2020 November 25

   Amazing butterfly sighting! –  from Mr E, behind Red Barn Grocers in Oak Bay today, November 25.   On the very rare occasions that Monarchs appear here, we are never sure of their provenance – are they genuine wild butterflies, or have they been released at a wedding or something?   Probably at least some of them are wild, but at this time of year, when western populations of Monarchs would be expected to be wintering in California, the provenance of this Oak Bay specimen must be at least slightly suspect!  There is some information about commercially-reared Monarchs in an article by Annie Pang in the November-December 2011 issue of the Victoria Naturalist.

Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus (Lep.: Nymphalidae – Danainae)  Mr E

2020 November 23 evening

   More from Colquitz River Park from Ian Cooper:

Dark-bodied Glass Snail Oxychilus draparnaudi (Pul.: Daubebariidae )  Ian Cooper

Harvestman. Probably Paroligolophus agrestis (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Ian Cooper

Male Common Earwig. Forficula auricularia (Derm.: Forficulidae)  Ian Cooper

Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Winter Moth Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Ian Cooper

Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

8 Erannis sp.

1 Operophtera brumata

No pics taken.

2020 November 23 morning

More pictures from Colquitz River Park by Ian Cooper:

The spiders were identified by Dr Robb Bennett

Clubiona (just possibly lutescens) (Ara.: Clubionidae)  Ian Cooper

Clubiona (just possibly lutescens) (Ara.: Clubionidae)  Ian Cooper

Bathyphantes sp.(Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

   The springtail was identified to genus by Dr Frans Janssens; views from other angles would be needed to go to species:

Ptenothrix sp. (Collembola – Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)

Ian Cooper

Dr Robert Forsyth identifies the slug below as one of the Arion subfuscus aggregate

Arion subfuscus agg. (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

Maybe Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 November 22

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Epirrita autumnata

7 Erannis sp.

1 Operophtera brumata 

Here are photographs of four of the male Erannis, and also a female Erannis by Donna Dupas.

Male Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Male Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Female Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Donna Dupas

2020 November 20

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

2 Epirrita autumnata

2 Erannis defoliaria/vancouverensis

4 Operophtera brumata

Erannis defoliaria/vancouverensis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

     Ian Cooper’s photographs of tiny snails from Colquitz River Park.   We think they are probably Lauria cylindracea, but we can’t be absolutely certain.

Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper

Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper

Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper

Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper

Probably Lauria cylindracea: (Pul.: Lauriidae) Ian Cooper