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.

August 29

2020 August 29

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Fishia illocata

4 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa 

2 Neoalcis californiaria 

1 Ypsolopha canariella 

 


Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 


Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

 


Fishea illocata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Neoalcis californiaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   A miscellany from the Galloping Goose Trail by Ian Cooper, August 28:

 

Raspberry Crown Borer Moth Pennisetia marginata (Lep.: Sesiidae)  Ian Cooper

   Thanks to Dr Jeff Skevington for the identification of the two flies below.  The first of these is a recent European arrival in British Columbia.


Myathropa florea (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper


Eristalis tenax (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper


Zootermopsis angusticollis (Blatt.: Archotermopsidae)  Ian Cooper

Nymph of bug.  Hemiptera, probably Pentatomidae, possibly Brochymena.   Ian Cooper


Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Ian Cooper

 

August 28

2020 August 28

 

Two dragonflies by Gordon Hart from the Pike Lake substation ponds, August 26:

 

Paddle-tailed Darner Aeshna palmata (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Gordon Hart

Sympetrum pallipes (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

and another, near his Highlands house, the following day:

 


Sympetrum pallipes (Odo.: Libellulidae)  Gordon Hart

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Emmelina monodactyla 

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Fishea illocata

1 Pyrausta perrubralis

1 Catocala aholibah

 


Fishea illocata (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Catocala aholibah (Lep.: Erebidae – Erebinae)  Jochen Möhr

   A miscellany from Ian Cooper from the Galloping Goose Trail near Tillicum Road, August 27:

 

Woodland Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides (Lep.: Hesperiidae)  Ian Cooper


Vespula pensylvanica/germanica (Hym.: Vespidae)

with Zootermopsis angusticollis (Blatt.: Archotermopsidae) Ian Cooper

(Thanks to Claudia Copley for the identifications.)


Salticus scenicus (Ara.: Salticidae)  Ian Cooper


Syritta pipiens (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Pennisetia marginata (Lep.: Sesiidae)   Ian Cooper

   …And, for those who are wondering if the “Lep.” in the legend is a misprint, and it should be “Hym.” – no, these are indeed clearwing moths.   Male below, female above.  Known in the fruit-growing industry as the Rasbperry Crown Borer Moth.

 

An exciting moth day, capped off by a nice pterophorid from Sharon Godkin.  Known as the Geranium Plume Moth, though the caterpillar feeds on a wide range of plants as well as geraniums.  Sometimes found in greenhouses.  Not sure if the “Geranium” if its names refers to plants genuinely in the genus Geranium or to the popularly mis-named “Geranium”  – actually Pelargonium.

 


Amblyptilia pica (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Sharon Godkin.

 

 

August 27

2020 August 27

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

4 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Xestia finatimis species complex

1 Ypsolopha canariella

 


Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr

 



Xestia finatimis species group (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

   A Honey Bee  from Ian Cooper:

 

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.: Apidae)  Ian Cooper

 

   An exciting adventure from  Ian:


Vespula vulgaris (Hym.: Vespidae)   Ian Cooper

 

Be careful… watch out!    Ian Cooper

 

 

Under the leaf – Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)   Ian Cooper

 


Misumena vatia (Ara.: Thomisidae)   Ian Cooper

 

You were warned!!   Ian Cooper

 

   The wasp was lucky – it got away.  In an encounter between a crab spider and a vespid wasp,  the wasp is in great danger.  On the other hand, had it been a pompilid wasp, it is the spider that would be in danger.

 

   Val George writes:  This Plume Moth Emmelina monodactyla was on the window near the door of the nature house at Swan Lake yesterday, August 26.  Also on the walls near the door were 2 Neoalcis californiaria and a Noctua pronuba.  Many dragonflies were flying around the edges of the lake:  many Blue Dashers, many Darners (Blue-eyed, Green and other Darner species my inexpert eyes can’t identify when they’re flying) and at least 7 or 8 Black Saddlebags.  This last red-listed species seems to be quite numerous this year because I saw 3 or 4 at McIntyre Reservoir on Martindale Flats a few days ago and I recall that there have been several photos shown on the Alert recently.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Yes, I, too, have seen several Black Saddlebags this year.  Agree they are unusually common this year.  Anyone else noticed this?

 


Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Val George

August 26 afternoon

2020 August 26

 

   Rosemary Jorna sends a picture of a wasp (yellowjacket) feeding on a fallen apple in her Kemp Lake garden.  Thanks to Claudia Copley for the identification of the species.

 


Vespula vulgaris (Hym.: Vespidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

   A miscellany from Ian Cooper:

 

Spittle bug Philaenus spumarius (Hem.: Cercopidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Ammophila sp. (Hym.: Sphecidae)  Ian Cooper

 


Leucospis affinis (Hym.: Leucospidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

August 26 morning

2020 August 26 morning

 

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

 

2 Eulithis xylina

1 Lacinipolia pensilis

1 Nadata gibbosa

2 Neoalcis californiaria

1 Noctua pronuba 

2 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Perizoma curvilinea 

 

In addition, Jochen writes:  Also, every day, I see 2 to 4 Woodland Skippers and several Pine Whites, up to 5 simultaneously around the house.

 


Lacinipolia pensilis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Nadata gibbosa (Lep.: Notodontidae)  Jochen Möhr

 

And Jochen’s moths from Metchosin yesterday morning, August 26:

 

1 Emmelina dactylina

3 Eupithecia sp. 

4 Eulithis xylina

1 Evergestis funalis

1 Feltia jaculifera

1 Lacinipolia strigicollis

5 Neoalcis californiaria  

1 Nemoria darwiniata

3 Noctua pronuba

1 Oligia divesta

1 Panthea virginarius

1 Stenoporpia pulmonaria 

1 Xestia finatimis species group

1 Ypsolopha canariella

 

 


Evergestis funalis (Lep.: Crambidae)  Jochen Möhr


Xestia finatimis species group (Lep.: Noctuidae) Jochen Möhr


Feltia jaculifera (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr


Emmelina monodactyla (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Jochen Möhr

More this afternoon…