2025 July 31 morning
Here are more pictures obtained by Ian Cooper on July 27 and 29 along the E&N and GG Trails in View Royal, and Colquitz River Park.
Unidentified micro moth Ian Cooper
If anyone can help with this (even Family), please let us know.
Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper
Philodromus sp. (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper
Sciopithes obscurus (Col.: Curculionidae) Ian Cooper
Possibly Monarthropalpus sp.
(Dip.: Cecidomyiidae – Cecidomyiinae)
Ian Cooper
2025 July 30
Here is a selection of pictures obtained by Ian Cooper on July 27 and 29 along the E&N and GG Trails in View Royal, and Colquitz River Park.
Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)
with tachinid fly as prey
Ian Cooper
Ceratina (Zadontomerus) sp. (Hym.: Apidae) Ian Cooper
Dolichovespula arenaria (Hym.: Vespidae) Ian Cooper
Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae) Ian Cooper
Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae) Ian Cooper
Anyphaena aperta (Ara.: Anyphaenidae) Ian Cooper
2025 July 29
Aziza Cooper writes: July 29, at Pat Bay, there was one Western Tiger Swallowtail, and at Coles Bay there was one Western Tiger Swallowtail and one Lorquin’s Admiral.
Jochen Möhr found this caterpillar today on his deck on Christmas Avenue, Saanich. It is Smerinthus ophthalmica. Hawk moths of the genus Smerinthus are known as eyed hawk moths, because of an eyelike mark on their hind wings. For example, S. cerisyi is Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth. Since S. ophthalmica was recognized as a distinct species in 2010, I haven’t (writes Jeremy Tatum) heard of any generally-accepted English name. I imagine that “Ophthalmic Eyed Hawk Moth” would not be likely to catch on. Suggesions, anyone? In any case, the differences between the several species are sufficently small that I’d be happy if the taxonomists lumped them all into one species, S. ocellata. I don’t think there is any obvious differences between the caterpillars.
Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jochen Möhr
Val George writes: Yesterday morning, July 28, there were three moths on the walls of the Nature House at Swan Lake: an Omnivorous Looper, Sabulodes aegrotata, and two Pero mizon.
Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George
Pero mizon (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George
2025 July 28 morning
A few more photographs by Ian Cooper:
Male Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae) Ian Cooper
Crane Fly female Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper
Crane Fly male Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper
2025 July 27
Aziza Cooper writes: On July 26 at the Sooke Hills trail near Humpback reservoir, there was one Woodland Skipper. First of year for me.
Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper
Wendy Ansell writes that a worn Lorquin’s Admiral landed on her Royal Oak patio today.
Ian Cooper photographed these three moths this morning. Jeremy Tatum writes: I *think* the first of these is Noctua pronuba. I’m more certain of the other two.
Probably Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Ian Cooper
Rheumaptera meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Ian Cooper
Carcina quercana (Lep.: Depressariidae) Ian Cooper
2025 July 25 evening
Aziza Cooper photographed this bee on Teasel at McIntyre reservoir on July 23. Kindly identified by Gordon Hart as Bombus vancouverensis , a species formerly thought to be a form of B. bifarius.
Bombus vancouverensis (Hym.: Apidae) Aziza Cooper
Aziza reports seeing a Red Admiral today along Lochside Trail near the birders’ “Famous Fence”. She also reports an absence of butterflies at the summit of Mount Douglas in the afternoon. Jeremy Tatum also reports an absence of butterflies at the summit of Mount Tolmie in the late afternoon yesterday.
Gordon Hart writes that he has seen a couple of nice Carolina Grasshoppers in Oak Bay. He attaches a photograph of one from July 15 at McMicking Point. He notes that there are few butterflies, apart from some Lorquin’s Admirals, in the Highlands. However, shortly after writing that, Anne-Marie Hart called out to say that there was a Pine White (the first reported this year to Invert Sightings) on the Oregano flowers, and Gordon managed to get a photograph.
Carolina Grasshopper Dissosteira carolina (Orth.: Acrididae) Gordon Hart
Male Pine White Neophasia menapia (Lep.: Pieridae) Gordon Hart
2025 July 25 morning
Here are more creatures from Ian Cooper’s July 23 photoshoot at Colquitz River Park in Saanich and the Galloping Goose trail in View Royal.
Three-banded garden slug Ambigolimax sp. (Pul.: Limacidae)
Ian Cooper
Arion distinctus (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper
Western Black Carpenter Ant –Camponotus modoc
(Hym.: Formicidae)
Ian Cooper
Crane fly Tipula pubera (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper
Plant bug (Hem.: Miridae) Ian Cooper
Raspberry Weevil Otiorhynchus singularis
(Col.: Curculionidae)
Ian Cooper
2025 July 24 morning
Here are a few of the 25 Essex Skippers that Aziza Cooper saw at Island View Beach yesterday, and two recent dragonflies.
Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Aziza Cooper
Female Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper
Female Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae) Aziza Cooper
Male Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
Aziza Cooper
Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Aziza Cooper
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Aziza Cooper
Western Pondhawk Erythemis collocata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Aziza Cooper
Marie O’Shaughnessy found these dragonflies at McIntyre reservoir on July 23:
2 Black Saddlebags
3 Blue Dashers
2 eight Spotted Skimmers
1 Western Pondhawk
5 Tule Bluets
There has been a discouraging lack of butterflies at the reservoir this year, and the only butterflies Marie found there in an hour of searching were 11 Cabbage Whites.
Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy
Eight-spotted Skimmer Libellula forensis (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy
The moth below was photographed in View Royal on July 19 by Ian Cooper. It is not very distinctive, and difficult to identify without seeing the spread wings, but we are thankful to Greg Pohl for getting it to Subfamily, and suggesting its possible genus.
Possibly Epinotia sp. (Lep.: Tortricidae – Olethreutinae) Ian Cooper
2025 July 23 evening
Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper this morning, July 23 2025, at *Colquitz River Park in Saanich, the Galloping Goose trail in #View Royal and on the ^E&N trail.
# European Sowbug Oniscus asellus (Isopoda: Oniscidae)
Ian Cooper
Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber
(Isopoda: Porcellionidae)
Ian Cooper
* Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper
# Forest Spider Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) Ian Cooper
Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae) Ian Cooper
Alucita montana (Lep.: Alucitidae) Ian Cooper
Aziza Cooper writes: Today, July 23, I spent an hour at Island View Beach. I found over 25 Essex Skippers and one Cabbage White. One Western Tiger Swallowtail was at Beaver Lake riding ring on July 15.
2025 July 23 morning
Ian Cooper writes: Here are another six pictures from my July 19 2025 photoshoot. These were all taken by the Galloping Goose trail in View Royal near the 9 km marker.
Female linyphiine spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)
Ian Cooper
Spotted mending its web, which is why it was observed on top of the web, rather underneath it, which is where it normally lies in wait.
Unidentified Ground Spider (Ara.: Gnaphosidae) Ian Cooper
Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper
Camel cricket Pristoceuthophilus celatus
(Orth.: Rhaphidophoridae)
Ian Cooper
Chocolate Arion Arion rufus (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper
Black ground beetle Pterostichus algidus (Col.: Carabidae)
Ian Cooper
Jeremy Tatum writes: The butterfly season seems to be winding down. Few are being seen (and even fewer reported!) Cabbage Whites are still ubiquitous. There are probably a few Lorquin’s Admirals still around (I saw one yesterday along the Lochside Trail north of Blenkinsop Lake). The municipality has done a pretty good job there destroying the nettles and other vegetation, so there won’t be many (any?) Satyr Commas or Red Admirals there. Most of the swallowtails have gone by now, so let us know if you see any. It is that time of year when Pine Whites start to appear; they are mostly seen in Metchosin. There is always the hope of late-season migrants, such as American Ladies, Red Admirals, Orange Sulphurs. There are lots of Teasels in flower now at McIntyre reservoir, but few butterflies. Lots of dragonflies there, though.
Invert Sightings 