Ian Cooper spotted this spider on a living room ceiling in James Bay yesterday.
Philodromus sp. (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper
Gordon Hart writes from his Highlands home: We have been seeing mainly the same three butterfly species for the past week or two: two Green Commas, several Cabbage Whites, and several Western Spring Azures. We also saw one Mourning Cloak on April 25. I have attached a picture of one of the Commas.
Green Comma Polygonia faunus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Gordon Hart
Ian Cooper writes: These pictures are from photo shoots on April 23, 25 and 26, 2025 at: # Galloping Goose Trail, near the 9 km marker, View Royal @ Galloping Goose Trail, between Grange Road & Burnside Road West in Saanich ^ E&N Trail near Mary Street & Esquimalt Road in Vic West
# Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper
^ Seven-spotted Lady Beetle Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
@ Asian Lady Beetle – Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
@Asian Lady Beetle – Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
@ Broom Seed Beetle Bruchidius villosus (Col.: Chrysomelidae- Bruchinae) Ian Cooper
# Female Forest Spider – Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) Ian Cooper
Aziza Cooper photographed this moth at the Swan Lake Nature House, April 27. Thanks to Libby Avis, who identified it as a colour form of Sabulodes aegrotata.
Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.: Geometridae) Aziza Cooper
Aziza Cooper writes: On April 26, at Mount Douglas there were two Brown Elfins, five Western Spring Azures, four Sara Orangetips and a Grey Hairstreak. At the summit was one California Tortoiseshell.
At Mount Tolmie, one California Tortoiseshell was on the reservoir.
The damselfly shown below was on Mount Douglas and the dragonfly was below the summit on Mount Tolmie.
Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper (Formerly Incisalia iroides)
Pacific Forktail Ischnura cervula (Odo.: Coenagrionidae) Aziza Cooper
California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae) Aziza Cooper)
Jeremy Tatum reared the moth below from a caterpillar on Stinging Nettle, Lochside Drive near Blenkinsop Lake. There are many such caterpillars on the nettles there at present.
Jeremy Tatum writes:Aziza Cooper and Val George have sent in a bunch of pictures of hard-to-identify moths. Thanks to Libby Avis for helping with this difficult collection.
First, a moth photographed by Val at the Swan Lake Nature House, April 24.
Rheumaptera meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George
The short fourth tooth on the outer margin of the hindwing distinguishes this moth from the rather similar Triphosa haesitata.
Next, another geometrid, at least as difficult, by Val at Goldstream Park Nature House, April 25.
Nomenia obsoleta or Venusia pearsalli (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George
These two species can scarcely be distinguished other than by a good look at the male antennae.
Yet another difficult geometrid, by Aziza, East Sooke Park, April 25.
Epirrhoe plebeculata (Lep.: Geometridae) Aziza Cooper
The hindwing of this species is usually bright orange, The white hindwing of this example made it hard initially to identify.
Lastly, of this difficult moth group, a micro, photographed by Aziza at East Sooke Park, April 25. Libby identified it as Prolita sexpunctella, a gelechiid whose caterpillar feeds on heather.
Prolita sexpunctella (Lep. Gelechiidae) Aziza Cooper
After these four difficult moths, here’s an easy dragonfly, photographed by Ian Cooper on April 25. It’s obviously an aeshnid. It is April. Therefore, it is a California Darner.
Female California Darner Rhionaeschna californica (Odo.: Aeshnidae) Ian Cooper
Aziza Cooper writes: On April 25, at the Goldstream railroad tracks, there were 12 or more Western Spring Azures and one Satyr Comma. At Beechey Head there was one Brown Elfin, two Western Spring Azures and a Cabbage White.
Male Satyr Comma (dorsal view) Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Male Satyr Comma (lateral view) Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Here are some daytime shots by Ian Cooper on April25.
Small Carpenter Bee – Ceratina (Zadontomerus) (Hym.: Apidae) Ian Cooper
Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
Seven-spotted Lady Beetle Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
Western Polished Lady Beetle Cycloneda polita (Col.: Coccinellidae) Ian Cooper
Oxyopes scalaris (Ara.: Oxyopidae) Ian Cooper
Blue-green Sharpshooter Hordnia atropunctata (Hem.: Cicadellidae) Ian Cooper
Yesterday, April 24, Aziza Cooper saw, on Mount Douglas, a Brown Elfin, 4 Cabbage Whites, 3 Western Spring Azures and a Sara Orangetip.
Western Spring Azure Celastrina echo (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper
Jeremy Tatum writes: Notice the subterminal row of dark V shapes. That is what I look for to identify this butterfly. If you can see these V-marks, you’ll know that you have this species, and not one of the rarer blues you were hoping for.
Ian Cooper photographed this aphid yesterday. Since it belongs to the Family Aphididae (writes Jeremy Tatum), I should perhaps call it an aphidid – though few do. There are probably something approaching 1000 species in the area, and I wouldn’t know where to begin.
Aphid (Hem.: Aphididae) Ian Cooper
Aziza Cooper writes:
Yesterday, April 22, at Lochside Trail near Blenkinsop Lake, there was one Satyr Comma.
Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Aziza continues: In the afternoon I went to Colwell Road near Nanaimo River Road, where I found five species of butterfly:
Moss’s Elfin – 4
Sara Orangetip – 2
Western Spring Azure – 2
Cabbage White – 2
Field Crescent – 1
Field Crescent Phyciodes pulchella (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Moss’s Elfin Callophrys mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper
Moss’s Elfin Callophrys mossii (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Aziza Cooper
Aziza writes: On April 21 at Bear Hill, a slug was next to the trail. Later, on Mount Douglas west slope,a colourful wasp was on a post. There were Sara Orangetips flying around.
Jeremy Tatum writes: The slug seems to be an unusually-marked Banana Slug. We have not yet identified the wasp. If anyone can help, please do so.
Banana Slug Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae) Aziza Cooper
Western Yellowjacket Vespula pensylvanica (Hym.: Vespidae) Aziza Cooper Thanks to Claudia Copley for the identification
Jeremy Tatum photographed two moths – one large, one small, this morning. The large one was reared from a caterpillar found last year on willow on Carey Road, where the adult moth was released this morning. A few years ago, Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth Smerinthus cerisyi, was split (not sure how justified this was!) into two species – S. cerisyi and S. ophthalmica. The English name Cerisy’s Eyed Hawk Moth will continue to do fine for S. cerisyi, but I have not yet heard an English name for the one we get here, S. ophthalmica. Suggestions, anyone?
Smerinthus ophthalmica (Lep.: Sphingidae) Jeremy Tatum
The small moth, found at my Saanich home, is Agonopterix alstroemeriana. The caterpillar is sometimes numerous enough here to significantly control the poisonous dangerous introduced plant Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum.
Agonopterix alstroemeriana (Lep.: Depressariidae) Jeremy Tatum
Val George writes: This afternoon, April 23, I checked out Mount Douglas summit for butterflies. Here is the count: 2 California Tortoiseshells, 3 Cabbage Whites, one Grey Hairstreak,one Sara Orangetip. Also there was the moth Digrammiamuscariata.
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Val George
Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Val George
Digrammia muscariata (Lep.: Geometridae) Val George
Ian Cooper photographed this fine lacewing in View Royal on April 18. It is described in iNaturalist as being “critically imperilled”. Yet, in addition to this photograph, it has appeared three times in Invert Alert since 2010, and both Claudia Copley and Jeremy Tatum believe they have seen it locally several times over the years. Thus, provided our identifications are correct, it would seem that, at least in our area, the species is not all that critically imperilled. Perhaps local invertebrate enthusiasts might keep an eye out for the insect.
San Francisco Lacewing Nothochrysa californica (Neu.: Chrysopidae) Ian Cooper
Jeremy Tatum saw his first non-Cabbage butterflies of the year today – three Western Spring Azures along Munn Road.
Aziza Cooper photographed a California Tortoiseshell on Mount Tolmie today. The three California Tortoiseshells reported this year on Mount Tolmie (see this posting, this morning’s posting of one seen yesterday, and the Apr 14 posting of one photographed by Marie on April 3) are three different individuals.
Jeremy Tatum also saw today’s California Tortoiseshell on Mount Tolmie. When he arrived, it was settled on one of the white spots on the reservoir’s surface. After a while, it flew up, and settled again on another of the white spots. I have often thought that these hill-topping nymphalids on the Mount Tolmie reservoir prefer to settle on the white spots.
Here is Aziza’s photograph of today’s butterfly:
California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Aziza Cooper
Invert Sightings 