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.

February 6

2021 February 6

 

    Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands:  The sunshine yesterday (Friday, February 5) brought out an early Drone Fly Eristalis tenax sunning itself on a frond of Polypodium glycyrrhiza (Liquorice Fern).  I am basing the identification on a photo from the same area last year on March 10.  [Agreed!  – Jeremy Tatum]

 


Eristalis tenax (Dip.:  Syrphidae) Gordon Hart

 

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake:  I have been keeping track of our Nearctula species snails. It varies from day to day but yesterday I counted 68 on the seven trunks in our Big Leaf Maple group. I’ve kept a daily record and have just sent it off to K. Ovaska. I wonder what they will make of next week’s cold and snow?

 


Nearctula sp. (Pul.: Vertiginidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Snout mite (Acari:  Bdellidae)  Rosemary Jorna