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 (jtatum@uvic.ca). 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.

October 7

2019 October 7

 

   Some of Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin yesterday, identified by Libby Avis.

 


Ceranemota fasciata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thysanurinae) Jochen Möhr


Ceranemota fasciata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thysanurinae) Jochen Möhr

 


Agrotis ipsilon (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Agrotis ipsilon (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 Tetracis jubararia/pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

…and some from this morning:

 


Tetracis jubararia/pallulata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 


Ceranemota fasciata (Lep.: Drepanidae – Thysanurinae) Jochen Möhr

 

On October 5, Jochen photographed the harvestman below, which is not the ubiquitous Phalangium opilio.  Dr Philip Bragg of UBC writes:  It is difficult to be completely sure about this identification since I cannot see some of the diagnostic features I would have liked to have seen, e.g . is the palpal claw toothed? However, I think it likely that this harvestman is Nelima paessleri.

 

So, photographers, next time you snap a harvestman, be sure to get a close-up of the palps!  And, by the way, did you know that the second pair of legs of most harvestmen is the longest?  Well, ye ken noo.

 

Probably Nelima paessleri (Opi.:  Sclerosomatidae) Jochen Möhr

Probably Nelima paessleri (Opi.:  Sclerosomatidae) Jochen Möhr