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 February 24

2023 February 24

 

Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of an Oak Winter Highflyer  from View Royal, February 23 – just the right time of year for this moth.

 

 

image.png

 Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2023 February 22

2023 February 22

 

Butterfly!

 

   Jeff Gaskin writes:   I know you probably think it’s too cold for butterflies, but yesterday, February 21, Bill Dancer reported that he saw a Mourning Cloak on the lower regions of Mount Douglas Park.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I do know that it’s too cold for me.  Mourning Cloaks, however, spend the winter in the adult stage, and February sightings are quite possible – though rare and exciting nevertheless.  Since this site was started in 2010, we have had February sightings in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2022, the earliest date being 2015 February 17.

2023 February 20

2023 February 20

 

   Aziza Cooper sends a photograph of a spider from her home in Saanich:

 

image.png

Pholcus phalangioides (Ara.: Pholcidae)  Aziza Cooper

2023 February 12

2023 February 12

 

   More spider photographs by Ian Cooper.  The Pimoa was photographed in
Colquitz River Park, February 10, and the Steatoda in James Bay, January 28.

 

 

image.png

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

 

image.png

Steatoda grossa (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

image.png

Steatoda grossa (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

2023 February 11

2023 February 11

A few more invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper, February 10 at *Colquitz Creek Park or the #Galloping Goose Trail, View Royal.

 

image.png

*Cybaeus (probably signifer) (Ara.: Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

image.png

#Tetragnatha versicolor (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

image.png

#Neriene sp. (Ara.:  Linyphiidae) Ian Cooper

image.png

#Snout mite (Trombidiformes: Bdellidae)   Ian Cooper

image.png

#Globose springtail Ptenothrix sp.(Coll.:Dicyrtomidae)  Ian  Cooper