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.

September 25

2019 September 25

 

  A nice surprise – several  late-season (September 24) nymphalids! –

 

   Gordon Hart writes, from the Highlands: Anne-Marie saw a butterfly land in the apple tree  –  so I grabbed my camera and ran out to have a look. I managed a couple of pictures of a California Tortoiseshell, and then, while waiting for it to reappear, I noticed a Red Admiral on the Buddleia flowers. I also photographed a syrphid fly on some fall Asters.  [Jeremy Tatum writes:  The fly was identified for us – within minutes! – by Dr Jeff Skevington, in Ottawa!]

 

And Mike McGrenere writes, from Cordova Bay:  Barb and I watched a Satyr Comma land on the sunny stucco of our house this afternoon. It was there for about 30 seconds then flew off.

 

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Gordon Hart

Hover fly Helophilus fasciatus (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Gordon Hart

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  I have only been seeing Cabbage Whites lately with 10 being seen today.  However, Kirsten Mills tells me that today,  September 25, she saw another Lorquin’s Admiral at Panama Flats near the grey shed.  She also found 2 Painted Ladies  :  1 at Cedar Hill Middle School,  and 1 near Doncaster Elementary School.  She saw 14 Cabbage Whites at Panama Flats,  and another 30 Cabbage Whites elsewhere.

 

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

2 Drepanulatrix sp.

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Euxoa sp.

1 Feltia jaculifera

1 Noctua pronuba

1 Dryotype opina

8 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Sunira decipiens

1 Tetracis sp.  

 


Euxoa difformis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Dryotype opina (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Feltia jaculifera (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

September 24

2019 September 24

 

   Three of Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin yesterday:

 


Hypena californica (or decorata?) (Lep.; Erebidae – Hypeninae)

Jochen Möhr

 


Hypena californica (or decorata?) (Lep.; Erebidae – Hypeninae)

Jochen Möhr

 


Euxoa sp. (Lep.:  Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 


Xestia finatimis complex (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

September 23 afternoon

2019 September 23 afternoon

 

   Jeff Gaskin writes that Kirsten Mills saw a late Lorquin’s Admiral  in Peden Lane, Brentwood Bay on September 22, and that he saw a Painted Lady at Panama Flats and two Painted Ladies in Cecilia Ravine on September 21.  So – there are still a few butterflies around, so it’s worth doing a Butterfly Count.  See the September 22 Invert Alert for details.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Sightings of Lorquin’s Admiral in September are rare; the latest September date that I can find was a sighting of one on September 27, 2014.

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Euxoa sp. 

10 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Sunira decipiens

1 Tetracis sp.

1 Xestia finatimis complex

 

Photos tomorrow.

 

September 23 morning

2019 September 23 morning

 

   At 00h 51m this morning, the Sun passed from north to south of the equator.  Welcome to Fall!

 

Jeff Gaskin writes: On September 21 , I saw a Painted Lady in Beacon Hill Park in the Verbena that is near Deer Lake.  Deer Lake is the pond across from the petting zoo.  Also, Lynda Dowling tells me she had a Red Admiral at her herb and lavender farm as well as 4 Cabbage Whites, September 21.  She lives at 3505 Happy Valley Road.

 

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin, September 22.  Thanks to Libby Avis for help with the identifications.

 

1 Drepanulatrix sp.

1 Leucania insueta

1 Lithophane petulca

1 Nadata gibbosa

2 Dryotype opina

1 Plemyria georgii

8 Pleromelloida cinerea

1 Sunira decipiens

2 Tetracis jubararia /pallulata

1 Xanthorhoe defensaria 

 

 


Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Lithophane petulca (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


   Xestia finamitis complex (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae) Jochen Möhr


Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Dryotype opina (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Tetracis jubararia/pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Tetracis jubararia/pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 

September 22

 

2019 September 22

Hello Butterfly Counters,

I have been reminded that we have done a September count in past years, so we will record counts from  Saturday, September 21, to next Sunday, September 29. In the last four years we have had from two species (2016), to eight species(2018), so it is still possible to see a good selection. yesterday Cabbage Whites, and a Painted Lady in Beacon Hill Park have been seen.

To submit your counts, please use the form at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33 on the Victoria Natural History Society website. If you don’t like forms, please email me with the details.

The count area is the same as the Victoria Christmas Bird Count circle. For butterfly identification there are numerous internet sites, but most or all Victoria species are listed on E-Fauna. If you select by photographer, all the photos under James Miskelly’s name are of Victoria species. Here is the link: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/efauna/photoGallery/Gallery.aspx?gr=showall&pid=175&photographer=miskelly,%20james&specrep=0
If you would like a suggestion for an area to count, please send me an email.
Thank-you for submitting your sightings and happy counting!

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society