2020 December 7

   Birdwatchers have recently been watching a rare (in this area) bird – a Black Phoebe – in Central Saanich.  It was watched snatching insects from a pond by Keith Taylor, who obtained the accompanying photograph.  One can see clearly that its prey is an aquatic bug – either a Water Boatman (Corixidae) or a Backswimmer (Notonectidae).   This is a good opportunity to mention that so far we have had very few photographs of aquatic insects on this site.

Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans (Pas.: Tyrannidae)

or a backswimmer (Hem.: Notonectidae)

   Here’s a recent photograph of a spider from Colquitz River Park, by Ian Cooper:

Cybaeus signifer (Ara.: Cybaeidae)  Ian Cooper

    Jochen Möhr sends photographs from Metchosin of difficult Drepanulatrix and Operophtera moths.  For the Drepanulatrix I think we’ll have to be content with Drepanulatrix monicaria/secundaria.  Likewise we’ll label the Operophteras as Operophtera brumata/occidentalis, although, writes Jeremy Tatum, I’m close to certain that they are both brumata, with a very slender chance that they might have a little bit of occidentalis in their genes.

Drepanulatrix monicaria/secundaria (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Operophtera brumata/occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

Operophtera brumata/occidentalis (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jochen Möhr

2020 December 6

   More tiny, curious creatures from Colquitz River Park by Ian Cooper.  We are grateful to Charlene Wood, who figured out what they are!

Lace bug Acalypta sp. (Hem.: Tingidae)  Ian Cooper

Ground beetle Notiophilus sp. (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cooper

Barklouse (Psocodea: probably Lepidopsocidae)  Ian Cooper

(Family suggested by Dr E. Mockford.)

I asked Dr Mockford about the apparent lack of wings of this specimen.  He replied: There are some barklice  in which some adults have wings and others do not.  In some the wings in one sex, usually females, are small knobs while the other sex has normal wings.  There are a few in which some individuals have normal wings and others have no trace of wings. There are some forms, the booklice, genus Liposcelis, in which there is no trace of wings in either sex.  In that group, the males are usually smaller than the females and undergo one fewer nymphal instars.

After a gap of four mothless nights in Metchosin, Jochen Möhr photographed a Winter Moth (to be expected) and a Drepanulatrix (rather later in the year than expected).

Operophtera brumata (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Drepanulatrix secundaria/monicaria (Lep. Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum photographed this Grey Firebrat in his Saanich apartment this morning.  I am still waiting for a photograph from someone of the genuine Silverfish Lepisma saccharina.

Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Thysanura: Lepismatidae) Jeremy Tatum

   Here’s another from Ian Cooper.  It’s amazing what’s down there at our feet that many of us are unaware of.

Flat-backed millipede (Polydesmida: probably Eurymerodesmidae  Ian Cooper

2020 December 05

   This tiny beetle was photographed at Colquitz River Park by Ian Cooper on December 1, kindly identified by Charlene Wood as a crab-like rove beetle (Tachyporinae).  Ian’s video of it can be watched here:     https://tinyurl.com/y2j6cslw

Crab-like rove beetle (Col.: Staphylinidae – Tachyporinae)  Ian Cooper

2020 December 4

   Three slugs photographed by Ian Cooper in Colquitz River Park.  Thanks to Dr Robert Forsyth for confirming the identifications.

Arion hortensis agg. (hortensis?  distinctus?) (Pul.: Arionidae) 

Arion hortensis agg. (Pul.: Arionidae) 

Derocerus reticulatum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 December 3

   Two different woodlice photographed by Ian Cooper in Colquitz River Park:

Oniscus asellus (Isopoda:  Oniscidae)  Ian Cooper

Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)  Ian Cooper