2025 June 8 evening
Here are a few of the butterflies that Aziza Cooper saw on Mount Tolmie yesterday (see yesterday’s posting).
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
Anise Swallowtail Papilio zelicaon (Lep.: Papilionidae)
Aziza Cooper
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper
While in Parksville on June 7, Kirsten Mills managed to get a photo of a very active American Emerald dragonfly. This is the second corduliid we have had recently (see May 23).
Cordulia shurtleffii (Odo.: Corduliidae) Kirsten Mills
Aziza Cooper writes today, June 8: Today, June 8, at Mount Tolmie there were six species of butterflies, three Pale Tiger, one Western Tiger and one Anise Swallowtail, two Lorquin’s Admirals, three Painted Ladies and one Cabbage White. At the top of Mount Douglas it was lively with continuous flying of at least three Pale Tiger Swallowtails and three Painted Ladies.
Jeremy Tatum writes: Dragonfly photographers might note that at present there are lots of Blue Dashers (some quite tame) flying around the edge of Swan Lake.
Jeff Gaskin writes: Kirsten Mills and I had a wonderful time looking for butterflies and dragonflies up in Nanaimo yesterday, June 7th. Along NW Bay Logging road, we had as many as 11 species of butterflies and up to seven species of dragonflies. Here’s how we did ; 11 Lorquin’s Admirals, 3 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 15 Pale Tiger Swallowtails, 18 Clodius Parnassians, Cabbage Whites, 3 each of Hydaspe and Western Meadow Fritillary, 1 Green Comma, 2 Mylitta Crescents, several blues which we think were all Western Spring Azures, and Kirsten also saw a Roadside Skipper which I unfortunately missed.
The dragonflies include the following : Cardinal Meadowhawks, Four-spotted Skimmers, an Eight -spotted Skimmer, Blue-eyed and California Darners. We were lucky to find at Rhododendron Lake two Chalk-fronted Corporals, and 3 American Emeralds which we were able to photograph both of them.
On June 6th Kirsten had a very late Sara Orangetip on Prospect Lake Road near Petworth Road.
Invert Sightings 