2025 May 26

   Here are two jumping spiders photographed by Ian Cooper on May 24.  Thanks to Thomas Barbin for confirming Ian’s identifications.  Thomas writes that the first is probably proszynskii, though the angle makes it a bit tricky for him to be sure.

Evarcha (probably proszynskii) (Ara.: Salticidae)  Ian Cooper

Pelegrina aeneola   (Ara.: Salticidae)   Ian Cooper

   Yesterday, May 25, Ian photographed a Nomad Bee (below) – a “lifer” for Ian.

Nomad Bee  Nomada sp. (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This moth turned up at my Saanich apartment this morning:

Spotted Tiger Moth Lophocampa maculata
(Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)
Jeremy Tatum

   This moth is often erroneously called the Spotted “Tussock” Moth.  It is not, however, a tussock moth (Lymantriinae) but a tiger moth (Arctiinae).

2025 May 25

   Here are some invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper yesterday.

Silver-spotted Tiger Moth  Lophocampa argentata 
(Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae)  
Ian Cooper

Harvestman  Phalangium opilio (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Ian Cooper

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

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

2025 May 24

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, May 24 at the trails near Olympic Drive, there was a Western Pine Elfin and 15 Western Spring Azures. I also got a record photo of a Cedar Hairstreak.

   At Wrigglesworth Lake there was a Two-banded Grizzled (“Checkered”) Skipper, a Green Comma, one more Western Pine Elfin and three Western Spring Azures.

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) 
Aziza Cooper
Dorsal view

Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) 
Aziza Cooper
Lateral view

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

Western Pine Elfin  Callophrys (Incisalia) eryphon 
(Lep.: Lycaenidae) 
Aziza Cooper

 

Two-banded Skipper Pyrgus ruralis  (Lep.: Hesperiidae) 
Aziza Cooper

2025 May 23

   Marie O’Shaughnessy writes:  I had an interesting time at Beaver Lake this afternoon. The wind sure was an issue, but we found the following dragonflies:   1 Dot-tailed Whiteface, 3 California Darners, 1 Four-spotted Skimmer, 1 Cardinal Meadowhawk and 1 Spiny Baskettail.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Followers of this site and its predecssor, InvertAlert, may be forgiven for thinking that there are only two Families of dragonflies – Aeshnidae and Libellulidae. That is far from the case, but it is true that most of the dragonfly photographs that have been on these sites have belonged to one or the other of these two Families.  It is therefore nice to see another Family represented – Corduliidae, to which the Spiny Baskettail belongs.

Spiny Baskettail  Epitheca spinigera  (Odo.: Corduliidae) 
Marie O’Shaughnessy

    If you have ever wondered why the Dot-tailed is called a “Whiteface”, here is Marie’s answer:

Dot-tailed Whiteface Leucorrhinia intacta  (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

   Jeremy Tatum shows a Virginia Tiger (also known as Virginia Ermine) Moth that emerged today and was released near Blenkinsop Lake.  This is the adult moth that comes from from the Yellow Woolly Bear caterpillar.

Spilosoma virginica (Lep.: Erebidae – Arctiinae) Jeremy Tatum

2025 May 22 evening

  Gordon Hart writes:  Today (May 22) I saw a Brown Elfin here (Highlands); a Green Comma is still around, along with a Pale Tiger Swallowtail and some blues and Cabbage Whites.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Today I saw my first Western Tiger Swallowtail of the year, at Swan Lake.

 Aziza Cooper writes:  Today, May 22 at the railroad tracks near Goldstream campground, there was one Cedar Hairstreak, one Satyr Comma and about 12 Western Spring Azures.

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

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

(The name Mitoura placed in parentheses after the genus name Callophrys indicates a subgenus within the genus Callophrys.)

Western Spring Azure  Celastrina echo  (Lep.: Lycaenidae) 
  Aziza Cooper

2025 May 22 morning

   Yesterday late afternoon, Aziza Cooper saw and photographed a Painted Lady and a California Tortoiseshell at the top of Mount Tolmie.

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

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

   This morning, May 22, Aziza Cooper saw and photographed a Pale Tiger Swallowtail near Warbler Alley on Mount Tolmie.  (Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between our two tiger swallowtails. I wish they were all as easy as this one.   Jeremy  Tatum)

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

(Notice the genus name – no longer Papilio.)

   Gordon Hart writes:   We saw our first Pale Tiger Swallowtail of the year yesterday (May 21) at home (Highlands), along with several Western Spring Azures and Cabbage Whites. On the Munn Road power lines, we saw only faded Western Spring Azures, and many long-horned fairy moths, Adela septentrionella.  We saw dragonflies too, and got one photo of a meadowhawk.

Adela septentrionella  (Lep.:  Adelidae)  Gordon Hart

Note – it is now in Family Adelidae.  Incurvariidae is now a separate Family.

Female Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum 
(Odo.: Libellulidae) 
Gordon Hart

2025 May 18

   Richard Rycraft photographed this moth on the Ceanothus in his Oak Bay garden yesterday.  Libby Avis identified it for us as Pyrausta californicalis.  Its caterpillars feed upon mint.  Val George tells us that there is a small flock of them harassing his mint patch every year.

Pyrausta californicalis  (Lep.: Crambidae)  Richard Rycraft

2025 May 16

   This morning, this moth was on the wall of Val George’s Oak Bay house.

Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria  (Lep.: Geometridae)
  Val George

   Jeremy Tatum photographed the snail below along Carey Road this morning:

Cepaea nemoralis  (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2025 May 15 evening

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Here are two photographs showing the male and female bee moth Aphomia sociella.  The female is slightly larger (17 mm) than the male (15 mm).

Male Aphomia sociella  (Lep.: Pyralidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Female Aphomia sociella  (Lep.: Pyralidae)  Jeremy Tatum

Here are six more pictures taken by Ian Cooper on May 13 2025 by the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

Unidentified Harvestman (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Ian Cooper

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

Pacific Foldingdoor Spider  Antrodiaetus pacificus 
(Ara.:  Antrodiaetidae)  
Ian Cooper

Weevil   Dyslobus decoratus (Col.: Curculionidae)   Ian Cooper

Western Black Carpenter Ant  Camponotus modoc
 (Hym.: Formicidae)
  Ian Cooper

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)   Ian Cooper

2025 May 15 morning

    Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper on May 13, * in Colquitz River Park, or # by the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

# Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

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

* Clubiona sp. (Ara.: Clubionidae)  Ian Cooper

# Red Carpenter Ant  Camponotus vicinus (Hym.: Formicidae)
 Ian Cooper

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

* Hairy Spider Weevil  Barypeithes pellucidus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper