2022 August 24 evening

    Mike Yip writes from Nanoose:  Common Woodnymphs were about two weeks late but I finally found a few in my yard on August 22. That inspired me to make a quick visit to Mount Washington on August 23 to look for a few butterflies. Great Arctics were still abundant, but it took a while to find one that wasn’t in poor condition. Other species seen were Common Branded Skipper, Hydaspe Fritillary, Anna’s Blue, Hoary Comma, , Purplish Copper, Mariposa Copper, Western Meadow Fritillary, Anise Swallowtail. Pine White, Cabbage, and Woodland Skipper. Also found a red and black dragonfly near Raven Lodge.

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I think most of us here in Victoria will be feeling pretty envious, and will agree that Mike has lots more butterflies up there than we have down here.  We are pretty-well reduced here now to Cabbage Whites and Woodland Skippers.

Jeremy continues:  The dragonfly proved to be tricky to identify, but it has now been examined carefully by two dragonfly experts, Dr Rob Cannings and Dr Dennis Paulson, who conclude that this is only the second record for Vancouver Island of the Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Sympetrum internum.  Congratulations to Mike are in order.

Common Woodnymph Cercyonis pegala (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)

  Mike Yip

Common Branded Skipper Hesperia comma (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Common Branded Skipper Hesperia comma (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Mike Yip

Hoary Comma Polygonia gracilis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Mike Yip

Mariposa Copper Lycaena mariposa (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Great Arctic Oeneis nevadensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Satyrinae)  Mike Yip

Anna’s Blue Lycaeides anna (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Mike Yip

Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Mike Yip

 Sympetrum internum (Odo.: Libellulidae)

Mike Yip

Jochen Möhr photographed the following moths from Metchosin this morning – kindly identified by Libby Avis

Cyclophora dataria  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Drepanulatrix (possibly secundaria) (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes:  The presumed second instar hawk moth caterpillar shown on August 16, and again on August 20 in its third instar, has now reached its fourth instar:

Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.:  Sphingidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2022 August 24 morning

    Richard Rycraft photographed this bug just days after Ian Cooper photographed a similar one – the only photographs we have received of this insect since 2015.

Phytocoris tiliae (Hem.: Miridae)  Richard Rycraft

Ian Cooper photographed this series of arachnids “working the night shift” earlier this month.  The trapdoor spider was in View Royal;  the remainder in Colquitz River Park.  We thank Dr Robb Bennett for confirming Ian’s  spider identifications and for supplying the additional comments.  Robb also writes: They are all very nice images.

Ero (probably tuberculata)  (Ara.: Mimetidae)   Ian Cooper

    This is an Ero species – mimetid spiders that specialize in eating other spiders.  Our single native species of Ero is E. canionis but I think this is our relatively recently introduced species – E. tuberculata (apparently two pairs of dorsal abdominal humps (“tubercles”) versus a single pair in canionis).  Not known here a few years ago, it is now fairly common around southern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland.

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

      This common theridiid spider comes in several colOur morphs.  Sean McCann and Catherine Scott did a great study at Island View Beach of this spider preying on other spiders.

Dysdera crocata (Ara.: Dysderidae)  Ian Cooper

   This is an immature Dysdera crocata – the introduced “slater slayer” (specializes in eating isopods).

 Trapdoor spider  Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara., Mygalomorphae:  Antrodiaetidae

Ian Cooper

Harvestman.  Possibly Nelima paessleri

(Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae )

  Ian Cooper

    Marie O’Shaugnessy photographed this Cardinal Meadowhawk on August 23 at Beckwith Park.  It is holding its wings forward in typical Meadowhawk  fashion.

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy

2022 August 23

 August Butterfly Count

Message from Gordon Hart

Dear Butterfly Counters,

I am sending out a late reminder that the August count period extends from Saturday, August 20, to Sunday, August 28. This has been an unusual year with smaller numbers of butterflies of several species, but many of the late summer butterflies can still be found and we should document this season as a comparison to past years. Hopefully we will see better years in the future.

This is an informal census of butterfly numbers and species in Greater Victoria. The area is defined by the Christmas Bird Count circle, extending from Victoria to Brentwood Bay and Island View Road in Central Saanich, and west to Happy Valley and Triangle Mountain, and Langford Lake and Goldstream areas. 

You can submit a count any time over the count period, just use a separate form for each count and location. In the case of repeat or duplicate counts, I will use the higher numbers. To submit counts, please use the form from the VNHS website at https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?p=33

If you have difficulty with the form, just send me an email with the information.

Thank-you for submitting your sightings and good luck with your count.

Gordon Hart,

Butterfly Count Coordinator,

Victoria Natural History Society

    Aziza sends a photograph of a Golden Jewel Beetle  from Sidney Island, August 22.

Buprestis aurulenta (Col.: Beprestidae)  Aziza Cooper

   Ian Cooper sends a miscellany of insect photographs, from James Bay, August 22 (first two), and View Royal, August 18 (remaining four).  We thank Claudia Copley and Libby Avis for help with the identifications.

Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Prionyx (possibly canadensis) (Hym.: Sphecidae)  Ian Cooper

Euodynerus or Ancistrocerus (Hym.: Vespidae- Eumeninae) Ian Cooper

Female Beewolf Philanthus crabroniformis ((Hym.: Crabronidae)

Leucospis (probably affinis) (Hym.: Leucospidae)  Ian Cooper

Phytocoris tiliae (Hem.: Miridae)  Ian Cooper

   Val George found this moth on on the wall of his Oak Bay house this morning:

Nemoria darwiniata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

 2022 August 22

   Cheryl Hoyle sends pictures of a root-maggot fly and a grasshopper from View Royal, August 21:

Anthomyia procellaris (Dip.: Anthomyiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   It looks as though Jochen Möhr had a productive night last night in Metchosin:

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Eulithis xylina (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   We shan’t attempt to identify the bug (although possibly Miridae) near the left-hand wing, still less the tiny hymenopteran near the leg!

Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Cosmia praeacuta (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Elophila icciusalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes: The caterpillar of the above moth lives under water in ponds.  I think I’d try to pronounce the beginning of its species name something like “icksy”.

Udea profundalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  The other little moth might be a tortricid and the bug might be a mirid.  Beyond that, we shan’t go!

Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dargida procinctus (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 August 21

    Jochen Möhr sends pictures of a moth and a mayfly from Metchosin:

Habrosyne scripta (Drepanidae – Thyasirinae)  Jochen Möhr

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Jochen Möhs