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.

September 19

2019 September 19

 

   Layla Munger sends three photographs from Beacon Hill Park, September 18. Thanks to Dr Rob Cannings for the identification of the dragonfly as Aeshna palmata.  Rob  writes: The straight thoracic stripes are similar to those of R. multicolor, but have some yellow in them rather than being all blue. The face is yellowish instead of bluish, and has a black line, unlike the faint brown line of R. multicolor. A male would have been much easier!

 

Female Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Layla Munger

 

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Layla Munger

 

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta (Lep.: Nymphalidae) Layla Munger

 

   Jochen Möhr had a big moth night in Metchosin last night.   Thanks as ever to Libby Avis for help with the identifications. Here are a few that Jochen photographed.



Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 


Agrochola purpurea (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 


Euxoa sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 


Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 


Dysstroma sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 


Xanthorhoe defensaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 


Tetracis sp. (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr


Xestia finatimis-infimatis-verniloides complex (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Jochen Möhr

 


Euxoa sp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a snail from McIntyre Reservoir.


Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)  Jeremy Tatum

 

   Jeremy writes:  Here is the puparium of a parasitic fly from a hapless caterpillar of a thyatirine moth:

Parasitic fly puparium (Dip.: Tachinidae) Jeremy Tatum