2025 June 20

  Here are some photographs from Ian Cooper’s Solstice photoshoot at Colquitz River Park.

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Female Western Earwig  Forficula dentata  (Derm.: Forficulidae)
 Ian Cooper

Medetera sp. (Dip.: Dolichopodidae)  Ian Cooper

Protolophus niger (Opiliones:  Protolophidae)  Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata  (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper
With prey – another spider?

Woodlouse Hunter Spiders (in copula)  Dysdera crocata  
(Ara.: Dysderidae)  
Ian Cooper

Male Woodlouse Hunter Spider  Dysdera crocata  
(Ara.: Dysderidae) 
Ian Cooper

Privet Leafhopper Fieberiella florii  (Hem.: Cicadellidae)  Ian Cooper

   

Here’s a selection of photographs by Aziza Cooper taken locally in the last few days.

Choristoneura rosaceana (Lep.: Tortricidae)  Aziza Cooper

  

A first report of the year of an Essex Skipper, from Maber Flats:

Essex Skipper  Thymelicus lineola (Lep.: Hesperiidae)
  Aziza Cooper

Ants at Swan Lake   (Hym.: Formicidae)     Aziza Cooper

Misumena vatia  (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Aziza Cooper

Strophiona (probably tigrina) (Col.: Cerambycidae)  Aziza Cooper
Identified by Scott Gilmore

2025 June 19

   Ian Cooper writes: Here is another selection of fascinating creatures observed during my very productive June 15 photoshoot along the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, near Talcott Road. 

Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda:  Armidillidiidae)  Ian Cooper

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Protolophus niger  (Opiliones:  Protolophidae)  Ian Cooper 

Camponotus vicinus  (Hym.: Formicidae)  Ian Cooper

Hedya nubiferana  (Lep.:  Tortricidae)   Ian Cooper

Pactopus hornii  (Col.: Throscidae) Ian Cooper
Thanks to Scott Gilmore for the identification

   Marie O’Shaughnessy has been seeing a lot of dragonfly larval exuviae recently, so she is now photographing some of them in the hopes that someone might be able to identify them from photographs.  Dr Rob Cannings is bravely attempting to do just that.  Here is one that Marie photographed on June 13 at Outerbridge Park.  Dr Cannings writes: This one is almost certainly a Rhionaeschna. My guess would be R. multicolor, but I can’t be sure.

Rhionaeschna sp. exuvia (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2025 June18 evening

   Here are a damselfly from Beaver Lake, June 10, and two dragonflies from Swan Lake, June 11, photographed by Aziza Cooper.

Probably Western Forktail Ischnura perparva  (Odo.:Coenagrionidae)
  Aziza Cooper

Female Blue Dasher  Pachydiplax longipennis  (Libellulidae)
  Aziza Cooper

Male Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrun illotum  (Odo.:Libellulidae)
  Aziza Cooper

        Aziza also photographed this bee from the Goldstream railroad tracks on June 15:

Halictus rubicundus (Hym.:  Halictidae) Aziza Cooper

2025 June 18 afternoon

   More photographs from Ian Cooper’s June 15 photoshoot

Banana slug  Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)   Ian Cooper

Raspberry Weevil  Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Rove beetle Quedius sp. (Col.: Staphylinidae)  Ian Cooper
Thanks to Charlene Wood for the identification.

Ceratogalia gueneata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Jumping Bristletail  Pedetontus sp. (Archaeognatha:Machilidae)
Ian Cooper

Clubiona sp. (Ara.: Clubionidae)  Ian Cooper

2025 June 17

   There was no posting on June 16.

   Here are more recent photographs from Ian Cooper, June 15, Galloping Goose Trail.

Bombus fervidus californicus  (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper
Thanks to Steven Roias for the identification of this one.

   Ian found this spider in his bathroom on June 15.  He put it outside and photographed it there.

Scotophaeus blackwalli  (Ara.:  Gnaphosidae)  Ian Cooper

Elachista sp.  (Lep.: Elachistidae)   Ian Cooper

   Aziza Cooper writes:

On June 15, at Goldstream Heights, there were: 
Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 2 
Western Spring Azure – 1
Blue sp. – 5
Western Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Cedar Hairstreak – 1
Hairstreak sp., very worn – 1

Also on June 15, at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground:

Pale Tiger Swallowtail – 3
Cabbage White – 2
Cedar Hairstreak – 5
Western Spring Azure – 1
Blue sp. – 2

Aziza sends these photographs:

Probably Ceratina sp.:  (Hym.: Apidae) Aziza Cooper

Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae) 
Aziza Cooper

Possibly rather worn Cedar Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus 
(Lep.: Lycaenidae)
Aziza Cooper

Pale Tiger Swallowtail  Pterourus eurymedon  (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Aziza Cooper

Adela septentrionella  (Lep.: Adelidae)  Aziza Cooper

2025 June 15 evening

   Here are more photographs from Ian Cooper’s June 15 2025 photo shoot along the E&N and Galloping Goose Trails in Esquimalt and View Royal.

Peppered Moth  Biston betularia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Probably Olethreutes sp. (Lep.: Tortricidae)   Ian Cooper

Cybaeus signifer (Ara.: Cybaeidae) Ian Cooper

Probably Closterotomus norvegicus (Hem: Miridae)   Ian Cooper

Debris-carrying lacewing larva  (Neu.: Chrysopidae)  Ian Cooper

 

  Here are some dragonfly photographs taken at Outerbridge Park by Marie O’Shaughnessy.

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum Illotum 
(Odo.: Libellulidae) 
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Female Western Pondhawk  Erythemis collocata 
(Odo.: Libellulidae)
Marie O’Shaughnessy

Marie sends a list of butterflies and dragonflies that she saw today (June 15) at Outerbridge Park and MacIntyre reservoir. 

Outerbridge Park

6 Cardinal Meadowhawk
9 Four Spotted Skimmer
1 Blue-eyed Darner 
3 California Darner 

6 Cabbage White
2 Lorquin’s Admiral  

MacIntyre Reservoir

2 Female Western Pondhawk
2 Blue-eyed Darner
3 Cardinal Meadowhawk.
1 Common Green Darner
3 Eight-spotted Skimmer 
2 California Darner.

2025 June 15 morning

  Here are more photographs from Ian Cooper’s June 13 photoshoot.

Raspberry Weevil  Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

Snail-eating Beetle  Scaphinotus angusticollis (Col.: Carabidae), with mites. 
Ian Cooper

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

Ant – Possibly Formica fusca  (Hym.: Formicidae)   Ian Cooper

Tachinid Fly  Siphona sp. (Dip.: Tachinidae)  Ian Cooper

Yellow-faced bumblebee  Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

2025 June 14

   Here are a few of the photographs taken by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail late in the day on Friday (June 13) and after sunset.

Unidentified ichneumonoid  (Hym.: Ichneumonoidea)  Ian Cooper

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

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) 
Ian Cooper

Unidentified bug (nymph?), possibly an aphid 
(Hem.: possibly Aphididae)   Ian Cooper
Can anyone help with this one?

Common Green Darner  Anax junius  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Ian Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Don’t be misled by the name “Common” into thinking that this is a rather ordinary dragonfly.  Dragonflies in the genus Anax are known as “Green Darners”, and they are all large and spectacular creatures.  We get only one species in British Columbia, the one that happens to be the commonest and is hence known as the Common Green Darner.

Callobius pictus  (Ara.: Amaurobiidae)  Ian Cooper

2025 June 13

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I saw a Western Spring Azure at Munn Road this afternoon.  At this time of year, it is worth looking closely at any blue seen – it might be a different species.

2025 June 12

   The Satyr Comma caterpillar shown on June 9 has now formed a chrysalis:

Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) 
Jeremy Tatum