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.

2022 October 22 morning

2022 October 22 morning

    As Hallowe’en approaches, here are more spiders photographed recently by Ian Cooper.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett and Claudia Copley for help with some of the identifications.

 

Anyphaena (probably aperta) (Ara.: Anyphaenidae)  Ian Cooper

Theridion sp. (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

Neriene digna (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Cybaeus sp.(Ara.: Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

Metallina sp. (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

2022 October 21 morning

2022 October 21 morning

    This morning we have an interesting collection of small and little-known creatures from Cheryl Hoyle and Ian Cooper, both in View Royal.  Most are unidentified and we hope that some viewers might be able to help.  Please do let us know if you can.

Brown Lacewing (Neu.: Hemerobiidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

 

Unknown insect   Cheryl Hoyle

 

Unknown caterpillar (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

 

Probably Spittle Bug  Philaenus spumarius (Hem.: Cercopidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

Unknown fly (Diptera)  Ian Cooper

 

Bark louse Graphopsocus cruciatus (Psoc.: Stenopsocidae) Ian Cooper

 

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

 

Jumping Bristletail Pedetontus (possibly saltator) (Microcoryphia:  Machilidae)

Ian Cooper

 

Caddisfly   (Trichoptera) Ian Cooper

2022 October 20 evening

2022 October 20 evening

 Corrigendum.  On September 23 evening we posted a photograph by Gordon Hart of a grasshopper, which we labelled Trimerotropis verruculata.  James Miskelly pointed out that it is more likely to be  T. fontana.  Gordon went through his photographs of the same individual and he found one that showed its bright blue tibia, showing that it is indeed fontana. We are grateful to James for spotting the mistake.  We have corrected the September 23 caption, and we show the new photograph below.

Trimerotropis fontana (Orth.:  Acrididae)  Gordon Hart

 

Invert Alert has a backlog of quite a few photographs.  Apologies for the delay – we’ll get them up as soon as we can!

 

2022 October 20 morning

2022 October 20 morning

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  It is remarkable how common Thera juniperata is this year.  There were two at the door of my Saanich apartment this morning, and two at Jochen Möhr’s house in Metchosin.  Jochen also had two Epirrita autumnata.

Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jeremy Tatum

 

Autumnal Moth Epirrita autumnata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Yesterday night, Ian Copper photographed two weevils along the Galloping Goose trail in View Royal.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying them for us.  Romualdius scaber is quite tiny – estimated about 3 mm.

Raspberry Weevil Otiorhynchus singularis (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

 

Crusted Root Weevil Romualdius scaber (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

2022 October 19 evening

2022 October 19 evening

    We have here a moth, photographed a Swan Lake by Dr Cara Gibson, and a camel cricket by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail.

Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria  (Lep.: Geometridae) Cara Gibson

Camel cricket Pristoceuthophilus sp. (Orth.: Rhaphidophoridae)  Ian Cooper