2023 March 11

Ian Cooper writes: I rode out to Colquitz River Park in Saanich and the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal around 5 AM this morning and managed to get a few photos before
it began raining and I had to call it quits.

    There are several families of somewhat similar nematoceran flies, and Ian and I (Jeremy Tatum) have been struggling for a while to sort them out.  However, last night Ian managed to get good close-ups of the top of the head of one of them, clearly showing three ocelli.  This places the insect in the Family Trichoceridae  (Winter Gnats).

Winter gnat (Dip.: Trichoceridae)  Ian Cooper

Winter gnat (Dip.: Trichoceridae)  Ian Cooper

Winter gnat (Dip.: Trichoceridae)  Ian Cooper

Winter gnat (Dip.: Trichoceridae)  Ian Cooper

Deroceras sp. (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)  Ian Cooper

Springtail Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae)    Ian Cooper

Snout mite, Bdellidae (Acari: Bdellidae)    Ian Cooper

Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae)    Ian Cooper

2023 March 8

Here is a selection of miscellaneous invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper at the
Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal or in Colquitz River Park last night

Snout Mite (Acari: Bdellidae) Ian Cooper

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

Female Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Crane fly or Winter gnat (Dip.: Tipulidae or Trichoceridae) Ian Cooper

Spider, possibly Linyphantes sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae)

Springtail, possibly Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae) 

 Ian Cooper

 Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae) Ian Cooper

2023 March 6

   Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a highflyer moth (Hydriomena sp.) from Metchosin this morning.  Although it looks more than a little like H. furcata, the July Highflyer, this is not July, and it is much more likely to be the Oak Winter Highflyer H.nubilofasciata.   Jeremy Tatum writes: I don’t think any of them fly particularly high.

Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

2023 March 5

Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a cocoon of a Polyphemus Moth found at Swan Lake today.

Polyphemus cocoon Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae ) Aziza Cooper

2023 March 1

Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Running Crab Spider from View Royal, February 28.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for identifying it as Philodromus rufus.

Philodromus rufus (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

   Ian Cooper writes from James Bay, February 28: I spotted a number of honey bees feeding on flowers in James Bay this afternoon – my first bee sightings of the year!  The location was a flower bed by the Royal Scot Hotel in James Bay.  I was surprised to see bees buzzing around in a flower garden.  Not sure what kind of flowers they are, but someone may recognize them, as they seem to be popular ornamentals that can withstand our cooler months.  (Bill Savale says probably Helleborus sp.)

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

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

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