2017 September 17

   Mike McGrenere sends a second photograph of the American Lady that he found at McIntyre reservoir on September 10.  This photograph allows a clearer view of the underside.  This is a rarity here, and indeed in British Columbia, although it is the second report we have heard of on Vancouver Island this year.  One was photographed by Martin Dollenkamp from Black Creek on August 8. (See the posting for August 11.)  On 2015 August 26 one was photographed at Ucluelet by a visitor from the UK, Patrick Moore, and was shown on the Sussex (England) butterfly website

www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/sightings/

specifically at    http://www.sussex-butterflies.org.uk/old%20sightings/nov-dec2015.html

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Mike McGrenere

   There are still a few Painted Ladies around – Anne-Marie Hart spotted a fresh one nectaring on a Buddleia bush in their Highlands garden yesterday.

Libby Avis tells us that she is still seeing lots of Nepytia phantasmaria (see yesterday’s posting) in Port Alberni –  15 of them last night!

Janet Renouf sends a photograph of a green caterpillar from under an oak tree.  It is a Rough Prominent Nadata gibbosa, and it looks as if it is just about to pupate at any moment.  Unfortunately it seems to have had some sort of a mishap, because it usually spins a tough cocoon in which to pupate, and, without its cocoon, I don’t rate its chances of survival greatly.

Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Janet Renouf

   Gordon Hart sends photographs of damselflies from the Beaver Lake retriever ponds, September 15.  We are grateful to Rob Cannings for the identifications.  Rob writes: The first is a Lestes male. Unfortunately, the tip of the abdomen is out of focus, which makes identification tricky from the dorsal view. The two species common here in September are L. disjunctus and L. congener and, based on this and certain characters, it’s one of those. I’m afraid I can’t really tell.   The second is a female Enallagma carunculatum. Eighth abdominal segment is all black on top.

Spreadwing Lestes disjunctus/congener (Odo.:  Lestidae)  Gordon Hart

Female Tule Bluet Enallagma carunculatum (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)

Gordon Hart

2017 September 16

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is an objet trouvé from Swan Lake.  It is the empty skin of a chrysalis of a Lorquin’s Admiral hanging from an apple tree.  The butterfly probably emerged from the chrysalis several months ago.

Lorquin’s Admiral Limenitis lorquini (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Jeremy Tatum

   The Cabbage White chrysalis below, however, is occupied!   The butterfly might emerge later this year, but more likely next spring.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) Jeremy Tatum

Jochen Moehr sends some moth photographs from his home in Metchosin.  We are very grateful to Libby Avis for identifying them for us.

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

Oligia divesta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Moehr

Plemyria georgii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

The next one is a pug, and they are always difficult.  Libby expresses some caution for her identification as probably E. graefii, though I think she has it just right.  Looks like a very good fit to me (Jeremy Tatum)

Eupithecia graefii (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Moehr

Libby writes that she has been seeing more than usual Nepytia phantasmaria in Port Alberni. She writes:  Over a two week period at the beginning of September we were getting 10 or 12 a night – actually counted 28 on Septeber 6!  I have attached a photo of three of them from September 4.

Nepytia phantasmaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Libby Avis

Rarity Alert!!!

Mike McGrenere writes:     I had an Orange Sulphur last Sunday (September 10) at McIntyre reservoir along with an American Lady. There were about 40 Cabbage Whites as well. Yesterday (September 15) at the reservoir, there were only about 5 Cabbage Whites. I have attached photos of the butterflies.

Male Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme (Lep.: Pieridae)

 Mike McGrenere

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Mike McGrenere

   Jeremy Tatum reports a Red Admiral perched on the Mahonia just outside the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir, 5:45 pm today.

Annie Pang is bravely taking on the task of rearing a caterpillar of a Spotted Tiger Moth – feeding, unusually, on birch.

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Annie Pang

2017 September 15

   Jeremy Tatum had two moths outside his Saanich apartment this morning:

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

Squarespot Rustic Xestia xanthographa (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jeremy Tatum

The photographs are deceiving – pronuba is about twice the size of xanthographa!

From Gordon Hart

With our last 2017 butterfly count starting this weekend, I thought I would send a summary of the August count. In 2016 a dry summer resulted in very few butterflies flying for our count: 9 species and 709 individuals. In August 2017, we had much higher numbers: 14 species and 1328 individuals counted. Both Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers had hundreds more counted, with every species having more than 2016.

-Gordon 

From Gordon Hart

Hello Butterfly Counters!

The last butterfly count period for 2017 will begin Saturday, September 16 running until Sunday September 24. Please use the submission form on the VNHS website: www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33. 

You can submit a count anytime over this period, and you can do more than one count, just use a separate form for each count. In the case of repeat counts, or more than one person counting an area, I will take the highest count for each species. 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 need suggestions for a place to count, please email me.  If you want to be removed from this list, please let me know. If you know someone who wants to be on the list, please ask them to email me.

Last year was very dry, with few butterflies – all Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers. I think this year we should have a bit more variety!

Thanks for participating in the count!

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly count coordinator ,

Victoria Natural History Society 

2017 September 14

   Barbara McGrenere reports finding a caterpillar (shown below) of a Rough Prominent moth at McMinn Park (Cordova Bay) and seeing a Painted Lady butterfly at Outerbridge Park (Royal Oak Drive) this morning.

Rough Prominent Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2017 September 13

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Lots of Neoalcis californiaria keep coming to my back door in Saanich.

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

      He also reports a Red Admiral just outside the entrance to the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 4:00 p m.

In yesterday’s (September 12) posting I recounted how I had seen a huge Catocala  very close by in flight.  It turns out that on the very same day Gordon Hart had exactly the same experience in his Highlands yard.  As with me, shortly after flying around, the moth settled in full view, the one difference being that Gordon had his camera with him!  These “cats” are difficult to distinguish, even if they show their colourful hindwings, and I think we’ll have to leave this as Catocala sp.

Catocala sp.   (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae – Catocalini)  Gordon Hart

   Also seen by Gordon was a Painted Lady, which, very appropriately, settled on a butterfly-shaped sundial for its photo opportunity.

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Gordon Hart

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here is the pupa formed by the caterpillar of the White-lined Hawk Moth shown on September 3 and 4.

White-lined Hawk Moth Hyles lineata (Lep.: Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum