 14.  His Majesty the King is examining it from the obverse of a 2024 dime.

Since this species was split from S. cerisyi, Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth, I (Jeremy Tatum) haven’t heard of any generally used English name for it.  Ophthalmic Eyed Hawk Moth doesn’t sound very good.  Has anyone heard of a name, or can make a suggestion for one?

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae)   Jeremy Tatum

 

 

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:   I visited several spots Saturday and found only Cabbage White butterflies: 1 at Cattle Point, 2 at Uplands Park, 2 at Outerbridge Park, 2 at McIntyre Reservoir (to which Jeremy Tatum adds 1 at Mount View Park).  Marie sends a photograph of a Blue-eyed Darner at Outerbridge Park.  There is also a dragonfly exuvia in the photograph – not sure if it is the same species or not.

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

 

 

2024 September 19

2024 September 19

   Marie O’Shaughnessy photographed this katydid at Qualicum Beach, September 15.  We thank James Miskelly for identifying it as a Slender Meadow Katydid  Conocephalus fasciatus.

 Slender Meadow Katydid  Conocephalus fasciatus  (Ortho.:  Tettigoniidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

2024 September 18

2024 September 18

   Wendy Ansell writes: There was a nice fresh Lorquin’s Admiral at Rithet’s Bog at 4:00 this afternoon.  It was on the east side (NE?) sunning itself.

Marie O’Shaughnessy sends the following from the Qualicum Beach area, Sunday September 15.

I was surprised to find 3 species of red dragonflies in one location.
Most appeared to be Striped Meadowhawks
2 were Cardinal Meadowhawks
8 were Autumn Meadowhawks

Others were
1  blue male Western Pondhawk
2 Common Green Darners
4 Blue-eyed Darners
1 Canada Darner
2 Paddle-tailed Darner

 Cardinal Meadowhawks  Sympetrum illotum  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

 Autumn Meadowhawk  Sympetrum vicinum  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Striped Meadowhawk  Sympetrum pallipes  (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

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

  Canada Darner Aeshna canadensis  ( Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Canada Darner Aeshna canadensis  ( Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

 

Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, September 18, this dragonfly was at the ditch beside Island View Nursery in the Martindale valley.

 

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper