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.

February 24

2020 February 24

 

   Brigitte Rixen sends a photograph of a cocoon and pupa of a Polyphemus Moth found under a Garry Oak tree in Nanoose Bay.

 


Antheraea polyphemus (Lep.: Saturniidae)  Brigitte Rixen

 

   Jochen Möhr reports 8 Eupithecia (annulata/olivacea) and 1 Hydriomena nubilofasciata

from Metchosin this morning.

 


Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

 

 

Eupithecia annulata/olivacea (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

February 23

2020 February 23

 

   Mr E sends a photograph of a chironomid midge from Thetis Lake, February 18.

 

Non-biting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae)   Mr E

February 21

2020 February 21

 

   Gordon Hart writes from the Highlands, February 20: 

 

     The sun brought out several bee species and one butterfly. Anne-Marie saw it perched briefly and I was able to get fleeting glimpses in flight, and at a distance it appeared to be dark orange-brown and black . We are pretty sure it was a California Tortoiseshell.  Unfortunately, I could not relocate it for a photo. The bees were more obliging. There were several identical bumblebees, possibly Bombus melanopygus, the Black-tailed Bumblebee. I have enclosed a photo of one on Heather flowers.

 

     Thanks to Lincoln Best and Annie Pang who both concur that it is B. melanopygus, which, they write, is usually the first bumblebee to appear in spring.

 

Black-tailed Bumblebee  Bombus melanopygus (Hym.: Apidae)  Gordon Hart

Fenruary 18 morning

2020 February 18 morning

 

   Jochen Möhr sends a picture of one of our early moths from Metchosin, yesterday – Hydriomena nubilofasciata.

 


Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

 

   Layla Munger sends photographs of two syrphid flies from Beacon Hill Park yesterday.  While we can’t be certain of their exact identifications, writes Jeremy Tatum, I have labelled them with suggested genera.

 

Perhaps Merodon sp. (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Layla Munger

 

Perhaps Eristalis sp. (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Layla Munger

 

 

February 16

2020 February 16

 

   Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin:  Here is my first noctuid of the season – Egira hiemalis.

 

 

Egira hiemalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr