2017 March 18

   Ian sends a bunch of very-challenging-to-identify invertebrates from Sidney Island today.

We are grateful to Charlene Wood for identifying the creature below as a Bristly Millipede.  Charlene writes:  I doubt that these are thoroughly known for our area.  Of the six species documented north of Mexico, Polyxenus lagurus is the most common and widespread.

Jeremy Tatum thinks that the next one might be a caterpillar of a noctuid – perhaps even noctuine – moth.

Noctuid caterpillar?   Ian Cruickshank

   The third one might also be a noctuid caterpillar, but I’m not 100 percent certain that it isn’t a beetle grub!

Possibly another noctuid.  Ian Cruickshank

Jeremy Tatum continues: The last one looks, on the face of it, to be the most obscure and impossible to identify, but we’re in luck.  It is a gall on Broom, and we think it might be the mite Aceria genistae.   That’s tentative at the moment, while we await the opinion of an expert.  Apparently there are lots of these galls on the Broom on Sidney Island.

 Possibly Aceria genistae (Acari:  Eriophyidae)   Ian Cruickshank

2017 March 17

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  I found my first Acerra normalis of the season on March 15th at my place in Saanichton.  They look very sharp when they’re fresh!  I’m getting several pugs in a night currently, and I had my first Orthosia hibisci waiting for me this morning.  I had another Egira hiemalis last night, too.  On March 15, I also had Hydriomena manzanita.  Our diversity is slowing picking up steam, but spring is having a hard time evicting winter!

Acerra normalis  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Gatten

2017 March 15

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  This Seven-spotted Ladybird beetle was hanging out on Whiffin Spit yesterday afternoon.

Seven-spotted Ladybird  Coccinella septempunctata (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2017 March 13

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  It is quite active in Saanichton this evening (March 12) and my light has several moths, many of which I had not seen this year until now.  The following have been noted: Eupithecia annulata, Phigalia plumogeraria, Acleris sp., Agonopterix alstroemeriana, Triphosa haesitata, Orthosia praeses, and what I believe is Ufeus satyricus.  The last one listed is new to me.   [Jeremy Tatum responds:  Agreed – Ufeus satyricus.  I’ve never seen one, either.  A most interesting record, and a new one for this site. Apparently the moth overwinters as an adult, so it could in principle be found in late fall or early spring.]

Ufeus satyricus (Lep.: Noctuidae)   Jeremy Gatten

2017 March 12

   Rosemary Jorna writes: This small slug was enjoying a mushroom meal at Matheson Lake on March 9.  It was about 2 1/2 cm long & tear drop shaped.

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  We know there are experts out there who can identify slugs and snails, so, if you think you can identify this slug, or the snail posted on February 20, please do let us know:   jtatum at uvic dot ca

Unidentified slug   Rosemary Jorna