2025 November 8

   Val George and Jeremy Tatum independently reported the first European Winter Moths Operophtera brumata of the season, from their Oak Bay and Saanich homes respectively.  Both moths were a little worn and almost completely lacking in any discernible pattern, to the extent that neither of us could be totally sure that we had O. brumata  –  except that there seems to be nothing else that they could possibly be.  Here is Val’s moth:

Operophtera brumata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2025 November 02

   Kirsten Mills reports being bitten by a mosquito (Dip.: Culicidae) on November 1.  She writes:  Right after the Blue Jays game,a mosquito sp. Landed on my finger and bit me.  Jeremy Tatum writes: At this time of year, the likely offenders are Culiseta incidens  and Culex pipiens. It was quite a small mosquito, and was indoors, so it is more likely to be Culex pipiens.

2025 November 1

   Jeff Gaskin writes that Kirsten Mills saw a Cabbage White on Saanich Road near Lodge Avenue on October 29.

  Is a November butterfly possible?  Last year, 2024, was a little like this year in that Cabbage White butterflies persisted in small numbers until the last October sighting by Kirsten also on October 29.  But that wasn’t the last one of the year – a single was seen in the Martindale area – also by Kirsten – on the late date of November 14.

2025 October 29

   Val George writes:  This Juniper Carpet Moth Thera juniperata was on the wall of the nature house at Swan Lake this morning, October 29.

Juniper Carpet  Thera juniperata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2025 October 28

   Ted Dobie photographed this October Thorn moth in Gordon Head Road this morning.

October Thorn  Tetracis jubararia  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ted Dobie

2025 October 27

    Marie O’Shaughnessy sends a photograph of a Blue-eyed Darner  from McIntyre reservoir today:

Blue-eyed Darner  Rhionaeschna multicolor  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

2025 October 24

   Aziza Cooper photographed this handsome caddisfly on Mount Douglas on October 23:

Caddisfly  Limnephilus sp.  (Tri.: Limnephilidae)   Aziza Cooper

2025 October 23

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were two Juniper Carpet moths at my apartment building in Saanich this morning.  Here is one of them. 

Thera juniperata   (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2025 October 22

   Marie O’Shaughnessy visited McIntyre reservoir, October 21.  She writes:  As soon as the sun came out at 2 pm, I saw two Cabbage White butterflies. as well as one Cardinal Meadowhawk, one Blue-eyed Darner in flight, and two other darners which flew by rapidly and I was unable to identify.

Cabbage White Pieris rapae  (Lep.: Pieridae)  Marie O’Shaughnessy

Cardinal Meadowhawk  Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae)

2025 October 20 evening

   Val George writes: This moth, Sunira decipiens, was on the wall of the nature house at Swan Lake this morning, October 20.

Sunira decipiens  (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Val George