Month: June 2015

Western tiger swallowtails (Papilio rutulus) abundant this week.

I can’t recall seeing so many Tiger swallowtails around the yard in other years as we are seeing this year.
Our non-invasive but introduced butterfly bush Bidulphia sp. is particularly attractive to them.

tigswalltail
Western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)

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  • Of particular interest is the backward flying mating dance– one individual 25 cm above and ahead of the other… Several times I have watched these displays go on for up to 10 minutes.
  • The other interesting observation was the speed which they insert the proboscis into florets repetitively. You can see that by clicking on the following short video clip:
    • The only competition for nectar appears to be the Anna’s Hummingbird.
      hummingbirdsilou

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Papilio
Species: P. rutulus

Papilio rutulus Lucas, 1852

Ocean Spray in flower : June 13 -Phenology

2015-06-21 ocsprayOne of the latest blooming native shrubs on the farm is the Ocean Spray. These bushes can be up to 10 metres in height.

 

 

 

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Holodiscus
Species: H. discolor[1]

Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim.

ocspray
Ocean Spray in the pasture

Mock Orange –phenology 2015

Several small clumps of Mock orange survive in the roundabout in the laneway. It was transplanted here from Hornby Island.
2015-06-04 mockorange
Kingdom Plantae –
Subkingdom Viridiplantae
Infrakingdom Streptophyta – land plants
Superdivision Embryophyta
Division Tracheophyta – vascular plants,
Subdivision Spermatophytina
Class Magnoliopsida
Superorder Asteranae
Order Cornales
Family Hydrangeaceae –
Genus Philadelphus L. –, mock orange
Species Philadelphus lewisii Pursh – Lewis’ mock orange