This blog provides an informal forum for terrestrial invertebrate watchers to post recent sightings of interesting observations in the southern Vancouver Island region. Please send your sightings by email to Jeremy Tatum (tatumjb352@gmail.com). Be sure to include your name, phone number, the species name (common or scientific) of the invertebrate you saw, location, date, and number of individuals. If you have a photograph you are willing to share, please send it along. Click on the title above for an index of past sightings.The index is updated most days.

November 24

2019 November 24

 

   Jochen’s moths from Metchosin this morning.  Probably the same individuals as yesterday.

No pics taken.

 

3 Erannis sp.

3 Drepanulatrix sp.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:   Yesterday I compared photographs of adults our local Erannis species, known as E. vancouverensis, with a photograph from England of E. defoliaria.  Today I compare a photograph of the caterpillar of each.  I see no difference between the two species, in adult or larval form.

 


Erannis vancouverensis (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Gatten

 


Erannis defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae)  Graham Calow

 

 

   Jochen Möhr  writes from Metchosin:  My son gave me a USB Microscope camera for my recent birthday.  I am slowly learning to use it. Today, I tried to do some spore prints of mushrooms.  When I took the mushroom off the sheet of paper, there were a few extremely tiny critters wriggling on the paper.  I took a few pics with the microscope device.  I think it is a springtail.

 

   Libby Avis and Jeremy Tatum agree that it is indeed a springtail.  The photograph is particularly interesting in that it is an underside, and we can actually see the spring. Springtails are included in several Orders within what is now regarded as the Subclass Collembola. 

 

Springtail (Collembola)   Jochen Möhr