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.

2024 February 25 morning

2024 February 25 morning

   Burl Jantzen writes:  This bumble bee was sunning itself on the south facing wall of our house near Swan Lake, Feb 23 2024.

We thank Steven Roias for the identification.

 

Queen Bombus mixtus  (Hym.: Apidae)  Burl Jantzen

Queen Bombus mixtus  (Hym.: Apidae)  Burl Jantzen

 

2024 February 24

2024 February 24

  Another remarkable and varied selection of invertebrates by Ian Cooper, February 22, from *Colquitz River Park or #by7 the 9 km marker on the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.   The first is a nematode – a first for Invertebrate Alert.  Nematoda is a Phylum, divided into Classes, Orders, etc., so we are a long way from being able to identify this one to species!

 

Nematode (Phylum:  Nematoda)  Ian Cooper

# European Sowbug  Oniscus asellus (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper

* Grey Field Slug – Deroceras reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)   Ian Cooper

*Unidentified Harvestman (Opiliones)   Ian Cooper

# Forest Spider – Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae)   Ian Cooper

# Linyphantes sp. (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)   Ian Cooper

Ian writes: I see many impossibly small spiders like this who have built their delicate webs in the leaf litter. They’re so tiny, it seems futile to try photographing them, but they’re an integral part of the forest floor ecosystem nevertheless.

2024 February 23 morning

2024 February 23 morning

   A selection of invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper on February 22 in *Colquitz River Park or #by the 9 km marker on the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal.

 

#Soldier beetle larva (Col.: Cantharidae)  Ian Cooper

#European Ground Beetle Carabus nemoralis  (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cooper

*Araneus diadematus  (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

# Cryptomastix germana – or – Vespericola columbianus (Pul.: Polygyridae)   Ian Cooper

* Common Chrysalis Snail – Lauria cylindracea – (Pul.: Lauriidae)   Ian Cooper

# Three-band garden slug – Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)   Ian Cooper

The slug in the above photograph may also be found under the scientific name Lehmannia valentiana.

2024 February 21 afternoon

2024 February 21 afternoon

Ian Cooper sends a photograph of a harvestman from Colquitz River Park, February 19.

 

Harvestman (Opiliones)    Ian Cooper

2024 February 21 morning

2024 February 21 morning

   Val George shows a photograph of a California Snout Moth Hypena californica  from the wall of the Nature House at Goldstream Park yesterday, February 20.

Hypena californica (Lep.: Erebidae – Hypeninae)  Val George

 

Ian Cooper sends photographs of invertebrates from *Colquitz River Park and by the 9 km marker on the # Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal, February 19.

# Running crab spider Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

# Running crab spider Philodromus dispar (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

*Springtail Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae)  Ian Cooper

* Globose springtail Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)  Ian Cooper

* Common Striped Woodlouse  Philoscia muscorum (Isopoda: Oniscidae)   Ian Cooper

# Longneck Fieldslug  Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)  Ian Cooper