2022 August 24 morning

    Richard Rycraft photographed this bug just days after Ian Cooper photographed a similar one – the only photographs we have received of this insect since 2015.

 

Phytocoris tiliae (Hem.: Miridae)  Richard Rycraft

 

Ian Cooper photographed this series of arachnids “working the night shift” earlier this month.  The trapdoor spider was in View Royal;  the remainder in Colquitz River Park.  We thank Dr Robb Bennett for confirming Ian’s  spider identifications and for supplying the additional comments.  Robb also writes: They are all very nice images.

  

Ero (probably tuberculata)  (Ara.: Mimetidae)   Ian Cooper

    This is an Ero species – mimetid spiders that specialize in eating other spiders.  Our single native species of Ero is E. canionis but I think this is our relatively recently introduced species – E. tuberculata (apparently two pairs of dorsal abdominal humps (“tubercles”) versus a single pair in canionis).  Not known here a few years ago, it is now fairly common around southern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland.

 

 

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

 

Enoplognatha ovata (Ara.: Theridiidae)  Ian Cooper

      This common theridiid spider comes in several colOur morphs.  Sean McCann and Catherine Scott did a great study at Island View Beach of this spider preying on other spiders.

  

Dysdera crocata (Ara.: Dysderidae)  Ian Cooper

   This is an immature Dysdera crocata – the introduced “slater slayer” (specializes in eating isopods).

 

 Trapdoor spider  Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara., Mygalomorphae:  Antrodiaetidae

Ian Cooper

 

Harvestman.  Possibly Nelima paessleri

(Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae )

  Ian Cooper

 

    Marie O’Shaugnessy photographed this Cardinal Meadowhawk on August 23 at Beckwith Park.  It is holding its wings forward in typical Meadowhawk  fashion.

Cardinal Meadowhawk Sympetrum illotum (Odo.: Libellulidae) Marie O’Shaughnessy