2025 July 22

   Val George writes:  This Silver-spotted Tiger Moth, Lophocampa argentata, was on the wall of my Oak Bay house this morning, July 22.

Lophocampa argentata  (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  Val George

2025 July 21 evening

  Ian Cooper writes:  Here are two views of a moth spotted in View Royal on my July 19 photo shoot.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  It is very nice to see this moth, photographed when settled on the bark of a tree trunk.  Their colour and pattern have evolved so that they become almost invisible on such a background.

   

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

Aseptis binotata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

   Jeff Gaskin writes:  This afternoon, July 21st, Kirsten Mills and I went to McIntyre Road reservoir and we saw the following dragonflies  :  10 Blue-eyed Darners, 2 Common Green Darners,  7 Blue Dashers,  3 Western Pondhawks,  1 Cardinal Meadowhawk,  4 Eight-spotted Skimmers,  and as many as 4 Black Saddlebags.   Kirsten also saw a Variegated Meadowhawk which I unfortunately missed.

2025 July 21 morning

   There was no posting on July 20.  Apologies for that – I fell asleep while trying to post it.  So, this morning’s posting should really have gone out yesterday!

    Kirsten Mills sends two views of a Red-veined Meadowhawk from Parksville, July 19.

Sympetrum madidum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)     Kirsten Mills

Sympetrum madidum  (Odo.: Libellulidae)     Kirsten Mills

   Jeff Gaskin reports a Black Saddlebags at Quick’s Bottom July 18.

   Jeremy Tatum sends one view of a Single Dotted Wave moth from his Saanich apartment, July 20.

Idaea dimidiata   (Lep.:  Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

  Ian Cooper sends a sample of his photographs obtained on July 18 along the E&N and Galloping Goose Trails.

Omus dejeanii   (Col.:  Carabidae – Cicindelinae)  Ian Cooper
Thanks to Scott Gilmore for the identification.

Cycloneda polita  (Col.: Coccinellidae)   Ian Cooper

 Misumena vatia   (Ara: Thomisidae)   Ian Cooper

Cybaeus signifer (Ara.: Cybaeidae) Ian Cooper

Araneus diadematus  (Ara.:  Araneidae)   Ian Cooper

Lep.:  Crambidae – Scopariinae     Ian Cooper

   The Scopariinae comprises a complex of species in need of taxonomic revision, so it is not possible to identify photographs with complete certainty.   Libby Avis suggests possibly Eudonia sp., but cautions that that is a best guess.

Bombus vosnesenskii  (Hym.: Apidae)   Ian Cooper

2025 July 19

   Some interestng butterflies and moths today.

  Kirsten Mills went to Nanaimo River Road today, where she saw a Sylvan Hairstreak, three Mylitta Crescents, a Common Woodnymph, and a Dun Skipper.

Sylvan Hairstreak Satyrium silvinus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Kirsten Mills

Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris  Lep.: Hesperiidae)   Kirsten Mills

   Val George photographed these two moths yesterday (July 18) on the wall of the nature house at Goldstream Park:

Panthea virginarius  (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Val George

Bellura obliqua  (Lep.: Noctuidae)    Val George

2025 July 18 evening

   Here are some pictures taken by Ian Cooper this month near the 9 km marker of the GG trail in View Royal.

Chocolate Arion  Arion rufus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

Brown Lacewing (Neu.: Hemerobiidae)  Ian Cooper

Common Pillbug  Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda:  Armidillidiidae)  Ian Cooper

Striped woodlouse Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)
 Ian Cooper

Cobweb Spider, possibly Parasteatoda sp. (Ara.: Theridiidae)
 Ian Cooper

Bristly Millepede Polyxenus sp.
(Diplopoda – Polyxenida:  Polyxenidae)
 Ian Cooper

2025 July 18 morning

   A selection of photographs by Ian Cooper from his July 15 /16 2025 photo shoot along the E&N trail and near the 9 km marker of the GG trail in View Royal.

  The first is the cocoon of a bagworm moth.  The cocoon is made by the caterpillar and decorated with short sections of grass stems.  The caterpillar lives in the cocoon and pupates inside it.  If it is a male, a small black moth emerges.  If it is a female, however, the female adult moth is flightless and remains inside the cocoon, waiting for a male to find her and mate.

Psyche casta  (Lep.: Psychidae)     Ian Cooper

Complex Enoplognatha ovata  (Ara.:  Theridiidae)   Ian Cooper

Cybaeus sp.  (Ara.: Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably Tipula pubera   (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

Philaenus sp. (Hem.: Aphrophoridae)   Ian Cooper

Phytocoris sp.  (Hem.: Miridae)  Ian Cooper

Homoneura sp. (Dip.: Lauxaniidae)  Ian Cooper

2025 July 17 evening

Aziza Cooper writes:
Today, July 17, at Mount Douglas summit there were:
Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Western Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Anise Swallowtail – 1
American Lady – 1

Also July 17, at Mount Tolmie:
Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Lorquin’s Admiral – 1
Painted Lady – 1
Cabbage White – 1

Aziza sends these photographs:

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)
Aziza Cooper

2025 July 17 morning

   Sher Falls sends this photograph of a Yellow Velvet Beetle Lepturobosca chrysocoma.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for confirming Sher’s identification.

Lepturobosca chrysocoma  (Col. Cerambycidae)  Sher Falls

   Val George writes:  These two moths were at my Oak Bay house yesterday, July 16. The Small Magpie Moth Anania hortulata was in the garden; the Elder Moth Zotheca tranquilla was on the wall of the house.

Anania hortulata  (Lep.: Crambidae)   Val George

Zotheca tranquilla  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Val George

2025 July 16

   This small moth was at Jeremy Tatum’s Saanich apartment this morning. 

Carcina quercana  (Lep.:  Depressariidae)     Jeremy Tatum

 

  Ian Cooper writes:  I took many photos over a six-hour photo shoot excursion along the E&N trail and the GG trail in View Royal on July 15 / 16.

Telphusa sedulitella (Lep.: Gelechiidae)  Ian Cooper

Agrilus sp.  (Col.: Buprestidae)  Ian Cooper

 Camel cricket  Pristoceuthophilus celatus 
(Orth.: Rhaphidophoridae)
 Ian Cooper

Unidentified Jumping Bristletail
(Order Archaeognatha, Family Machilidae) 
Ian Cooper

Meadow Spittlebug Philaenus spumarius  (Hem.: Cercopidae)
  Ian Cooper

Western Leafcutting bee  Megachile perihirta 
(Hym.: Megachilidae)
  Ian Cooper

2025 July 15

   From Jeremy Tatum’s Saanich apartment this morning.  A relative of the Silverfish and the Firebrat.

Ctenolepisma longicaudata   (Zygentoma:  Lepismatidae) 
Jeremy Tatum

   Sher Falls found this insect in her yard today.   Doesn’t it look like an ichneumonid?    But, if you saw it live, you’d see that its antennae were not moving rapidly to and fro all the time like an ichneumonid’s does.  And if you look more closely, you would see what look like a pair of very short beetle-like elytra – which is why I (Jeremy Tatum) sent it to Scott Gilmore for identification.  Scott identified it as labelled beneath the photograph.

Necydalis laevicollis (Col.: Cerambycidae)   Sher Falls