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.

January 18

2021 January 18

 

Here are the results of another night-time foray by Ian Cooper into Colquitz River Park or the Galloping Goose Trail, 9 km marker.

 

Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae) Colquitz Creek    Ian Cooper

Dark-bodied Glass Snail, Oxychilus draparnaudi (Pul.: Daubebariidae)  Galloping Goose

Ian Cooper

  Brown Field Slug Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae) Ian Cooper

 

Rough Woodlouse, Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)    Colquitz Creek     Ian Cooper

 

Leopard slug, Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Colquitz Creek     Ian Cooper

Also known as Giant Garden Slug or Great Grey Slug

 

January 17

2021 January 17

 

   Jody Wells sends a photograph of a Large Yellow Underwing caterpillar from Brentwood Bay, January 16.

 

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jody Wells

 

January 16

2021 January 16

 

   Yesterday we showed the entrance to the home of a trapdoor spider.  Ian Cooper paid a courtesy visit yesterday to see if anyone was at home.  He got an answer –

 

Trapdoor Spider Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara – Myg: Antrodiaetidae)  Ian Cooper

   Here are more pictures by Ian Cooper from near the 9 km marker on the Galloping Goose Trail, January 14/15.   Thanks to Frans Jannsens for identifying the springtail.

Globose springtail, Dicyrtomina ornata f. saundersi (Collembola – Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)

Ian Cooper

Possibly a juvenile Beaded Lancetooth snail, Ancotrema sportella (Pul.: Haplotrematidae)

Ian Cooper

Banana slug – Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

And more from Colquitz River Park:

 

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

 

 

Possibly a very young Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)

Ian Cooper

Large Yellow Underwing Moth caterpillar, Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Ian Cooper

 

 

January 15

2021 January 15

 

   Another array of fascinating creatures photographed at night by Ian Cooper at Colquitz River Park and the 9 km marker on the Galloping Goose trail:

 

Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)  Ian Cooper

Devil’s Coach-Horse Beetle Ocypus olens (Col.: Staphylinidae) Ian Cooper

Spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Burrow entrance of Trapdoor Spider Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.-Myg.:  Antrodiaetidae)

Ian Cooper

Harvestman, Possibly Paroligolophus agrestis (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Ian Cooper

Slug R  (Pul.:  Arionidae)

 

January 14

2021 January 14

 

   Here are some slugs photographed by Ian Cooper on the night of January 9-10 near the 9 km marker along the Galloping Goose Trail.  As yet, we are not certain of all the identifications, but we’ll label them as and when we know what they are.  Help from viewers would be appreciated.

 

Grey Field Slugs Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)  Ian Cooper

 

Slug N    Ian Cooper

 

Slug O    Ian Cooper

 

Slug P    Ian Cooper

 

Slug Q     Ian Cooper