This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

August 17 morning

2020 August 17 morning

 

   Some recent photographs by Ian Cooper:

 


Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Physocephala burgessi (Dip.:  Conopidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Physocephala burgessi (Dip.:  Conopidae)  Ian Cooper

 

   Ron Flower sends a photograph of a Black Saddlebags along the Goldstream River on August  15.

 

Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Ron Flower

 

 

 

   On August 16, Ron saw six Margined Whites north of Cowichan Station, and he photographed this one:

 

Margined White  Pieris marginalis (Lep.: Pieridae) Ron Flower

 

   Ron also photographed the dragonfly below.  Not so easy to see the details, but Dr Rob Cannings writes:  My guess is a young male Sympetrum madidum (Red-veined Meadowhawk). The thoracic stripes are strong, like those of madidum and pallipes, but there are no strong dark lateral triangular marks on the abdominal segments found in pallipes. The stripes tend to disappear with age, leaving ventral spots. The reddish wing veins in all parts of the wing also suggest madidum. Not an easy one.

 


Sympetrum (probably madidum) (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Ron Flower