Invertebrate Alert – Page 50 – Victoria Natural History Society

2024 May 19

2024 May 19

More of Ian Cooper’s invertebrates from Colquitz River Park before dawn on May 16 & 18 2024.

Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

Two spiders. Left Clubionidae Right Linyphiidae Ian Cooper

Next is a very tiny spiderling. In spite of its minute size, which one might think would be impossible to identify, Ian and Dr Bennett are both in agreement that this is a very young Clubiona.

Clubiona sp. (Ara. Clubionidae) Ian Cooper

Phaonias sp. (Dip.: Muscidae – Phaoniinae) Ian Cooper

Female non-biting midge (Dip.: Chironomidae) Ian Cooper

Ian found a small caterpillar sharing a cauliflower with him. It pupated in a silken cocoon, and this moth ecloded (with a d) (emerged) a few days later.

Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae) Jeremy Tatum

Has anyone seen any butterflies recently? I haven’t – Jeremy Tatum

More invertebrates from Ian Cooper. Ian writes that most were photographed at Colquitz River Park in the last couple of days. The crane fly picture was taken by the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

Common striped woodlouse – Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)
Ian Cooper

Crane fly (Dip.: Tipulidae) Ian Cooper

We are grateful to Scott Gilmore for the identification to genus of the click beetle below;

Click beetle Dalopius sp. (Col.: Elateridae) Ian Cooper

Woodlouse Hunter Spider – Dysdera crocata (Ara.: Dysderidae) Ian Cooper

Rugathodes sexpunctatus (Ara.: Theridiidae) Ian Cooper

We are grateful to Scott Gilmore for the identification to family of the bug below;

Dirt-coloured seed bug (Hem.: Rhyparochromidae) Ian Cooper

2024 May 17

2024 May 17

Ian Cooper photographed this soldier beetle in Colquitz River Park, May 15. We are grateful to Scott Gilmore who identified it as belonging to the genus Silis.

Soldier beetle Silis sp. (Col.: Cantharidae) Ian Cooper

2024 May 16

2024 May 16

More invertebrate photographs by Ian Cooper

Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Snakefly – Agulla sp. (Raphidiidae) Ian Cooper

Ian writes: Passing this along because it’s an interesting scene: I spotted a crab spider approaching the snakefly on the blade of grass.. At a certain point, the two had an exchange of flinches, but there was no attempt to attack by the spider. The snakefly repositioned itself somewhat and the spider retreated. It may be that they were both simply startled by each others’ presence. It’s also possible that my efforts to get in closer to photograph them may have inadvertently disrupted the spider’s stalking. I was relieved nothing came of it, except this and other photos!

Snakefly and spider encounter Ian Cooper

Probably Culiseta sp. (Dip.: Culicidae) Ian Cooper

Soil Centipede – Order Geophilomorpha Ian Cooper

2024 May 15

2024 May 15

Jeremy Tatum reports two Painted Ladies on the top of Mount Douglas, and one Western Tiger Swallowtail on the top of Mount Tolmie this afternoon. He writes that he is still not seeing a lot of butterflies. “I have still not yet seen a comma this year.”

More middle-of-the-night invertebrates from Ian Cooper. Dr Bennett writes of the spider in the first photograph below: That’s a male philodromid crab spider. Probably Philodromus rufus but I will be conservative and stick with Philodromus sp.

Male Philodromus sp. (maybe rufus) (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper

Ian writes of the next one: Unidentified spider who resides in a hole in the bark of a conifer by the GG trail (possibly Cybaeus sp. (Ara.: Cybaeidae), or Callobius sp. (Ara.: Amaurobiidae) with a captured Theridiidae sp. (cobweb weaver).

See note above. Ian Cooper