2025 February 5

   Val George photographed the first pug of the year at the Nature House, Goldstream Park, February 3.

Eupithecia sp. (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

2024 February 2

Invert Alert is not yet fully back in operation as we upgrade our computer system, so expect delays (perhaps long ones) for a while.  However, I am able to post a posting today.  I shall let you know when Invert Alert is fully back in operation. Jeremy Tatum

First, a miscellany of creatures from Ian Cooper, starting with a tiny (3 mm) hymenopteran found in a bathroom sink in James Bay January 23.  This is probably a parasitoidal insect from one of several hymenopteran families, most likely (although not certainly) Braconidae.

Perhaps Braconidae (Hymenoptera)  Ian Cooper

Next, a linyphiid spider, Colquitz River Park, January 7.

Sheet-web spider(Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Another spider, also from Colquitz River Park, January 7, rather easier to identify, the more familiar Araneus diadematus.

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

A harvestman, Colquitz River Park, January 7:

Harvestman (Opiliones)  Ian Cooper

A tiny snail from Colquitz River Park, January 9, probably Lauria cylindracea.

 Probably Lauria cylindracea (Pul.: Lauriidae)  Ian Cooper

Val George photographed this highflyer moth from the wall of his Oak Bay house on the morning of February 1.

Hydriomena nubilofasciata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Val George

  Thus, this year we have already had, on Invertebrate Alert, two of the to-be-expected early moths, Egira hiemalis and Hydriomena nubilofasciata. What other early moths may be expected at this time of year?  One that comes to mind is the geometrid Phigalia plumogeraria.  The male has handsome bipectinate antennae (which he doesn’t always show). The female, like that of Operophtera and Erannis, is wingless. (It has tiny stubs, useless for flight, instead of functional wings.) In February, if you see a wingless female geometrid, it is most likely Phigalia.

2024 January 27

   As mentioned on January 23, I am updating my computer system, and this will lead to some delays in Invert Alert.  Invert Alert is still “down”, so we won’t be back to regular service for a few days yet – though I have found a way to post an Alert today, and may also be able to do so again tomorrow.

Ian Cooper sends some photographs of spiders, obtained shortly before the recent cold snap.  We are grateful to Dr Robb Bennett for help with the identifications.

The first two photographs are of a crab spider found in a drawer in James Bay, January 8.  Dr Bennett writes:  Either Bassaniana utahensis or Coriarachne brunneipes; they are both very flat and dark and difficult to differentiate.

Bassaniana utahensis or Coriarachne brunneipes (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Ian Cooper

Bassaniana utahensis or Coriarachne brunneipes (Ara.: Thomisidae)  Ian Cooper

The next one was photographed at Colquitz River Park, January 9.  Dr Bennett writes: Could be a Cybaeus and C. signifer is not a bad guess. But can’t say for sure.

Cybaeus (probably signifer) (Ara.: Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

The next two were also photographed in Colquitz River Park, January 9.

Aranaeus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Philodromus (probably rufus) (Ara.: Philodromidae) Ian Cooper

Aziza Cooper writes:  On January 23, members of a VNHS field trip found this European Ground Beetle on a trail near the Derby Road entrance to the Cedar Hill Golf Course.

 Carabus nemoralis  (Col.: Carabidae)  Aziza Cooper

Jeremy Tatum writes:  On January 26 I found my first noctuid moth of the year at my Saanich apartment building.  You cannot see its legs – the moth, I think, may be feigning death.  It is, however, alive and well, with all its legs, and it flew off strongly at dusk.

Egira hiemalis (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jeremy Tatum

2024 January 23

Invert Alert will be “down” for a few days, while I update my computer system. 

2024 January 14

Jeremy Tatum writes:

Viewers will have often read or heard me lament that no two books have the same English or scientific names for butterflies and moths.  This makes for all sorts of difficulties with Invert Alert.  Do I change the names every time I learn of a change?  Or do I use one name for all time and stick to it?    I think I now have an answer to this.

I have just received a copy of the huge, magnificent, comprehensive Annotated Taxonomic Checklist of the Lepidoptera of North America North of Mexico edited by Gregory Pohl and Stephen Nanz.   (I’ll call it the ATC here.) It comprises about 13,000 species. Of course, this will not be the last word, and further changes are inevitable in the future.  But this is a sufficiently keystone work that will be a standard for years to come.

I shall not attempt to go back and relabel all the photographs that have been posted in Invertebrate Alert over the last dozen years or so.  However, from now (i.e. 2024) onwards, I shall endeavour to use, in Invertebrate Alert, the scientific names in the ATC.  I shall also endeavour to re-organize and re-write the Index to Invertebrate Alert according to the ATC  – but this will take some time – I’ll work on it from time to time over the next few weeks (months?)   The ATC does not deal at all with English names, so for the time being we’ll continue with the English names that we are used to.

Some problem species that comes to mind are:

Cedar Hairstreak.  I have hitherto been using, in Invertebrate Alert, the name Mitoura rosneri.  From henceforth I shall be calling it, following the ATC, Callophrys gryneus.  The ATC includes Mitoura and Incisalia as subgenera within Callophrys.

Brown Elfin.   ATC does not distinguish at the species level (as do Guppy and Shepard) between Brown and Western Elfins.   From now on, in Invertebrate Alert, ours will be called Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinus , no longer Incisalia iroides.

Erannis.   This is listed in ATC under E. vancouverensis.  I am personally not yet fully convinced that the Erannis that we get here isn’t European E. defoliaria.  I think in future Alerts I’ll stick to the safe side and label our moths just Erannis sp.

Coryphista meadii    is henceforth Rheumaptera meadii.  That will take a bit of getting used to!

As the year rolls on, I’ll doubtless discover a few others – these are the first few that came immediately to mind.

When may we expect to see the first noctuid this year?  Egira hiemalis is usually first seen around mid-February.  There are, however, several January sightings in Invertebrate Alert, the earliest being January 19  (last year, as it happens).