2020 October 9

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin yesterday (October 8):

1 Drepanulatrix sp. 

1 Ennomos magnaria

1 Orthosia mys (still the same one)

1 Sunira decipiens

and today (October 9):

1 Agrochola purpurea

1 Dysstroma citrata 

1 Orthosia mys (still the same one)  

1 Plemyria georgii

1 Sunira decipiens

1 Tetracis jubararia

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Plemyria georgii  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Tetracis pallulata/jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Dysstroma citrata (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Ian Cooper sends a picture of a woodlouse from the Galloping Goose Trail. 

Probably Oniscus asellus (Isopoda: Oniscidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 October 8 evening

   More spiders from the Galloping Goose Trail, photographed by Ian Cooper and identified by Dr Robb Bennett.  The first is an artistic photograph, but not the easiest to identify!   However, Dr Bennett is happy to go to Family – Linyphiidae – and sex – male.

Male linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

    Dr Bennett writes, of the next two:  The other two are both Eratigena duellica. In the second image, the web is a good clue (large messy funnel) as well as the relatively straight eye rows (strongly curved down at the sides in most of the other funnelweb weavers, e.g. Agelenopsis).

Eratigena duellica (Ara: Agelenidae)  Ian Cooper

Eratigena duellica (Ara: Agelenidae)  Ian Cooper

   Yet more creatures from The Galloping Goose Trail:

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae) Ian Cooper

Jumping Bristletail  (Microcoryphia – Machilidae)  Ian Cooper

Jumping Bristletail  (Microcoryphia – Machilidae)  Ian Cooper

Lancetooth Snail (Pul.: Haplotremidae)  Ian Cooper

2020 October 8 morning

   Rosemary Jorna writes from Kemp Lake:  Those  Scaphinotus angusticollis (Snail-eating Ground Beetles) are abundant this year. I was removing some invasive plants from our property and uncovered 4 of them, only 2 hung round for a photoshoot.  They may have had something to do with the empty snail shell I found about 20 cm from them.

Scaphinotus angusticollis (Col.: Carabidae)  Rosemary Jorna

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  There were lots of Banded Woolly Bears (caterpillars of the Isabella Moth) at Panama Flats yesterday.  October is the month to find these caterpillars, and they are usually common at Panama Flats.  In case anyone is tempted to rear one to adult moth, please be advised that these are among the most difficult of caterpillars to rear successfully, and they are not recommended for a first attempt to rear caterpillars.

Three legs is all that Robb Bennett needed to identify the spider below, photographed by Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose Trail.  Dr Bennett writes:  Nice photo! Yes, assuming it’s a local inhabitant, it’s Antrodiaetus pacificus.  Waiting to kill something.

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

2020 October 7 afternoon

   For those who like fast, action-packed movies,  Ian Cooper has made a movie of a Banana Slug on the Galloping Goose Trail.   It can be viewed by clicking on

https://tinyurl.com/y299mo6x

2020 October 7 morning

   A collection of invertebrates photographed by Ian Cooper during another dusk excursion to the Galloping Goose 9km marker:

   These Snail-eating Beetles really do seem to enjoy feasting upon snails! 

Snail-eating Beetles Scaphinotus angusticollis (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cooper

Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

   We are not sure which of two species of polygyrid snail this is:

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

Probably Uroleucon sp. (Hem.: Aphididae)  Ian Cooper

   Jochen Möhr’s moths from Metchosin this morning:

1 Eupithecia sp.

1 Eulithis xylina

1 Drepanulatrix sp.

1 Philedia punctomacularia

1 Sunira decipiens

1 Tetracis jubararia

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

Tetracis (probably jubararia)  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

Philedia punctomacularia (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jochen Möhr

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  This delicate little moth was on the wall of my Saanich apartment building last night:

Amblyptilia pica (Lep.: Pterophoridae)  Jeremy Tatum