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.

March 15

2021 March 15

 

   Ian Cooper continues to show us the remarkable range of unfamiliar creatures that he is finding at night along the Galloping Goose Trail and Colquitz Creek Park.  Thanks to Drs Robb Bennett and Frans Janssens for a huge amount of help with the spiders (Robb) and springtails (Frans).

 


 Female Clubiona lutescens (Ara.: Clubionidae) Ian Cooper

   In  describing his encounters with trapdoor spiders, Ian writes:  After visiting Colquitz River Park, I went to the GG 9km observation site before dawn today (March 14) and was pleasantly surprised to spot multiple resident trapdoor spiders of various sizes ‘on duty’ at their burrow entrances along the embankment by the trail, including some very tiny ones. The newly discovered larger spiders generally retreated into their lairs as my light and camera got too close for comfort, so it was hard to get a good close up shot of them. One of the smaller spiders slammed its folding doors in my face when it suddenly withdrew. Shocking and rude, but cute to see!

 

Trapdoor spider – Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.-Myg.:  Antrodiaetidae) Ian Cooper

   Ian continues:  I also spotted a Jumping Bristletail for only the second time.  I was lucky to see it, as its grey coloring made it barely visible against the tree bark it was on.

 

Jumping Bristletail (Microcoryphia:  Machilidae) Ian Cooper

The remaining animals below are all springtails from various Families – some would say various Orders.

 

Left: Dicyrtomina minuta f. couloni (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)

Right: Male Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae)

Ian Cooper

Genus uncertain (Coll.: Tomoceridae – Tomocerinae)  Ian Cooper


Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae) Ian Cooper

 

 

March 13 afternoon

2021 March 13 afternoon

 

   More creatures from the Galloping Goose Trail or Colquitz Creek Park, by Ian Cooper:

 

Probably Protolophus sp. (Opi.: Phalangiidae) Ian Cooper

Three-banded Garden Slug – Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)

Juvenile Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Adult Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Brown Field Slug Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

 

Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae) Ian Cooper

 

March 13 morning

2021 March 13 morning

 

   Here are more pictures of unfamiliar animals by Ian Cooper from the Galloping Goose trail and Colquitz River Park.  We are most grateful to Dr Frans Janssens for identification of and much information about the springtails.

 

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

 

Springtails Dicyrtomina minuta f. saundersi (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae) Ian Cooper

 

Harvestman, probably Paroligolophus agrestis (Opi.: Phalangiidae) Ian Cooper

 

Harvestman, probably Paroligolophus agrestis (Opi.: Phalangiidae) Ian Cooper

 

Open burrow of Trapdoor Spider Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.: Antrodiaetidae)  Ian Cooper

 

Closed burrow of Trapdoor Spider Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.: Antrodiaetidae)  Ian Cooper

 

March 11 afternoon

 

2021 March 11 afternoon

 

   Paige Erickson-McGee writes:  We saw this chrysalis in Metchosin on Eales Road on some Broom we were cutting down next to a nice forest.  Photographed by Sara Lax.   Jeremy Tatum writes:   Papilio rutulus or eurymedon – I can’t tell which.

 

 

Tiger Swallowtail Papilio rutulus/eurymedon (Lep.: Papilionidae)  Sara Lax

 

 

   Ian Cooper writes:  I spotted the burrow entrance of what must be a very large Antrodiaetus pacificus Trapdoor Spider while scanning along the embankment with my bike light. It’s possible the resident spider retreated as I and my annoying light approached the site before I spotted the burrow. I was taken aback at how big the opening was. Although the spider wasn’t at its doorway or visible when I peered into its burrow, it must be relatively huge compared to the other resident trapdoor spiders in the vicinity I’m familiar with. The silk-lined burrow was clearly a well maintained ‘active’ residence which I was able to shine my light into. Very much looking forward to my next visit to the area in hopes of catching sight of this monster!  [So are we! – Jeremy T]

 

   Ian photographed a noctuid caterpillar feeding on grass at night.  It’s not the usual Noctua pronuba.  I wish I knew what it is, writes Jeremy Tatum!

 

Caterpillar (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

March 11 morning

2021 March 11 morning

 

   More interesting photographs from Ian Cooper.  All photographs taken overnight in the early morning  of March 10 2021 at Colquitz River Park in Saanich,  and (the spider) along the Galloping Goose trail, 9km marker in View Royal.   Many thanks to Dr Frans Janssens for identifying the springtails and for correcting a Family assignation previously erroneously posted on this site.

 

Probably Protolophus sp. (Opi.: Phalangiidae) Ian Cooper

Slug, probably Arion distinctus  (Puil.: Arionidae) Ian Cooper

 

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

Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae) Ian Cooper

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

 

Adult female  Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

 

Running crab spider: Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper