2019 August 2

 

   Some more of Cheryl Hoyle’s recent photographs.  The first one has been identified for us by Claudia Copley:

Drumming Katydid Meconema thalassinum (Orth.: Tettigoniidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

  The next is an interesting fly, identified by Cheryl as probably a Cereal Fly Geomyza tripunctata. This is a European species, which first turned up in Ontario in the 1990s, several have been found in British Columbia since 2010, and probably the first one recorded on Vancouver Island was photographed in Nanaimo in 2014 by Scott Gilmore.  Scott suggests put it down as not a certain identification, though it certainly does look like one.  I’ll label it as “probable”, just in case there’s a look-alike that we haven’t thought of, though I think it’s pretty close to a “certain”.

Probable Cereal Fly Geomyza tripunctata (Dip.: Opomyzidae) Cheryl Hoyle

   Next is an interesting beetle.  Although the photograph gives no indication of its size, Charlene Wood suggests that it is a Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor.  However, Cheryl, who is familiar with mealworm beetles, says that it is significantly larger than a mealworm beetle.  Charlene points out that mealworm beetles are variable in  size, varying from 13 to 17 mm.So I think for the time being I think I’ll have to label this another “probable”, though again pretty close to “certain”.

Probable Mealworm Beetle Tenebrio molitor (Col.: Tenebrionidae ) Cheryl Hoyle