2016 June 19

   Jeremy Tatum shows a caterpillar of the Herald Moth, and a chrysalis of a Red Admiral, both from Lochside Drive north of Blenkinsop Lake.

Herald Moth Scoliopteryx libatrix (Lep.: Erebidae – Scoliopteryginae)

Jeremy Tatum

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2016 June 18

   Gordon Hart writes: This giant sawfly has been in the same area of our Highlands yard for the past couple of weeks. It perches on a leaf for extended periods with short flights ending up back on the same spot. It is a large and heavy-set, at least 30 mm long, and with large pincer jaws. I have attached two photos: one a dorsal view, and one showing the large jaws.

Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)   Gordon Hart

Trichiosoma triangulum (Hym.: Cimbicidae)   Gordon Hart

2016 June 17

   Gordon Hart writes:  Time flies, and the June count will be this Saturday, June 18 for nine days ending Sunday, June 26.  Please use the submission form on the VNHS website:  www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

Most of the spring butterflies are gone or in reduced numbers, but there is still a good variety of species out there on a good day.

If you need suggestions for a place to count, please email me (hartgordon19 AT gmail.com). If we get more than one count for a location, I will use the high numbers for each species. 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.

The next monthly butterfly walk will be on Sunday July 3, and we will likely go farther afield, perhaps Shawnigan or Cowichan areas, so we will be meeting at the Mt Tolmie summit at 10 a.m., not 1p.m., to allow for travel time, and perhaps avoid the July heat (assuming there is some!).  I’ll send out another reminder closer to the date. Of course, it is weather-dependent. Thanks for participating in the count, and enjoy the butterflies!

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  This morning June 16 2016 I came upon a hatching of spiderlings [probably Araneus diadematus – Jeremy Tatum]  on a forest trail on crown land along King Creek  in Otter Point.

Probably Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Probably Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Mike Yip writes:  A grocery trip to Nanaimo today afforded an excuse to check out the dogbane butterflies on Nanaimo River Road. It was still cool at 11:30 am and only the Clodius Parnassians, Lorquin’s Admirals, and Pale and Western Tiger Swallowtails were flying, but as it warmed more butterflies started to appear: 5 Dun Skippers, 3 Hydaspe Fritillaries, 6 Cedar Hairstreaks, 3 Grey Hairstreaks, 1 Sylvan Hairstreak, and 1 Red Admiral.

Clodius Parnassian Parnassius clodius (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Mike Yip

Cedar Hairstreak Mitoura rosneri (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium sylvinum (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

2016 June 16

   Rosemary Jorna sends photographs of some mites.  One was on her camera lens, obviously anxious to be photographed, at Rhododendron Lake on June 12, and two on the side of a jar in her kitchen (Kemp Lake Road) on June 15. Thanks to Heather Proctor for identifying the mites as probably Anystis sp.

Anystis sp. (Acariformes: Anystidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Anystis sp. (Acariformes: Anystidae) Rosemary Jorna

   Mike Yip writes from Nanoose Bay today:  A Propertius Duskywing was a pleasant surprise in my lavender patch today.

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

2016 June 15
   Jeremy Tatum writes:  At 6:00 pm this evening (June 15) I visited the Mount Tolmie reservoir, and I saw there a Red Admiral and three ladies, which I believe were probably all Painted Ladies.  Yet two of them weren’t “quite right”, and I wonder if one of them might have been the lady reported a few days ago by Jeff as a “lady sp.”  Also a few weeks ago I kept seeing a lady that I wasn’t sure of.  Marie photographed one, which certainly seemed to be a Painted Lady.  It would be interesting if photographers could obtain some images of one or two of the ladies on the reservoir on sunny evenings.

   Jeremy Tatum continues:  The caterpillar of the Western Spring Azure that was shown on June 11 has now pupated.  Here is the pupa:

Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum