2025 April 25 morning

  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.

2025 April 24

  Yesterday evening (April 23) Ian Cooper took a lot of photographs in View Royal near the 9 km marker.   A small selection (is/are?) shown here.

Female Forest Spider Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) 
  Ian Cooper

Running crab spider Philodromus sp. (Ara.: Philodromidae) 
  Ian Cooper

Northwest Hesperian  Vespericola columbianus (Pul.:Polygyridae)   Ian Cooper

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

Crane Flies in copula  (Dip.: Tipulidae)   Ian Cooper

Dark-winged Fungus Gnat (Dip.: Sciaridae)   Ian Cooper

    Jeremy Tatum reports a California Tortoiseshell on the Mount Tolmie reservoir at 4:30 pm today.

2025 April 23
St George’s Day

   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 Digrammia muscariata.

California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica  (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Val George

Grey Hairstreak  Strymon melinus  (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Val George

Digrammia muscariata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2025 April 19

   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

2025 April 18 evening

   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

2025 April 18 morning

   Aziza Cooper photographed a Mourning Cloak and a California Tortoiseshell on Mount Tolmie yesterday.

Mourning Cloak  Nymphalis antiopa  (Lep.: Nymphalidae) 
Aziza Cooper

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

   In the early morning sunshine of April 17, Ian Cooper noticed numerous lady beetles among the plants growing along some derelict railway tracks by Esquimalt Road near Mary Street in Vic West. Most were Seven-spotted Lady Beetles, but he also spotted an Asian Lady Beetle during his quick survey of the location.

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

Asian Lady Beetle  Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae) 
Ian Cooper

Jeremy Tatum writes: H. axyridis is a very variable species, but that black W on the pronotum is usually a give-away.

2025 April 17 morning

   Here are some photographs by Ian Cooper, taken at Colquitz River Park.  Tetragnatha on April 14.  The rest on March 3.

Long-jawed Orb Weaver – Tetragnatha versicolor (Ara.:Tetragnathidae)
Ian Cooper

Clubiona sp. (possibly lutescens) with captured prey.
(Ara.: Clubionidae)
 Ian Cooper

Note: Captured prey appears to be a globose springtail.

Male and female linyphiid spiders, likely Neriene digna  (Ara.:Linyphiidae)
 Ian Cooper

Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)
 Ian Cooper

Globose springtail, Dicyrtomina ornata (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)  
Ian Cooper

Unidentified nematoceran fly (Dip.: Nematocera)  Ian Cooper

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

2025 April 16

   Here is a selection of pictures from Ian Cooper’s March 3rd 2025 photo shoot at Colquitz River Park in Saanich.

Running crab spider – Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)   Ian Cooper

Cybaeus signifer (Ara.: Cybaeidae)   Ian Cooper

Triangle web spider – Hyptiotes gertschi  (Ara.: Uloboridae)
  Ian Cooper

Common Chrysalis Snail – Lauria cylindracea – (Pul.: Lauriidae)
  Ian Cooper

Banded Garden Snail – Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.:  Helicidae)
  Ian Cooper

Common Pillbug – Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda:  Armidillidiidae)   Ian Cooper

Here’s a female Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) spotted by Ian Cooper in a gash on the side of an alder tree by the Galloping Goose Trail before dawn on April 14 2025.

Female Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

   Aziza Cooper writes:   On April 14, at East Sooke Park there were three Western Spring Azures and several other insects. On April 15, on Lochside Trail north of Hunt Road, we saw two Western Spring Azures and a Mourning Cloak.

   Aziza continues: at Mt. Douglas’ west slope, there were three Sara Orangetips, but they were too active for photos.  

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  These are the first Orangetips to be reported to Invert Sightings this year.    As a onetime astronomer, I insist that Spring begins when the right ascension and declination of the Sun are both zero.  There are some, however, who say that Spring doesn’t really start until you have seen the first Orangetips of the year.

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

Mourning Cloak  Nymphalis antiopa (Lep.: Nymphallidae)
Aziza Cooper

2025 April 15

   Here are some pictures from a photoshoot by Ian Cooper in View Royal, March 11, plus one (Oxychilus draparnaudi ) taken by Ian in Colquitz River Park on April 14.

Harvestman – Protolophus sp. (Opiliones: Protolophidae) 
  Ian Cooper

Globular springtail – (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)   Ian Cooper

Threeband Slug, Ambigolimax sp. (Pul.: Limacidae)   Ian Cooper

Dark-bodied Glass Snail – Oxychilus draparnaudi 
(Pul.: Daubebariidae )  
Ian Cooper

Folding door spider, Antrodiaetus pacificus 
(Ara.-Myg:  Antrodiaetidae)  
Ian Cooper

Cybaeus sp. (Ara.: Cybaeidae)   Ian Cooper

Common Rough Woodlouse – Porcellio scaber
 (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)  
Ian Cooper

2025 April 14 evening

   Here is a selection of photographs obtained by Ian Cooper overnight at View Royal on February 24.

Possibly a young Dusky Arion  Arion subfuscus  (Pul.: Arionidae) 
 Ian Cooper

Longneck Field Slug  Deroceras invadens (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)
   Ian Cooper

Crane fly larva – probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)
  Ian Cooper

Earthworm. Possibly Arctiostrotus vancouverensis (Haplotaxida: Megascolecidae)
   Ian Cooper

Female linyphiid spider Neriene digna  (Ara.: Linyphiidae)
 Ian Cooper

European Sowbugs Oniscus asellus (Isopoda: Oniscidae)
in copula.
 Ian Cooper