2020 December 28

    Some spiders and a harvestman, photographed recently along Colquitz Creek or along the Galloping Goose trail by Ian Cooper, with comments or identifications by Dr Robb Bennett (spiders) and Dr Philip Bragg (harvestman).   And a beetle, identification confirmed by Scott Gilmore.

  Dr Bennett writes:  The first three, and probably the fourth, are Pimoa altioculata.  A very interesting genus of spiders.

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

Probably Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

   The next two, continues Robb, are mature female and male linyphiines, I think a species of Neriene.

[Jeremy Tatum adds:  I think Dr Robb probably identifies the sexes by (among other features) the size of the “boxing gloves” (pedipalps) – larger in the male.]

Female, probably Neriene (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Male, probably Neriene (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

   Of the spider below, Dr Bennett writes:  This is a species of Cybaeus, not sure which one—around here, reticulatus and eutypus are most common. And so is signifer but I think this beast is more likely to be reticulatus or eutypus.

Cybaeus sp.  (Ara.:  Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

   Dr Bragg writes, of the harvestman below:  One of the problems of showing the intact organism is that the depth of field is too great for sharp pictures. Another problem with harvestmen identification is that in many cases the specimen needs to be examined under the microscope to be sure. That said, I am not sure what species we have here. It is probably in the Subfamily Leiobuninae. It could be Nelima paessleri but I am not sure.

Harvestman.  Possibly Nelima paessleri (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae – Leiobuninae)

Ian Cooper

Scaphinotus angusticollis (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 December 23

   Gordon Hart writes: Yesterday, Tuesday, December 22, while parts of Greater Victoria were covered in ice and snow, we walked along the snow-free Songhees walkway bordering the Inner Harbour, and found bees and flies enjoying winter-blooming Mahonia and other flowers. I have attached photos of a Bombus vosnesenskii (Yellow-faced Bee) and a fly species (House Fly?).

Bombus vosnesenskii (Hym.: Apidae) Gordon Hart

      Jeremy Tatum writes:   I’m pretty sure that the fly is a muscine, but not certain that it is Musca domestica. The venation of the fly below is very similar to that of M. domestica, but M. domestica usually has a few longitudinal stripes on the thorax, which I don’t see on this one.  If any viewer can go further, please let us know.

Dip.:  Muscidae – Muscinae        Gordon Hart

2020 December 21

   Another interesting bunch from Colquitz River Park, December 18-20, by Ian Cooper.  Thanks to Dr Robb Bennett for confirming Ian’s spider identification.

Scotophaeus (probably blackwalli)  (Ara.:  Gnaphosidae)  Ian Cooper

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Devil’s Coach Horse Ocypus olens (Col.: Staphylinidae)  Ian Cooper

   We can’t identify them all!   If anyone has any ideas on the one below, please let us know.  My guess (Jeremy Tatum) is possibly Insecta.  Maybe even, a very slight possibility, Diptera.  In other words possibly the maggot of some species of fly.   But I could be way out.

Insecta?   Larval Diptera??   Ian Cooper

2020 December 18

   Some spiders and slugs from Ian Cooper, identified to Subfamily (it’s a huge Family – thousands of species!) by Dr Robb Bennett:

Spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper

Another (different) spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae – Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper

   And some difficult slugs.   Robert Forsyth writes:

The smaller slugs are Arion (subgenus Carinarion), as I see the characteristic, pale “pseudo-keel” of enlarged tubercles along the centre of the tail. This is the group that includes A. fasciatus, A. silvaticus, and A. circumscriptus.

The large slug is interesting. I’m not sure what it is. A very pale Ambigolimax valentianus ???

Large slug possibly Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)

Small slugs Arion (Carinarion) (Pul.: Arionidae)

Ian Cooper

2020 December 17

Jochen Möhr sends a photograph of a Ctenolepisma  firebrat from Metchosin.  This one lacks the four rows of pale spots that Libby Avis’s one of December 13 had.  That is why, writes Jeremy Tatum, I *think* Jochen’s  is Ctenolepisma longicaudatum, whilst Libby’s was L. lineatum.

Ctenolepisma longicaudatum (Thysanura: Lepismatidae)  Jochen Möhr

   And here’s a globose springtail and a slug from Colquitz River Park, photographed by Ian Cooper:

Ptenothrix sp.  (Coll:  Symphypleona – Dicyrtomidae)   Ian Cooper

Limax maximus (Limacidae)   Ian Cooper