INVERTEBRATE ALERT
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.

March 4

2021 March 4

 

   We have lots of similar species of tiny spiders in our area, and, like tortricid caterpillars and lots of other groups, we can’t always manage to identify them, so we’ll have to settle for this one, photographed along the Galloping Goose Trail on March 1 by Ian Cooper, as either a linyphiine linyphiid or perhaps a pimoid.

 

Linyphiinae or Pimoidae       Ian Cooper

 

  Spring hasn’t quite arrived yet, but Rosemary Jorna photographed two syrphids in her Kemp Lake garden  on March 3.  The first is a Narcissus Bulb Fly.  Thanks to Dr Jeff Skevington for identifying the second as probably Melangyna lasiophthalma , decribed by Jeff as a very early Spring species.

 

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

Narcissus Bulb Fly Merodon equestris (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 


Melangyna lasiophthalma (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 


Melangyna lasiophthalma (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Rosemary Jorna