This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (jtatum@uvic.ca). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along.
2023 May 14 evening
More invertebrates by Ian Cooper photographed along the Galloping Goose Trail in *Saanich and #View Royal on May 09, 10 and 11.
*Soldier beetle (Col.: Cantharidae) Ian Cooper
Lophocampa argentata (Lep.: Erebidae- Arctiinae) Ian Cooper
2023 May 14 morning
Jeremy Tatum writes: There were two moths at my Saanich apartment this morning:
Possibly Eupithecia annulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jeremy Tatum
Euthyatira pudens (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thyatirinae) Jeremy Tatum
Here are some invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper taken along the Galloping Goose Trail in *Saanich and #View Royal on the afternoon of May 09, 2023.
#Spiderlings, probably Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae) Ian Cooper
#Metaphidippus manni (Ara.: Salticidae) Ian Cooper
#Tibellus oblongus (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper
#Crab spider Xysticus (Ara.: Thomisidae)
with snakefly (Rhaphidioptera)
Ian Cooper
*Harvestman (Opiliones) Ian Cooper
*Harvestman (Opiliones) Ian Cooper
2023 May 13 evening
Some recent invertebrate photographs from Ian Cooper.
Stink bug Chlorochroa sp. or Chinavia sp. (Hem.: Pentatomidae)
Ian Cooper
Tibellus oblongus (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper
Chaetopsis fulvifrons (Dip.: Ulidiidae) Ian Cooper
Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)Ian Cooper
Harvestman (Opiliones) Ian Cooper
Carpenter Ant, Camponotus modoc (Hym.: Formicidae)
Ian Cooper
Hover Fly (Dip.: Syrphidae) Ian Cooper
Mining bee (Hym.: Andrenidae) Ian Cooper
2023 May 13 morning
Jeremy Tatum writes: Viewers and contributors will, I hope, forgive me for delays and other deficiencies, while I struggle with a backlog and a few remaining technical problems following the recent “down” of my computer. It is mostly “up” again now, though there are still a few minor problems.
Here are some recent moths and a butterfly from Jochen Möhr in Metchosin:
Triphosa haesitata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr
Hypena decorata (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae) Jochen Möhr
Orthosia hibisci (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Jochen Möhr
Aziza Cooper writes: On May 12, at Mount Tolmie about 3 pm, there was a Painted Lady and one Anise Swallowtail, plus a Cabbage White at the rocky summit. I didn’t see
any butterflies on the reservoir.
Also on May 12, at Blenkinsop / Lochside Trail, there were four Mourning Cloaks, two Commas [all but certainly Satyr Commas at that location – Jeremy Tatum], two Cabbage Whites and one Western Spring Azure.
On May 11, at Goldstream day use area, there was one Satyr Comma, 3 Western
Spring Azures. At the campground and railroad track
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper
Gordon Hart writes that on May 7, he saw one Western Brown Elfin on the Panhandle Trail. We almost stepped on it, but it did not stay around for a photo. Also, many Western Spring Azures.
Jeff Gaskin writes: Bill Dancer tells me that he saw a Western Tiger Swallowtail in his garden on Sherwood Drive (Arbutus/Queenswood area) last weekend on the 6th or 7th of May.
Presumably as a result of the recent computer difficulties (now, we hope, over) I missed an earlier contribution from Kirsten Mills. She writes: On May 2nd I went for a walk on Mount Tolmie. I saw 1 Western Spring Azure, 2 Sara Orangetips, 1 Propertius Duskywing, 1 Mourning Cloak and 1 Western Brown Elfin. Here’s a picture of the Mourning Cloak. Here is also the pictures on May 10th at Mount Tolmie of the Red Admiral and California Tortoiseshell that were there.
Jeremy Tatum remarks: The damage to the hind wings of the California Tortoiseshell looks like damage caused by a bird’s bill.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Kirsten Mills
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Kirsten Mills
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Kirsten Mills
2023 May 12
Jeremy Tatum writes: Apologies for recent problems with Invert Alert – my computer has been completely down for a few days. Although the computer isn’t yet quite back to normal, I think I have enough to run Invert Alert again and to receive reports and photographs.
Jeremy Tatum writes: Sunday’s sighting of a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell led me to reflect upon how uncommon this butterfly has been in recent years. It has not needed much effort for me to look up records from 2015 onward. It would require considerably more effort (although it could be done) to research records before this. This is unfortunate, because I believe that before 2015 it was not a rare butterfly, 2013 in particular being a good year for them. However, from 2015 onward, Invert Alert records have been as follows:
2015: 1 (but see below)
2016: 3
2017: 0
2018: 1
2019: 2
2020; 1
2021: 1
2022: 0
In 2015, in addition to the one reported sighting of an adult butterfly, a batch of caterpillars was found during the Metchosin Bioblitz, this being the last year in which caterpillars were found. Six were taken and successfully reared and released from this batch.
The last time a photograph of a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell appeared in Invert Alert was in 2016.
Recent additional sightings of butterflies: At 5:00 pm on Tuesday May 9 there was a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir (it was there again on May 11), and a Red Admiral (first reported sighting of the year) nectaring on Spanish Bluebells at the entrance to the reservoir. Also on May 9, Aziza Cooper photographed a Mourning Cloak (shown below)at Rithet’s Bog. And on May 10 a Mourning Cloak was at Swan Lake. On May 11, three Sara Orangetips were seen along the Panhandler Trail off Munn Road.
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Jeremy Tatum writes: On May 11, an eyed hawk moth emerged from its pupa. I had reared it from a caterpillar found at Rithet’s Bog last year, and I released the adult moth there. Hawk moths of the genus Smerinthus are known as eyed hawk moths. Since S. cerisyi (Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth) was split a few years ago into two species, the only English name that I have seen for our species, S. ophthalmica, is Southwestern Eyed Sphinx. However, it doesn’t belong to the genus Sphinx, so it would be better to call it Southwestern Eyed Hawk Moth. For the time being I shall stick to the scientific name.
While I was photographing the moth, a mayfly landed on the wall next to me, so I
photographed that as well.
Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jeremy Tatum
Mayfly Callibaetis ferrugineus (Eph.: Baetidae) Jeremy Tatum