2016 October 17

   Sending your contributions to Invert Alert.   For some time the heading at the top of Invert Alert suggested that you send your contributions (photographs and observations) to invertalert@naturevictoria.ca    We have found it much more efficient, however, if you send your contributions direct to Jeremy Tatum at jtatum@uvic.ca, which most of you have been doing anyway, and we have changed the instructions on the heading to the site accordingly.

   The bark lice and book lice comprise a not-very-well-known Order Psocoptera.  They are tiny and inconspicuous insects, and not often photographed, so it is amazing for Invert Alert to receive two excellent photographs of bark lice within a few days.  Hot on the heels of Liam Singh’s bark louse (October 11 posting), comes one from Kemp Lake Road by Rosemary Jorna.   Thanks to Dr E. Mockford for the identification

Bark louse Graphopsocus cruciatus (Pso: Stenopsocidae)   Rosemary Jorna

2016 October 16

  This stormy weather hasn’t prevented invertebrate-seekers from finding some interesting creatures.

Rosemary Jorna writes:  It looks as if I may have caught two of those tiny Nearctula sp. snails mating this afternoon. They are so small I did not realize there were two until I down-loaded about 20 minutes later. There were at least six out and active, the bark was so wet. I went back to see if I could get a clearer photograph but I could not relocate them. I am sending them because you may know if there is a biologist somewhere trying to understand more of their life cycle. I would be interested in figuring out how to study them myself.

Well, is there a malacologist reading this who might like to respond?  Please contact jtatum at uvic.ca if you are interested.

Nearctula sp.  (Pul.: Vertiginidae)  Rosemary Jorna

2016 October 15

   Devon Parker reports sightings of a Cabbage White and a Red Admiral from Fonyo Beach, October 11.  You’ll see that yesterday’s posting also gave sightings of one each of these same two species, also on October 11.  Unsurprisingly, there have been no further reports of butterflies since the arrival of the first of the promised three storms. But don’t give up – if we have a nice spell there might still be a butterfly or two on the wing.

2014 October 14

   Jeff Gaskin writes that he saw a Cabbage White at Gorge Road West on October 11.  He also draws attention to a posting by Cheryl Redhead on the Birding in British Columbia site of a sighting of a Red Admiral in Beacon Hill Park on October 11.

  Jeremy Tatum writes: As I did in January of this year and last, in January 2017 I shall post on this site a summary of butterfly sightings for 2016.

2016 October 12

   After a spell of fine weather, we are now promised several days of fierce storms, so the numbers of invertebrates to be seen will be reduced, and we may have seen our last butterfly of the year.  We’ll keep Invert Alert going through the winter, so keep your contributions coming in, though there may not be postings every day.  I’ll take the opportunity now of thanking the many contributors for the huge variety of observations and photographs – and the very high quality of the photographs – that you have sent in to this site.  And thank you, too, to the several experts who have helped us to identify some of the more puzzling creatures. Thank you all very much – and keep them coming!    Jeremy Tatum

Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a grasshopper from Metchosin, October 10.  Thanks to Claudia Copley for identifying it as Melanoplus sp.

Grasshopper Melanoplus sp. (Orth.: Acrididae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Liam Singh sends a picture of a springtail, Entomobrya intermedia from his Jade Place home.  Not all insects have wings, but those that don’t (example: fleas) have evolved from winged ancestors in the distant past, and they no longer have or need them in their present way of life.  Springtails, on the other hand, are primitively wingless; they did not evolve from winged ancestors.  For this and other reasons, they are no longer considered to be insects.  You can call them entognaths or hexapods, but not insects.  Most people will settle for springtails.

Springtail Entomobrya intermedia (Collembola: Entomobryidae)  Liam Singh

  Since yesterday we have managed to identify Liam’s bark louse shown in yesterday’s posting.  It’s about the same size as the springtail, but it has wings, so it is a genuine insect! Scroll down to October 11 to see the identification.