St David’s Day, 2021

   Mr E sends photographs of a tick and a termite from R.O. Bull Park in North Saanich, February 27.  Thanks to Dr. Robbin Lindsay for identifying the tick as an unfed male Ixodes pacificus.  The termite identification was slightly tricky.  The Families of termites can be distinguished according as to whether there are more than or fewer than 22 antennal segments.  Naturally, this one has exactly 22.  Nevertheless (writes Jeremy Tatum) Mr E and I believe this to be a dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis – supported by finding it in a wet stump.   Termites were at one time in the Order Isoptera, though they are now joined with cockroaches (!) in the Order  Blattodea.

Ixodes pacificus (Ixodida:  Ixodidae)   Mr E

Ixodes pacificus (Ixodida:  Ixodidae)   Mr E

Ixodes pacificus (Ixodida:  Ixodidae)   Mr E

Zootermopsis angusticollis (Blattodea:  Archotermopsidae)  Mr E

Zootermopsis angusticollis (Blattodea:  Archotermopsidae)  Mr E

More stuff on the way tomorrow!

2021 February 28

A miscellany from the Galloping Goose Trail and Colquitz River Park by Ian Cooper, and from Rosemary Jorna in Kemp Lake.    Thanks, as ever, to Dr Robb Bennett, for help with the spiders, and to Dr Frans Janssens with the springtails.

Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

Globose springtail (Coll.:  Symphypleona: Dicyrtomidae)   Ian Cooper

Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.:  Lauriidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably Haplotrema vancouverense (Pul.: Haplotrematidae) Ian Cooper

Male maybe Neriene sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper

Female maybe Neriene sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper

Wolf spider Pardosa (probably vancouveri) (Ara.: Lycosidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jeremy  Tatum writes:   It is frustratingly close, but I can’t quite tell whether the gnat below is a small crane fly (Tipulidae) of the Subfamily Limoniinae, or a winter gnat of the Family Trichoceridae.

Dip.: Limoniinae or Trichoceridae   Rosemary Jorna

2021 February 27

   Two small spiders in today’s offering.  One from a maple in Rosemary Jorna’s Kemp Lake garden.  One from the Galloping Goose 9km site in View Royal, by Ian Cooper.  In spite of their tiny size,  Dr Robb Bennett was able to make a good stab at their identifications.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  More good stuff to come when I get a moment!

“Theridion” species group (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Just possibly Wubana sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Erigoninae)  Ian Cooper

2021 February 26

   Slugs and snails from Colquitz River Park and the Galloping Goose Trail, by Ian Cooper:

Possibly Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

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

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Cryptomastix germana or Vespericola columbianus (Pul.: Polygyridae)  Ian Cooper

… and a leatherjacket:

Leatherjacket (crane fly) probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)

Ian Cooper

2021 February 22

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  This morning finally!  After a night with 7 °C, three Egira hiemalis at the wall.

Egira hiemalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes:  “Lepidoptera” means “scale wings” – and you can see why from this photo!

Here are some more small creatures from the Galloping Goose Trail photographed by Ian Cooper.  First a small (4 mm) spider – two images of the same individual:

Spider (Ara.:  Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Spider (Ara.:  Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

   Next, two (different) harvestmen:

Harvestman – Probably Protolophus sp. (Opiliones)   Ian Cooper

Harvestman – possibly Paroligolophus agrestis (Opiliones)   Ian Cooper

  We have not been able to identify the spider or harvestmen above.  We have not been able to identify the Order of the creature below, though we believe it to be the larva of some sort of fly (Diptera). If anyone can help, please do so!

Fly larva (Diptera)  Ian Cooper