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.

February 13

2020 February 13

  •    Jochen  Möhr writes from Metchosin:  After a hiatus from January  6 to yesterday, February 12, finally some moths at the light.  There were actually five individuals.
  •    Jochen originally suggested that these are Eupithecia olivacea, but, writes Jeremy Tatum, I wrote that they were probably E. annulata.  However, these two species are more similar than I had realized, and, based on their early appearance, Jochen’s original identification is more likely to be right.  Literature suggests that olivacea appears from early March, but annulata usually waits until April.  Apologies to Jochen!


Eupithecia (probably olivacea)   (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr


Eupithecia (probably olivacea)   (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhrr


Eupithecia (probably olivacea)   (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

February 9

2020 February 9

 

   Gordon Hart writes:  I was surprised to see a Water Strider, Gerridae sp., on a flooded area at Maber Flats on Friday, February 7. It was about 6 oC, so I would have thought it was too cold for large bugs. I have attached a photo.

Water Strider (Hem.: Gerridae)  Gordon Hart

 

 

February 1

2020 February 1

 

   Mr E sends a photograph of a whitefly  –   a bug of the Family Aleyrodidae  –   from Elk Lake, Janury 26.

 

 

Whitefly  (Hem.: Aleyrodidae)   Mr E

January 30

2020 January 30

 

   Ron Flower  sends a picture of a Large Yellow Underwing caterpillar – a now-common European moth – from his driveway yesterday.

 

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ron Flower

January 25

2010 January 25

 

  Libby Avis reports that Rick found an Alucita montana today in their workshop in Port Alberni.