2017 March 7

   Leah Ramsay sends a close-up photograph of one of the cluster flies that she found in a rotten log (see March 4 posting).  Viewers who would like to know exactly which Pollenia species this is of the six that are known to occur in North America can try their hand at identifying it from the key:  http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/jmw_19/jmw_19.pdf   Good luck!  (And if you do come to a conclusion be sure to let us know!)

Pollenia sp. (Dip.: Calliphoridae)  Leah Ramsay

   Appropriately, Annie Pang sends two photographs of the host of Pollenia, namely an earthworm, probably the Common Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris — like the commonest species of cluster fly Pollenia rudis, a European import.  Sometimes it can be difficult to find a native species of any plant or animal in Victoria!  As with her photographs of the caterpillar of Noctua pronuba (another European! – see March 6 posting), the earthworm was photographed in the Gorge Park Community Gardens.

Earthworm, probably Lumbricus terrestris (Hap.: Lumbricidae) Annie Pang

Earthworm, probably Lumbricus terrestris (Hap.: Lumbricidae) Annie Pang

2017 March 6

Annie Pang sends photographs of a caterpillar of a Large Yellow Underwing moth from the Gorge Park Community gardens, March 6.

Large Yellow Underwing  Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Annie Pang

Large Yellow Underwing  Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Annie Pang

2017 March 5

   Rosemary Jorna writes:  This very cold Conifer Seed Bug landed on a fellow hiker’s jacket yesterday afternoon on Larkspur in the Sooke Hills.

   Jeremy Tatum comments:  Rosemary was either brave or lucky – not sure which.  I think (not 100 percent certain!) that the Conifer Seed Bug may be OK – but there are some quite similar-looking bugs in the Family Reduviidae that can give a rather nasty and painful poisonous stab. Just look at the length of the rostrum in the view of the underside of Rosemary’s bug! 

Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Rosemary Jorna

Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2017 March 4

   Where do flies go in winter?  Well, these two elected to spend the winter in a rotten log on southern Vancouver Island, where they were photographed by Leah Ramsay.  Although it is difficult to be certain of the exact identity, it is pretty sure that these are a species of cluster fly Pollenia sp.  Rob Cannings writes:  P. rudis used to be considered the sole species in North America, but recent revisionary work has resulted in six species, all found in British Columbia.  Five of these occur on Vancouver Island.  They are earthworm parasitoids and, as you might expect from their hosts, are introduced from Europe.  They are among the most common flies around in fall through spring as they overwinter as adults.  Sometimes they fly in warm winter days here; usually you see them sunning on warm walls.  They are duller looking than most blow flies (lack metallic sheen) and have characteristic crinkly yellow hairs on the thorax (sometimes not easy to see).

 Probably Pollenia  sp. (Dip.: Calliphoridae)  Leah Ramsay

2017 March 3

   We are grateful to Charlene Wood for identifying the  Flat Brown Scavenger Beetle  photographed by Ian Cruickshank on Sidney Island on February 22.   Charlene writes:  By the large hairy pads on the tips of the forelegs, it appears to be a male.  Adults are scavengers of decaying organic material and are found in moist cool ares of the Pacific Northwest, from Alaska to California.  Luckily the photograph was clear enough to see some characteristics that helped with determination, including the number of segments on the hind tarsus (5) and the antennae with 5 terminal segments widened and the first and third antenna segments lengthened.

Necrophilus hydrophiloides (Col.: Agyrtidae)    Ian Cruickshank