2025 May 10
Here are some photographs from Ian Cooper. They were obtained ^along the E&N Trail in Esquimalt, and #near the 9 km marker in View Royal, on May 08.
^Psyllobora borealis (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
#Globular springtail, Ptenothrix maculosa (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae) Ian Cooper
#Stilt Bug (Hem.: Berytidae) Ian Cooper
^(Dip.: probably Drosophilidae) Ian Cooper
2025 May 9
Yesterday, Ron Flower saw three Margined Whites along the railway line near Cowichan Station. Here is a photograph of one of them. Notice how very heavily marked are the dark veins. This is one of the spring brood. The individuals of the summer brood are much less heavily marked; indeed, many male summer Margined Whites are pure white with no dark markings whatever.
Margined White Pieris marginalis (Lep.: Pieridae ) Ron Flower
Aziza Cooper writes: On May 8, at Storm Water Community Park near Parksville, I found one Western Pine Elfin. At Little Mountain Lookout there was one Brown Elfin.
Western Pine Elfin Callophrys eryphon (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
More tomorrow…
2025 May 8 morning
Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper on May 5th 2025 along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.
If any viewer can help with identifications, please do so. Write to tatumjb352 at gmail dot com
Unidentified ant. (Hym.: Formicidae) Ian Cooper
Unidentified ant (Hym.: Formicidae)
and unidentified aphid (Hem:Aphididae)
Ian Cooper
Springtail Entomobrya triangularis (Coll.: Entomobryidae)
Ian Cooper
Entomobrya triangularis (Coll.: Entomobryidae)
and unidentified bark louse (Psocodea)
Ian Cooper
Dome web spider, possibly Neriene litigiosa (Ara.: Linyphiidae)
Ian Cooper
Callobius pictus (Ara.: Amaurobiidae) Ian Cooper
2025 May 7 evening
Aziza Cooper reports seeing a Mourning Cloak and about 12 Western Spring Azures at Beaver Lake on May 6. At the Goldstream campground and adjacent railroad tracks there were 30 or more Western Spring Azures and one Western Tiger Swallowtail.
Here is another photograph by Aziza of the moth seen by Aziza along the Goldstream Railroad yesterday (see yesterday’s posting). This moth is, in the words of Libby Avis, a nice find.
Annaphila diva (Lep.: Noctuidae) Aziza Cooper
2025 May 7 morning
Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings, Libby Avis and Gordon Hart for help with some of these difficult ones below.
The photographs below were all taken locally near Victoria in the last few days. I hope photographers will forgive me if I don’t post the exact locations and dates – it’s hard to keep track of them all – Jeremy Tatum.
Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
Boreal/Northern Bluet Enallagma boreale/annexum
(Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Aziza Cooper
California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae) Aziza Cooper
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Aziza Cooper
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Swift Forktail Ischnura erratica (Odo.: Coenagrionidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Annaphila diva (Lep.: Noctuidae) Aziza Cooper
More later…
2025 May 6
Marie O’Shaughnessy and Jeremy Tatum saw one California Tortoiseshell and two Red Admirals at the top of Mount Tolmie at 5:00 pm today. The tortoiseshell was on the reservoir; the admirals were on the Laburnum just outside the entrance to the reservoir. Below is Marie’s photograph of the tortoiseshell.
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
More pics tomorrow…
2025 May 5 evening
Ian Cooper writes: Here are six pictures from my May 4th photo shoot along the Galloping Goose Trail in Saanich and View Royal.
Jeremy Tatum writes, of the first photograph below: Although it is not on any of its usual foodplants, I believe this is a caterpillar of the European Winter Moth, which has become lost.
Probably Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)
Ian Cooper
Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) Ian Cooper
Larva of Seven-spotted Lady Beetle – Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)
Ian Cooper
Adult Seven-spotted Lady Beetle – Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)
Ian Cooper
Picture-winged fly – Chaetopsis fulvifrons (Dip.: Ulidiidae)
Ian Cooper
Ancistrocerus/Euodynerus (Hym.: Vespidae – Eumeninae)
Ian Cooper
Jeremy Tatum writes: This is a potter/mason wasp of the subfamily Eumeninae. iNaturalist suggests Euodynerus foraminatus. Our Claudia Copley suggests Ancistrocerus sp. I looked up several images in both genera, and it seemed to me that the best fit was Ancistrocerus nigricornis – but that’s a European species that doesn’t seem to have been recorded in North America. But maybe that’s what it is? For the present we’ll have to admit that, at present, we cannot be 100 percent sure of the exact species.
Marie O’Shaughnessy writes: I was delighted to find a Grey Hairstreak among the grass along the berm at Maber Flats . Photo taken by my old cell phone so not good. There were also three Western Spring Azures , and 7 Cabbage Whites .
Over the past month if my observations are correct, Cabbage Whites seem especially abundant in places such as Outerbridge Park, and Martindale Flats along with Western Spring Azures.
I did manage to find as many as 4 California Tortoiseshells at the top of Mount Tolmie, middle of April . Also met Aziza, May 1st at this location and enjoyed another California Tortoiseshell Finally I found 2 Sara Orangetips at the top parking lot of Mount Douglas April 25th. I was thrilled to find my first California Darner sighting, four of them, at Outerbridge Park May 1st. A pair were mating. Two more were seen same day at McIntyre Reservoir. There was one California Darner at Maber Flats May 4th.
Grey Hairsteak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
California Darners Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Jeremy Tatum writes: I think I must, at some time, have mentioned on this site that it is a help, towards identifying aeshnid dragonflies, to get a close-up lateral shot of the thorax, in order to see the shapes of the thoracic stripes. Marie seems to have taken this to heart.
2025 May 5 morning
Here are some photographs by Gordon Hart from yesterday’s Butterfly Walk.
Male Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae) Gordon Hart
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Gordon Hart
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Gordon Hart
2025 May 4 evening
Aziza Cooper writes : Today, nine participants in the May Butterfly Walk went from Mount Tolmie to Munn Road and to a garden in the Highlands. We found four butterfly species:
Mount Tolmie:
1 Western Spring Azure
1 Cabbage White
Munn Road at Pike Lake:
15 Western Spring Azures
1 Brown Elfin
1 Cabbage White
Private home at Blue Valley Road
1 Green Comma
Western Spring Azures Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper
Geoffrey Newall writes: I found this interesting butterfly while I was hiking at Goldstream Heights today.
Two-banded Grizzled (“Checkered”) Skipper Pyrgus ruralis
(Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Geoffrey Newall
This is the first reported sighting of this species in our area since 2021. This is a slightly darker specimen than usual, and it shows more clearly the “double-banded” pattern after which it gets its English name.
May 4th be with you
Here are more photographs from Ian Cooper’s May 1st photo shoot in View Royal.
Mosquito Culiseta incidens (Dip.: Culicidae) Ian Cooper
Possibly Ptenothrix maculosa
(Coll.: Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)
Ian Cooper
Banana slug Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper
Unidentified ant (Hym.: Formicidae) Ian Cooper
Raspberry Weevil Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae) Ian Cooper
Forest Spider Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) Ian Cooper
Invert Sightings 