2015 August 22

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  A noctuid moth turned up at my apartment today for the first time in several weeks.  Thank you, Libby Avis, for identifying it as Xestia xanthographa.

Xestia xanthographa  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

    I had no difficulty in identifying 2 Painted Ladies and a Red Admiral  on the Mount Tolmie reservoir, and another Painted Lady near the Jeffery Pine, at 6:45 pm this evening.

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  I saw a Grey Hairstreak. It was a FOY [first of the year?] for me too. I saw it right by the Old Island Highway and Ocean Boulevard or right by the Western Exchange bus terminal. A very strange place for one to be.

  Val George writes:  After several attempts to see a Western Branded Skipper at Saanichton Spit (Cordova Spit), I finally managed to get one this afternoon, Aug 22.  Also there, were about a dozen Woodland Skippers.  At Island View Beach there were at least ten Ringlets (Large Heaths) (Coenonympha tullia).

2015 August 21

   Jeff Gaskin saw at least five Coenonympha tullia in the northwest field at Layritz Park  on August 20.

   Ron Flower writes:  We got the Grey Hairstreak in our garden in Royal Oak yesterday (August 19) and the “Ringlet” (Large Heath Coenonympha tullia) three days ago at Island View Beach.  There were a lot of them there.  Today we got the Mylitta Crescent.  We got it on Ocean Spring Terrace off of Beecher Bay Road.  There were Pine Whites all over the Beecher Bay area.

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ron Flower

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

 Ron Flower

Female Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Ron Flower

  Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of the cocoon of the Spotted Tiger Moth.

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

   Gordon Hart writes:  Here at our Highlands home we had a fresh Western Tiger Swallowtail on August 17, the first in a while.  Today (August 18) the usual Woodland Skippers and Cabbage Whites on the Buddleia, along with a rather worn noctuid moth.   Yesterday, Wednesday August 20, we saw a fresh Mourning Cloak, too.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Thanks to Libby Avis for identifying the moth for us as a day-flying plusiine noctuid, Syngrapha viridisigma.

Syngrapha viridisigma (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Gordon Hart

   Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a jumping spider from View Royal, kindly identified for us by Robb Bennett as most likely Phidippus johnsoni .

Phidippus johnsoni (Ara.: Salticidae)  Cheryl Hoyle.

2015 August 20

   Nathan Fisk writes:  Personal first. Grey Hairstreak seen at Fort Rodd Hill at the top of a Garry Oak outcrop.   [A very patriotic butterfly by the look of it!   Jeremy]

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus(Lep.: Lycaenidae)

Nathan Fisk

2015 August 19

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a pupa of Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth, from a caterpillar found at Livesay Road, Central Saanich.

Smerinthus cerisyi (Lep.: Sphingidae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  A Red Admiral was in my mother’s backyard in the Gorge community today, August 19.

    Val George writes:  The August 18 post noted that most of the remaining butterflies are Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers.  I agree but this morning, August 19, I saw a Mourning Cloak in Oak Bay.  Also when I did my official August count, August 16, I had 5 Painted Ladies and a West Coast Lady at the summit of Mount Douglas in the evening.

2015 August 18

   Index.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  I have been maintaining an Index of all photographs posted on this site since it became operational in 2010.  We had hoped to be able to post the Index on this site in a way that makes it easy to update, but we have not yet been able to find a technical solution.  Still trying.  In the meantime, if anyone would like to have a copy of it, please email me at jtatum at uvic.ca and just ask.

   Jeff Gaskin writes: Bill Dancer on Sherwood Drive tells me he still has 2 Western Tiger Swallowtails in his garden. The butterflies were seen there on Sunday August the 16th.  Sherwood Drive runs off of Arbutus Road and down the road from the Queen Alexandra Hospital.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  The last adult Western Tiger Swallowtail reported on this site before these two was on August 4.

   Annie Pang is finding in Gorge Park what many of us are finding in the Victoria area at the moment, namely that the only butterflies found locally are the Woodland Skippers and the odd Cabbage White.  She sends more evidence that the Woodland Skippers enjoy nectaring at lavender as well as at Asteraceae.

Woodland Skippers Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep. Hesperiidae)  Annie Pang

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep. Hesperiidae)  Annie Pang

  And now, an editorial blunder.  I had mixed up a couple of grasshopper photographs on August 8 and August 13.  The one on August 8, I think, is OK, and here is the one that should have appeared on August 13.  Apologies to the two photographers concerned.  I am still looking for someone who can and would be willing to identify grasshoppers for us.  Any volunteers, or suggestions?

Grasshopper (Orth.: Acrididae)  Rosemary Jorna