2016 May 11

   Annie Pang asks if anyone can identify this bee, please?   Me, too – Jeremy

Bee for identification  (Hymenoptera)   Annie Pang

Bee for identification  (Hymenoptera)   Annie Pang

Devon Parker sends some recent observations and photographs.

May 7

Mount Brenton, Chemainus

1 Spring Azure

2 Mourning Cloaks (one high elevation and one low elevation.)

1 Western Pine Elfin

3 Silvery Blue

May 10

West Coast Rd (Sooke to French Creek)

1 Western Tiger Swallowtail

5 Pale Tiger Swallowtail

Upper Jordan River (Eastside)

1 Two-banded Grizzled Skipper (Deposited eggs on underside of Trailing Blackberry)

[This is a very interesting observation!   Jeremy Tatum]

7 Western Brown Elfin

1 Cedar Hairstreak

1 Grey Hairstreak

San Juan Ridge, Jordan River

1 Field Crescent (Huge Specimen. 2-inch wingspan.)

3 Western Pine Elfin

1 Western Brown Elfin

2 Silvery Blue

1 Two-banded Grizzled Skipper

Two-banded Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus ruralis (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Devon Parker

Female Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta ( Lep.: Nymphalidae) Devon Parker

Johnson’s  Hairstreak Loranthomitoura johnsoni (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Devon Parker

Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Devon Parker

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Devon Parker

2016 May 10

   Val George writes:  Late afternoon May 9 at the summit of Mount Douglas the following butterflies were present:  2 Painted Ladies, 2 Red Admirals, 1 Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (photo attached).

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  Today, May 10, the Tuesday Birding Group went to Layritz Park and Broadcast Hill and saw the following butterflies: From Layritz Park we saw some Western Spring Azures, one “Ringlet”  (a.k.a. Large Heath), one Propertius Duskywing, two Western Tiger Swallowtails and some Cabbage Whites. One Pale Tiger Swallowtail was near the top of Broadcast Hill and I saw a Western Brown Elfin  at a private residence at the corner of Glyn Road and Layritz Avenue.

   To which Aziza Cooper adds:  I went to Layritz Park and Broadcast Hill with the VNHS birding group. I also found a Grey Hairstreak. 

   Aziza adds: During my visit to Cameron Main on April 30, I found some ants with a silvery band around their abdomen. They were at the same spot as the Western Tailed Blues, about a half a mile up the road from the junction with the Connector to Highway 14.

“Ringlet” (Large Heath) Coenonympha tullia (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)

 Aziza Cooper

Propertius Duskywing Erynnis propertius (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Aziza Cooper

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper

Ants (Hym.: Formicidae)  Aziza Cooper

  Rosemary Jorna writes:  There were a dozen or so of these Western Spring Azures spaced along the walk at Sooke Potholes, May 9.  I also saw three Pale Tiger Swallowtails, and a Western Pine Efin.

Western Spring Azure Celestrina echo  Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Western Pine Elfin Incisalia eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Rosemary continues:  There were many species of butterflies but in the hot afternoon sunshine they were zipping along but I did get this moth.

Adela septentrionella (Lep.: Incurvariidae)   Rosemary Jorna

2016 May 9

   Apparently you don’t have to go out into wilderness areas to find the Western Brown Elfin.  Annie Pang has found them as close to town as Gorge Park.  Here is one of them, which she photographed there yesterday.

 Western Brown Elfin Incisalia iroides (Lep.: Lycaenidae)   Annie Pang

   Jeremy Tatum visited Goldstream Park briefly today, and he saw a few Western Spring Azures and a Red Admiral.  He also checked the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 6:00 pm this evening.  There was one Red Admiral there.

2016 May 8 evening

   Mike Yip sends a photograph of a Four-spotted Skimmer from Rhodo Lake, May 7.

 Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Mike Yip

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a Spotted Tiger Moth from the Blenkinsop Valley, May 8.

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Bill Savale and I walked a short way along the E&N railway near the old Malahat station.  We saw three Sara Orangetips and our first-of-year Mylitta Crescent.

2016 May 8 morning

   Mike Yip writes:  Looks like another good year for the “Taylor‘s” Checkerspots on Denman Island. I had no trouble finding about 30 right at the entrance to Denman Provincial Park on Thursday May 5.

   Today I spent an hour checking some areas a short way past the Saddle parking spot on Mount Cokely and found 5 Sara Orangetips, 6 Hoary “Zephyr” Commas, 3 Western Brown Elfins, 1 Western Pine Elfin, 2 Cedar Hairstreaks, 3 Mylitta Crescents, and several Silvery Blues. The bonus moths [Thank you, Libby Avis, for the identifications!] and ladybird are also from Cokely. After Cokely I checked the Northwest Bay logging road and found many Western Tailed Blues, Western Spring Azures, a few Silvery Blues, and 4 Mylitta Crescents. I was hoping for a duskywing but had to settle for a few dark, day-flying, duskywing-imitating moths. 

The Cedar Hairstreak is from my garden and the Moss’s Elfin from Mount Cokely.

Edith’s (“Taylor’s”) Checkerspot Euphydryas editha taylori (Lep.: Nymphalidae) 

Mike Yip

 Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)Mike Yip

 Hoary (“Zephyr”) Comma Polygonia gracilis zephyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)

Mike Yip

 Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Mike Yip

Thallophaga taylorata (Lep.: Geometridae) Mike Yip

[“Thallophaga” is Greek for “fern-eater” – which is what the caterpillar does!]

 Mylitta Crescents Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

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

 Moss’s Elfin Incisalia mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Euclidia ardita (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Mike Yip

   Rebecca Reader-Lee sends a photograph of an American Emerald Dragonfly from the North Highlands.  We are grateful to Rob Cannings for the identification.

American Emerald Cordulia shurtleffi (Odo.: Corduliidae)  Rebecca Reader-Lee

    Jeremy Tatum sends a picture of a Spilosoma virginica – the adult of the well-known Yellow Woolly Bear – from the Blenkinsop Valley, May 7.

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

   And a spider, which he spotted in his bathtub just before taking his morning shower: