2018 May 11

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  On a very brief visit to Little Saanich Mountain today, I saw two Propertius Duskywings and a Western Brown Elfin.  And at noon a Western Tiger Swallowtail flew over the Mount Tolmie reservoir.

   Here is a Large Yellow Underwing, which emerged this morning from a pupa dug up from Jochen Moehr’s Metchosin garden.  I released it on Mount Tolmie, from where, doubtless, it will fly into someone else’s garden to lay eggs.  Unfortunately it did not allow me to photograph its hindwings.

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

   Nathan Fisk sends pictures of a dragonfly from Fort Rodd Hill and a ladybird larva from Sidney Island Spit.

California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)   Nathan Fisk

Larva of Seven-spotted Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Nathan Fisk

   More photos in the queue, but they will have to wait until tomorrow.     I’m getting ready to go to Libby’s moth talk this evening.   See May 8 for details.  Jeremy Tatum

2018 May 10

   Jochen Moehr sends a photograph of a Silver-spotted Tiger Moth caterpillar from Metchosin:

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jochen Moehr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yesterday, May 9 at 6:15 pm, there were no butterflies on the Mount Tolmie reservoir, but there was a Propertius Duskywing just outside the entrance to the reservoir, and a Painted Lady flying around the Jeffery Pine.

   Scott Gilmore writes from Lantzville:  My son caught a fly in the house on May 8th. It was suggested to me that it was from the family Clusiidae and I wonder if it might be Clusia occidentalis?   Jeremy Tatum replies:  If there are any experts on clusiids out there, please let us know!  (We are sure there must be one somewhere!)  In the meantime we can certainly label it as a clusiid (see those “partially infuscated” wings!), and probably Clusia occidentalis.

Druid fly, probably Clusia occidentalis (Dip.: Clusiidae) Scott Gilmore

Druid fly, probably Clusia occidentalis (Dip.: Clusiidae) Scott Gilmore

2018 May 9

   Val George writes that yesterday afternoon there were a Painted Lady (first report of the season) and a Red Admiral on top of Mount Tolmie, while Jeremy Tatum reports a Red Admiral on the top of Christmas Hill at 6:15 pm yesterday.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Val George

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

   Nathan Fisk reports many bumblebees ‎feeding on Great Camas on Belle Chain Islets, near Saturna Island.   “Walking through wonderlands!”   Thanks to Sean McCann for identifying the bee below as Bombus ternarius.

Tricoloured Bumblebee  Bombus ternarius (Hym.: Apidae)  Nathan Fisk

2018 May 8

   Libby Avis, who identifies many of our moths for us, is coming to Metchosin from Port Alberni  on Friday to give a public talk on Moths.  It will be at Metchosin Municipal Hall, 4450 Happy Valley Road, behind the fire hall. 7.00 pm., Friday May 11^th.  This should interest many viewers of this site, and I’m very much looking forward to it.  All welcome!

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture from Sooke of a jumping spider at lunch on May 2.  Thanks to Sean McCann for identifying it for us as a female Phidippus purpuratus.  And now, May 10, we have just had a note from Scott Gilmore telling us what lunch was.  Scott writes:  What it is eating stood out to me as I have just been finding them here in Lantzville. It is a leaf beetle from the genus Syneta. 

Phidippus purpuratus (Ara.: Salticidae)  and leaf beetle Syneta sp. (Col.: Chrysomelidae)

  Rosemary Jorna

   Kirsten Mills sends a photograph of two Western Spring Azures from Mount Tolmie this afternoon.  They are on a sprig of Ocean Spray.  At the end of it is a panicle of young flower buds, not quite open yet.  The Western Spring Azure lays its eggs on the Ocean Spray buds just before the flowers open.

Western Spring Azures Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)    Kirsten Mills

2018 May 7 evening

   Devon Parker writes: On May 6 there was a single Johnson’s Hairstreak at the same location where my dad and I took you to a few years ago (in the hills past Jordan River). This one had iridescent blue on the outer wings which was interesting. “For-the-record” photos attached.  There were also many commas along the way to this area, as well as a Mourning Cloak. I also spotted one of the red-listed jumping-slugs that we have on the island near this location. Not sure which one it could be.

   Also on May 5 at Mount Maxwell on Salt Spring Island there were two Propertius Duskywings, one Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, one Western Spring Azure and one Sara Orangetip.  There was also a Hemaris thetis (bee hawk moth) nectaring on the Manzanita on Mount Maxwell.

Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Devon Parker

Johnson’s Hairstreak

Loranthomitoura johnsoni

(Lep.: Lycaenidae)

Devon Parker

Johnson’s Hairstreak

Loranthomitoura johnsoni

(Lep.: Lycaenidae)

Devon Parker

Perhaps Hemphillia dromedarius (Pul.: Arionidae)  Devon Parker

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  At 4:00 pm today there was a Propertius Duskywing just outside the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir.  No nymphalids on the reservoir either then or later at 6:00 pm.

   Many of us here in Victoria are noticing how scarce butterflies are, other than Western Spring Azures mud-puddling in good numbers..  We have just received messages from Jochen Moehr in Metchosin and Rosemary Jorna in Sooke echoing similar sentiments.   Jochen writes:

In this good weather I can see blues almost all the time, up to six simultaneously, but often a couple playing together or mud-puddling on the watered lawn.  Whenever I get close enough to identify them, they are Western Spring Azures.  There is also almost always a Sara Orangetip, which flies incessantly, up and down the slope, close to the surface, almost never alighting anywhere.  Yesterday, very briefly, I saw a second one appear.  –  Beyond that I sometimes – but quite rarely – see Cabbage Whites.  Yesterday up to three simultaneously, but only once and briefly.  Rosemary writes: Here the butterflies are scarce.  I have only seen a comma on April 23  at Peden Lake,  and two blues near #2 parking lot in Sooke Potholes Regional Park the same day