INVERTEBRATE ALERT
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.

January 30

2021 January 30

 

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  I found this Phigalia plumogeraria at the Swan Lake Nature House today.  This is a male – the female has no functional wings and cannot fly.  The male has very nice bipectinate antennae – but this individual was too sleepy to show them.  This is usually one of the first macro moths to appear in the year.  The next one to be expected is probably the noctuid woodling Egira hiemalis.  We look forward to seeing one soon.

 


Phigalia plumogeraria (Lep.:  Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

January 20

2021 January 20

 

    Two photographs by Ian Cooper from the 9 km marker, Galloping Goose, January 19.

The first is a “leatherjacket” – the larva of a crane fly, most likely Tipula paludosa.

 

Probably Tipula paludosa (Dip.: Tipulidae)    Ian Cooper

   Next is a running crab spider of the Family Philodromidae.  Dr Robb Bennett says genus Philodromus or Rhysodromus.

 

Running crab spider  Philodromus/Rhysodromus (Ara.: Philodromidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

Jochen Möhr photographed this micro moth in Metchosin.  We don’t know what it is, although Libby Avis suggests possibly from the large depressariid  genus Agonopterix.

 

Possibly Depressariidae    Jochen Möhr

 

January 18

2021 January 18

 

Here are the results of another night-time foray by Ian Cooper into Colquitz River Park or the Galloping Goose Trail, 9 km marker.

 

Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae) Colquitz Creek    Ian Cooper

Dark-bodied Glass Snail, Oxychilus draparnaudi (Pul.: Daubebariidae)  Galloping Goose

Ian Cooper

  Brown Field Slug Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae) Ian Cooper

 

Rough Woodlouse, Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)    Colquitz Creek     Ian Cooper

 

Leopard slug, Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Colquitz Creek     Ian Cooper

Also known as Giant Garden Slug or Great Grey Slug

 

January 17

2021 January 17

 

   Jody Wells sends a photograph of a Large Yellow Underwing caterpillar from Brentwood Bay, January 16.

 

Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jody Wells

 

January 16

2021 January 16

 

   Yesterday we showed the entrance to the home of a trapdoor spider.  Ian Cooper paid a courtesy visit yesterday to see if anyone was at home.  He got an answer –

 

Trapdoor Spider Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara – Myg: Antrodiaetidae)  Ian Cooper

   Here are more pictures by Ian Cooper from near the 9 km marker on the Galloping Goose Trail, January 14/15.   Thanks to Frans Jannsens for identifying the springtail.

Globose springtail, Dicyrtomina ornata f. saundersi (Collembola – Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)

Ian Cooper

Possibly a juvenile Beaded Lancetooth snail, Ancotrema sportella (Pul.: Haplotrematidae)

Ian Cooper

Banana slug – Ariolimax columbianus (Pul.: Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

And more from Colquitz River Park:

 

Springtail  Orchesella villosa (Coll.: Orchesellidae) Ian Cooper

 

 

Possibly a very young Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)

Ian Cooper

Large Yellow Underwing Moth caterpillar, Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae)

Ian Cooper