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.
#Arion subfuscus (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper
*Jumping Bristletail – Pedetontus saltator
(Microcoryphia – Machilidae)
Ian Cooper
*Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae) Ian Cooper
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.
Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Jeremy Tatum
Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ian Cooper
Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae) Ian Cooper
Val George photographed the moth below at his Oak Bay house this morning:
Sabulodes aegrotata (Lep.:Geometridae) Val George
Here are some photographs taken by Ian Cooper yesterday at Colquitz RiverPark.
Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola
– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae)
Ian Cooper
Globular Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix palmata (Collembola
– Symphypleona – Dicyrtomenidae)
Ian Cooper
Springtail – Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper
Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper
Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae) Ian Cooper
Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda: Armadillidiidae) Ian Cooper
Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae) Ian Cooper
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.)
*Hover Fly (Dip.: Syrphidae) Ian Cooper
#“Leatherjacket” – crane fly larva, probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)
Ian Cooper
#Haplotrema vancouverense (Pul.: Haplotrematidae) Ian Cooper
Cepaea nemoralis (Pul.: Helicidae) Ian Cooper
*Probably Arion subfuscus (Pul.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper
Soldier beetle larva (Col.: Cantharidae) Ian Cooper
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.
*Springtail Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper
*Springtail Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper
*Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)
Ian Cooper
Probably Oligolophus tridens (Opi.: Phalangiidae – Oligolophinae)
Ian Cooper
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.
*Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae) Ian Cooper
*Common Striped Woodlouse – Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae) Ian Cooper
#Male Non-biting Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae) Ian Cooper
#Female Non-biting Midge (Dip.: Chironomidae) Ian Cooper
#Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)
Ian Cooper
#Snout mite (Acari: Bdellidae) Ian Cooper