Author: tatumjb352

2025 May 3 evening

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Looks like a Pieris rapae  (Cabbage White) evening for me.

One.  I was walking along Carey Road and I saw a female Cabbage White fluttering low down at foot level apparently ovipositing on a tiny all-but-unidentifiable (though possibly Raphanus) fragment of vegetation growing out from the cracks between the sidewalk paving stones.  Sure enough, I found this egg on one of the plant fragments.

Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jeremy Tatum

Two.  For some time, I have been corresponding with an Iranian astronomer at Shiraz University.  I deviated from our usual astronomical discussions by asking him to photograph any butterfly he saw there.  He duly photographed one, and the photograph arrived this evening – shown below.  I was expecting something exotic and foreign, but it rather looks like our familiar Pieris rapae to me.  (A bit of caution though – it might just be possible that it is something else.)  It’s a little outside the area that I usually allow on this site (i.e. Vancouver Island), I admit.

Probably Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)   Ali Mansouri

   Jeremy continues:  A saw a Red Admiral on the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 4:15 pm today, May 3.

2025 May 3 morning

Monthly Butterfly Walk – Message from Gordon Hart:

The first Butterfly Walk of the year will take place this Sunday, May 4. We will meet at the summit of Mount Tolmie by the reservoir at 1 p.m. After a look around for butterflies, we will decide on a destination from there. Car-pooling is encouraged, and we will try to return by 4 p.m. For any changes or updates, check this site, or the VNHS calendar at  https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?page_id=1518 

   Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper on May 1.

Probably Protolophus niger (Opiliones:  Protolophidae)  
Ian Cooper

Entomobrya triangularis  (Coll.: Entomobryidae)   Ian Cooper

Giant red velvet mite Trombidium grandissimum
 (Acari:  Trombidiidae)
Ian Cooper

Ground beetle (Col.: Carabidae)   Ian Cooper

Sap beetle  (Col.: Nitidulidae)  Ian Cooper

Wingless Parasitoidal Wasp, Gelis sp. (Hym.: Ichneumonidae)
Ian Cooper 

2025 May 2

  Sher Falls photographed the take-off and flight of a click beetle in her Nanaimo garden on May 1.

Selatosomus suckleyi  (Col.: Elateridae)  Sher Falls

Selatosomus suckleyi  (Col.: Elateridae)  Sher Falls

 

On May 1, on Mount Tolmie, Aziza Cooper photographed a California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica and a California Darner Rhionaeschna californica.  Although both bear the names California and californica, they are very different animals.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Aziza Cooper

California Darner Rhionaeschna californica  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum asks: What is the name of our small blue Spring butterfly?

   Over the past half-century its scientific name has varied among Celastrina argiolus, C. ladon and C. echo with various combinations and lumpings and splittings.  We have usually used the English name Spring Azure.

  In this site, I generally follow the scientific taxonomy of the Pohl and Nanz Annotated Taxonomic Checklist (ATC).  The ATC recognizes numerous distinct species of Celastrina in North America, only one of which we are concerned with here on Vancouver Island, namely C. echo.  The species C. argiolus, a name at one time attached to our butterfly, and somewhat similar to it in appearance, is now regarded as a distinct species that does not occur in North America.  In the British Isles it is the butterfly known there as the Holly Blue.

  Which of the numerous North American species should rightfully be called Spring Azure?  Probably all of them should have an additional adjective before the name; perhaps none should be called simply Spring Azure, although maybe C. ladon has the greatest claim.   The only species currently recognized here on Vancouver Island (although this may change) is Celastrina echo.  I have generally used the name Western Spring Azure on this site.  This has a slight disadvantage is that it might be interpreted as merely a western subspecies.  To avoid this, perhaps Echo Blue might be a preferable name.

  My Canadian Gage Dictionary asks us to put the stress on the first (not the second) syllable of the word azure.  It asks us to pronounce the z as zh as in Marshal Zhukov – although to me this is a lazy pronunciation, and I prefer z.   Gage allows us to pronounce the letter a as in cat or as in Kate;  I prefer cat.

2025 May 1 evening

   Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail, April 29.

Harvestman – Protolophus sp. (Opiliones: Protolophidae)
  Ian Cooper 

Barklouse – Psocus sp. (Psoc.: Stenopsocidae)   Ian Cooper

Jumping spider – female Metaphidippus manni.. (Ara.: Salticidae)   Ian Cooper

Thanks to Thomas Barbin for the identification.

A melyrid beetle, probably Malachius sp.  (Col.: Melyridae) 
Ian Cooper
Thanks to Scott Gilmore for the identification.

Picture-winged fly  Chaetopsis fulvifrons (Dip.: Ulidiidae)
  Ian Cooper

Crab spider  Xysticus cristatus (Ara.: Thomisidae)   Ian Cooper

  Val George writes:  This afternoon, May 1, I saw my first Red Admiral of the season at the summit of Mount Douglas – seems quite early for this species. The California Tortoiseshells and the Grey Hairstreak were still there, as were two Sara Orangetips.

Female Sara Orangetip  Anthocharis sara  (Lep.: Pieridae)  
Val George

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   I visited the pond along Munn Road today.  There were lots of Western Spring Azures, but no other butterflies.  I did, however, see the pretty litle geometrid Leptostales rubromarginaria.  I would still like someone to see that moth (and also Epirrhoe plebeculata) ovipositing.

2025 May 1 morning

Monthly Butterfly Walk – Message from Gordon Hart:

The first Butterfly Walk of the year will take place this Sunday, May 4. We will meet at the summit of Mount Tolmie by the reservoir at 1 p.m. After a look around for butterflies, we will decide on a destination from there. Car-pooling is encouraged, and we will try to return by 4 p.m. For any changes or updates, check this site, or the VNHS calendar at  https://www.vicnhs.bc.ca/?page_id=1518 

   Jules Thomson reports seeing a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir yesterday (April 30) at 6:30 pm.

   Aziza Cooper writes: This well camouflaged moth was on the west slope of Mount Douglas on April 30.  I also saw one Sara Orangetip and 5 Western Spring Azures.

Rheumaptera meadii  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Aziza Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  It may be hard to believe, but this is a colour form of the same species as that of Val George’s photograph on April 26.  If any doubt, see the short fourth tooth.  In case anyone doubts Aziza’s description of  ”well-camouflaged”, this form exhibits what is known as “disruptive coloration”, in which sharply demarcated contrasting colours disguises the shape of the animal, so that, although the moth can be easily seen, it is not recognized as a moth or as anything else edible.

  Ian Cooper took the photographs below on the late afternoon of April 29 by the Galloping Goose Trail between Grange Road and Burnside Road West.

Blue-green Sharpshooter Hordnia atropunctata 
(Hem.: Coccinellidae) 
Ian Cooper

Western Polished Lady Beetle  Cycloneda polita 
(Col.: Coccinellidae) 
Ian Cooper

Asian Lady Beetles  Harmonia axyridis  (Col.: Coccinellidae) 
Ian Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes: Although this is a very variable species, most of them can be told by the black M or W mark on the pronotum, well shown on this photograph.

2025 April 30 morning

   Ian Cooper spotted this spider on a living room ceiling in James Bay yesterday.

Philodromus sp. (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

   Gordon Hart writes from his Highlands home: We have been seeing mainly the same three butterfly species for the past week or two: two Green Commas, several Cabbage Whites, and several Western Spring Azures. We also saw one Mourning Cloak on April 25. I have attached a picture of one of the Commas.

Green Comma  Polygonia faunus  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  
Gordon Hart

2025 April 28 morning

   Ian Cooper writes:   These pictures are from photo shoots on April 23, 25 and 26, 2025 at: 
# Galloping Goose Trail, near the 9 km marker, View Royal 
@ Galloping Goose Trail, between Grange Road & Burnside Road West in Saanich
^ E&N Trail near Mary Street & Esquimalt Road in Vic West

 # Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

^ Seven-spotted Lady Beetle  Coccinella septempunctata 
(Col.: Coccinellidae)  
Ian Cooper

@ Asian Lady Beetle – Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)
  Ian Cooper

@Asian Lady Beetle – Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)
  Ian Cooper

@ Broom Seed Beetle  Bruchidius villosus 
(Col.:  Chrysomelidae- Bruchinae)
  Ian Cooper

# Female Forest Spider – Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae)
  Ian Cooper

   Aziza Cooper photographed this moth at the Swan Lake Nature House, April 27.   Thanks to Libby Avis, who identified it as a colour form of Sabulodes aegrotata.

Sabulodes aegrotata  (Lep.: Geometridae) Aziza Cooper

2025 April 27 morning

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On April 26, at Mount Douglas there were two Brown Elfins, five Western Spring Azures, four Sara Orangetips and a Grey Hairstreak. At the summit was one California Tortoiseshell.

   At Mount Tolmie, one California Tortoiseshell was on the reservoir. 

   The damselfly shown below was on Mount Douglas and the dragonfly was below the summit on Mount Tolmie.

Brown Elfin  Callophrys augustinus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Aziza Cooper
(Formerly Incisalia iroides)

Pacific Forktail  Ischnura cervula  (Odo.: Coenagrionidae) 
Aziza Cooper

California Darner  Rhionaeschna californica  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper)

   Jeremy Tatum reared the moth below from a caterpillar on Stinging Nettle, Lochside Drive near Blenkinsop Lake. There are many such caterpillars on the nettles there at present.

Udea profundalis  (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2025 April 26

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Aziza Cooper and Val George have sent in a bunch of pictures of hard-to-identify moths.   Thanks to Libby Avis for helping with this difficult collection.

  First, a moth photographed by Val at the Swan Lake Nature House, April 24.

Rheumaptera meadii (Lep.: Geometridae)   Val George

The short fourth tooth on the outer margin of the hindwing distinguishes this moth from the rather similar Triphosa haesitata.

   Next, another geometrid, at least as difficult, by Val at Goldstream Park Nature House, April 25.

Nomenia obsoleta or Venusia pearsalli  (Lep.: Geometridae) 
 Val George

These two species can scarcely be distinguished other than by a good look at the male antennae.

   Yet another difficult geometrid, by Aziza, East Sooke Park, April 25.

Epirrhoe plebeculata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Aziza Cooper

The hindwing of this species is usually bright orange, The white hindwing of this example made it hard initially to identify.

   Lastly, of this difficult moth group, a micro, photographed by Aziza at East Sooke Park, April 25. Libby identified it as Prolita sexpunctella, a gelechiid whose caterpillar feeds on heather.

Prolita sexpunctella (Lep. Gelechiidae)  Aziza Cooper

After these four difficult moths, here’s an easy dragonfly, photographed by Ian Cooper on April 25.   It’s obviously an aeshnid.  It is April.  Therefore, it is a California Darner.

Female California Darner Rhionaeschna californica 
(Odo.: Aeshnidae) 
Ian Cooper

   Aziza Cooper writes:  On April 25, at the Goldstream railroad tracks, there were 12 or more Western Spring Azures and one Satyr Comma. At Beechey Head there was one Brown Elfin, two Western Spring Azures and a Cabbage White.

Male Satyr Comma (dorsal view) Polygonia satyrus 
(Lep.: Nymphalidae) 
Aziza Cooper

Male Satyr Comma (lateral view) Polygonia satyrus 
(Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper

Here are some daytime shots by Ian Cooper on April25.

Small Carpenter Bee – Ceratina (Zadontomerus) (Hym.: Apidae)
   Ian Cooper

Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)   Ian Cooper

Seven-spotted  Lady Beetle  Coccinella septempunctata 
 (Col.: Coccinellidae)  
Ian Cooper

Western Polished Lady Beetle  Cycloneda polita 
(Col.: Coccinellidae)  
Ian Cooper

Oxyopes scalaris  (Ara.: Oxyopidae)  Ian Cooper

Blue-green Sharpshooter Hordnia atropunctata 
(Hem.: Cicadellidae)  
Ian Cooper

2025 April 25 evening

   Here are another six pictures from Ian Cooper’s April 23 evening photoshoot in View Royal near the 9 km marker.

 Dusky Arion  Arion subfuscus  (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)   Ian Cooper

Callobius pictus (Ara.: Amaurobiidae)   Ian Cooper

Globose Springtail – Ptenothrix maculosa 
(Coll.: Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)  
 Ian Cooper

Non-biting Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)   Ian Cooper

Jumping bristletail Pedetontus sp. (Microcoryphia:  Machilidae)
  Ian Cooper