May 31

Two European invaders, photographed yesterday – the Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba and the Lesser Yellow Underwing N. comes.  The former emerged from one of the pupae shown in the April 26 entry, and the latter from the caterpillar shown on April 23.  Both species have yellow hindwings.  Biologists can speculate on the purpose of this feature, but I can guarantee one thing – they did not evolve for the convenience of photographers.  They cover up their hindwings as soon as they see a camera.

Large Yellow Underwing       Jeremy Tatum                                              Lesser Yellow Underwing      Jeremy Tatum

May 28

This caterpillar of the White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis  (Lymantriidae) was found today at the University of Victoria.  Although widespread in North America, it is probably not native, being a European insect.  The caterpillar feeds on willows, poplars and cottonwoods, including the White Poplar, a species often disdained by other caterpillars.

White Satin Moth           Jeremy Tatum

May 26

Terry Thormin sends six more photos:  “All these were taken around my house in Comox either on Saturday, May 22, or Sunday, May 23. They are all rather common insects or spiders. The little male philodromid spider is another one of those many creatures introduced from Europe. Eristalis tenax has been flying for some time, but this is the first dark individual I have seen. It threw me at first, and I had to send it to Martin Hauser for identification. He also identified Scaeva pyrastri for me.”

Jumping spider Eris militaris  (Ara.: Salticidae)        Terry Thormin

Red-backed Stink Bug  Banasa dimiata  (Hem.:  Pentatomidae)      Terry Thormin

Drone Fly  Eristalis tenax  (Dip.:  Syrphidae)          Terry Thormin

Weevil  Otiorhynchus singularis  (Col.:  Curculionidae)        Terry Thormin

Running crab spider  Philodromus dispar  (Ara.: Philodromidae)     Terry Thormin

Flower fly  Scaeva pyrastri  (Dip.: Syrphidae)      Terry Thormin

Butterflies have been very scarce in the last couple of weeks, as a result of the cool, damp weather.  Annie Pang reports the only Grey Hairstreak so far this year – on Christmas Hill, May 18.

May 25

We had better make sure that we know the names of our two common “tent” caterpillars.  The more abundant of the two, the orange and black one, is Malacosoma californicum. The blue and orange one, with a row of “keyhole” marks along the back, is Malacosoma disstria.  As far as I know, the latter species doesn’t make “tents”.   The two below were photographed at the University of Victoria.

All of us are familiar with the insect in the third picture.  Or at least we are familiar with its caterpillar scurrying along the road in October – the familiar “Banded Woolly Bear”.  But how many of us are familiar with the adult moth, the Isabella Moth Pyrrharctia isabella?  Photographed today in Saanich.

Malacosoma californicum    Jeremy Tatum

Malacosoma disstria    Jeremy Tatum

Isabella Moth  Pyrrharctia isabella     Jeremy Tatum

May 21

Here’s a photo of a noctuid moth Aseptis binotata from Mount Tolmie.  You can compare it with the photo of its relative A. adnixa on May 8.

Aseptis binotata                     Jeremy Tatum

May 18

Gabriel David reports the following dragonflies and damselflies in the past week:

Dragonflies:   Corduliidae:   Spiny Baskettail Epitheca spinigera  at Beaver Lake Ponds.

Libellulidae:  Four-spotted Skimmer Libellula quadrimaculata at Pike Lake.

Aeshnidae:     California Darner Rhionaeshna californica at multiple locations.

Damselflies:  Coenagrionidae:  Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula at multiple locations.

May 17

Terry Thormin writes:  The Two-spotted Ladybird Adalia bipunctata was photographed yesterday at the Tsolum River in Courtenay and the Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare was photographed yesterday in my backyard in Comox. The woodlouse is another introduced species from Europe. The little moth (3 ½ mm), Caloptilia syringella, also called Gracillaria syringella, was one of many all over the lilac bush in my backyard this morning.

The moth, a gracillariid, is a European moth whose caterpillar feeds on lilacs.  It has been recorded widely across Canada. 

Two-spotted Ladybird                            Terry Thormin

Woodlouse                                              Terry Thormin

Gracillaria syringella                                  Terry Thormin

May 15

Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  Here are a couple more photos taken May11th at Mt.Tolmie. Looks like a female California Darner and also a Propertius Duskywing.

California Darner      Marie O’Shaughnessy

Propertius Duskywing     Marie O’Shaughnessy

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Pale Tiger Swallowtail  and a Green Comma at Munn Road today, and I also photographed a final instar caterpillar (shown below) of a Lorquin’s Admiral

Feeding on willow.

Lorquin’s Admiral   Jeremy Tatum

May 14

Terry Thormin writes:  I managed to do a bit of photography yesterday and again today. I have attached 4 photos, 3 from yesterday and the final one from today. I actually photographed 2 species of damselflies, but have not identified the second one as yet. I also saw a dragonfly and Laphria sp., the bee-mimicking robber fly yesterday, but could not get photos. The green stink bug is the only one from today. All species were taken in Comox. 

Damselfly  Ischnura erratica     Terry Thormin

Jumping Spider  Phidippus borealis    Terry Thormin

Cimbicid Sawfly   Zaraea sp             Terry Thormin

Green Stink Bug   Chlorochroa uhleri    Terry Thormin

 Gerry Ansell reported these butterfly sightings for May 14 from Mt Wells Regional Park:
2 Western Pine Elfin
1 Pale Tiger Swallowtail
25+ Spring Azure
2 Western Brown Elfin
1 Cabbage White
1 Satyr Anglewing
2 Sara Orangetip
2 Propertius Duskywing

May 11

Jeremy Tatum writes:  On April 7 I posted a photo of a caterpillar tentatatively identified "with 85 percent certainty" as the geometrid moth Hesperumia latipennis.  The moth emerged today, and I got it right!  It was rather active, and I couldn't get a photo in a natural setting, but here it is, anyway.   Released at Mount Douglas Beach Park, if anyone wants to go and look for it!

May 8

Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw a Two-banded Grizzled Skipper, the first I have seen for a couple of years, in the hydro power line beside Spectacle Lake.  And early this morning I photographed a noctuid moth, Aseptis adnixa, from Lochside Drive, Saanich.

                                                                                       Aseptis adnixa                             Jeremy Tatum

May 6

Jeremy Tatum writes that this caterpillar of the geometrid moth Sicya macularia was found on Snowberry at the Munn Road power line.

                                                                    Sicya macularia                                                                 Jeremy Tatum

May 4

Could someone please go over once again for me this theory of global warming?  I think all sensible invertebrates have stayed indoors with a good book over the last few days.  I went to Uplands Park yesterday for an hour and the only butterfly I saw was a single cold Anise Swallowtail.  Annie Pang has done a little better, and she reports:

     April 25

Obed Avenue at Orillia St - 3 Cabbage Whites

Viaduct Flats  - 1 Cabbage White, 1 Spring Azure male

Glendale Gardens - 2 damselflies 1 male Spring Azure, 5 Cabbage Whites

     April 28

Esquimalt Gorge Park - 1 Western Brown Elfin, 2 Spring Azures, 1 Cabbage White, 1 Satyr Anglewing (first one at this location!), 1 Mosaic Darner Dragonfly.

     April 30

Esquimalt Gorge Park - 2 Western Brown Elfins, 1-2 Spring Azures

     May 1

Mt Tolmie - 1 Cabbage White, 1 Anise Swallowtail, 1 Spring Azure, 1 Sara Orangetip.  Very windy and not very warm at all!!

     May 4

Obed Avenue - 2 Cabbage Whites

Gorge Park - 1 Spring Azure, 1 Cabbage White

Esquimalt Gorge Park - 2 Spring Azures (male), 2 Cabbage Whites

Christmas Hill - 1 Sara Orangetip, 1 male Spring Azure (picture below), 2 Propertius Duskywing males, 1 Western Brown Elfin (first one I've seen at this location – picture below).

                                                                                       Spring Azure                                    Annie Pang

                                                                    Western Brown Elfin                                                              Annie Pang

    Terry Thormin writes:  I went to both Point Holmes and Kin Beach north of Comox today, and this tachinid fly was quite common at both places. I normally don’t think of tachinid flies as being cute, but in my opinion this one is.

                                               Tachinid fly                                                                                                                      Terry Thormin