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.

2023 April 24

2023 April 24

 

   More photographs by Ian Cooper last night from *Colquitz Creek Park and #Galloping
Goose at View Royal.   We thank Dr Philip Bragg for the identification of the harvestman.

 

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#Arion subfuscus  (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper

 

 

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Harvestman Nelima paessleri (Opi.: Scleresomatidae)
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*Jumping Bristletail – Pedetontus saltator

 (Microcoryphia – Machilidae)

Ian Cooper

 

 

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*Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)   Ian Cooper

 

 

2023 April 23

 

2023 April 23

St George’s Day

 

   Last year Ian Cooper found caterpillars of the Grey Hairstreak butterfly on the flowers of Mentha along the Galloping Goose Trail near Harriet Road.  Jeremy Tatum took one of them for rearing.  Photographs of the caterpillar are to be found on the Invert Alert posting for 2022 September 29, and of the pupa, 2022 October 5.  The adult butterfly emerged today, and was released by Jeremy and Ian where the caterpillar was found.  Below is a “studio” photograph of the underside by Jeremy.   After release, Ian managed to get photographs of the underside and upperside in a more natural setting, also shown below.

 

 

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Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Jeremy Tatum

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  Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

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Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

      Val George photographed the moth below at his Oak Bay house this morning:

 

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Sabulodes aegrotata  (Lep.:Geometridae)   Val George

 

 

Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper yesterday at Colquitz RiverPark.

 

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Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola

– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae) 

Ian Cooper

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Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola

– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae) 

Ian Cooper

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Springtail – Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

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Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae)   Ian Cooper

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Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

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Armadillidium vulgare  (Isopoda: Armadillidiidae)   Ian Cooper

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Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper

2023 April 22

2023 April 22

 

   Val George reports the following butterflies from Mount Douglas and surrounding area on
April 17:      3 California Tortoiseshells, 2 Cabbage Whites, and a Satyr Comma.

 

   Here are some photographs by Ian Cooper from *Colquitz River Park and the #Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, April 21.   (Cepaea from GG Trail near Point Ellice Bridge.)

 

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*Hover Fly  (Dip.: Syrphidae)   Ian Cooper

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#“Leatherjacket” – crane fly larva, probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)

Ian Cooper

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#Haplotrema vancouverense (Pul.: Haplotrematidae)   Ian Cooper

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Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae)   Ian Cooper

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*Probably Arion subfuscus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

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 Soldier beetle larva (Col.: Cantharidae)  Ian Cooper

2023 April 20

2023 April 20

Although a few butterflies were reported in March, April so far has been a disaster for
butterflies, with only five individual butterflies reported to Invertebrate Alert so far this month.  Today has been cold, wet and windy, with more of the same forecast for the next few days.   During this period of butterfly scarcity, we are indebted to Ian Cooper for giving us some excellent photographs of little-seen invertebrate creatures with which many of us are not at all familiar, if at all.  Here are some of them from last night.   * Colquitz River Park.   #Galloping Goose Trail, View Royal.

 

 

 

 

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   *Springtail Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)   Ian Cooper

 

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*Springtail Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)   Ian Cooper

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  • #Flat-backed Millepede – Scytonotus sp.(Diplopoda:  Polydesmidae)
       Ian Cooper 
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*Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

   Ian Cooper 

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Probably Oligolophus tridens  (Opi.: Phalangiidae – Oligolophinae) 

  Ian Cooper 

2023 April 19

2023 April 19

   Ian Cooper writes:   Here are a selection of the pictures taken yesterday, April 18, or this morning, April 19, at *Colquitz River Park in Saanich and the #Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

 

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*Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

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*Common Striped Woodlouse – Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)  Ian Cooper

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#Male Non-biting Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)  Ian Cooper

 

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#Female Non-biting Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)  Ian Cooper

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#Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

Ian Cooper

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 #Snout mite  (Acari:  Bdellidae)   Ian Cooper