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.

2022 September 29

2022 September  29

    Jeremy Tatum reports that the two Painted Ladies that Jeff Gaskin reported yesterday from Mount Tolmie were still there – near the Jeffery Pine – at 4:30 pm today,  Sepember 29.

Aziza Cooper shows a dorsal and a lateral view of a bug from Aylard Farm today:

Elasmostethus cruciatus (Hem.: Acanthosomatidae)  Aziza Cooper

Elasmostethus cruciatus (Hem.: Acanthosomatidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

Aslo at Aylard Farm Aziza photographed a Robin’s Pincushion or Bedeguar Gall on Dog Rose.  This gall is caused by the larvae of a gall wasp Diplolepis rosaeThe native Nootka Rose is apparently unaffected by it.

 

Diplolepis rosae (Hym.: Cynipidae)  Aziza Cooper

 

Ian Cooper photographed a caterpillar of a Grey Hairsteak butterfly today on Spear Mint at the side of the Galloping Goose trail near Harriet Road.

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

Grey Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Lep.: Lycaenidae)  Ian Cooper

 

2022 September 28

2022 September 28

    Jeff Gaskin writes:  On Sunday September 25, there were two Painted Ladies on the rocks at the top of Mount Tolmie.

    A selection of invertebrates from  Ian Cooper (Galloping Goose near Harriet Road) and Cheryl Hoyle (View Royal ).  Thanks for identifications to Scott Gilmore (beetles) and Libby Avis (moth and bug).

Canada Thistle Bud Weevil Larinus carlinae (Col.: Curculionidae) Ian Cooper

Lixus rubellus (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper

A lateral view of this weevil was shown in yesterday’s Invertebrate Alert.

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Mycetaulus sp. (Dip.: Piophilidae)  Ian Cooper

Opomyza sp. (Dip.: Opomyzidae)  Ian Cooper

Three additional views of this fly were shown in yesterday’s Invertebrate Alert.

Probably Privet Leafhopper Fieberiella florii (Hem.: Cicadellidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Probably Privet Leafhopper Fieberiella florii (Hem.: Cicadellidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Sunira decipiens (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

2022 September 27 evening

2022 September 27 evening

    Ian Cooper has taken to photographing some quite tiny flies.  Thanks to Cheryl Hoyle for identifying the fly depicted in the first three photographs.  Suggestion by viewers for the unidentified flies would be welcome.

 

Opomyza sp. (Dip.: Opomyzidae)  Ian Cooper

 

Opomyza sp. (Dip.: Opomyzidae)  Ian Cooper

  

Opomyza sp. (Dip.: Opomyzidae)  Ian Cooper

  

Unidentified fly (Diptera)  Ian Cooper

  

Unidentified fly (Diptera)  Ian Cooper

       Jochen Möhr sends another view of the moth seen in this morning’s posting.

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 September 27 morning

2022 September 27 morning

Jeff Gaskin writes:  On September 26,  I was with Kirsten Mills at Cowichan Bay (Lochmanetz Road) and we saw two interesting butterflies.  First , a real late and in good shape Lorquin’s Admiral and also a Woodland Skipper both in the same area of Cowichan Bay.

Following is a variety of insects photographed by Jochen Möhr in Metchosin and Ian Cooper along the Galloping Goose trail in the last two days.  We thank both photographers for help with identifying some of the insects.

Helophilus sp. (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

 

 

Probably Eupeodes fumipennis  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Jochen Möhr

Probably Eupeodes fumipennis  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Jochen Möhr

Probably Eupeodes fumipennis  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Jochen Möhr

Greenbottle Lucilia (probably sericata) (Dip.: Calliphoridae)  Ian Cooper

Honey Bee Apis mellifera (Hym.:  Apidae)  Ian Cooper

Araneus diadematus (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Udea profondalis (Lep.: Crambidae) Ian Cooper

Pleromelloida cinerea (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Jochen Möhr

2022 September 26

2022 September 26

   Ian Cooper writes (September 25):   I have just returned from another photo shoot along the Galloping Goose trail between Harriet Road and Tillicum Road.   There were a few of these odd-looking weevils feeding on a broad leafy plant that looked a bit like giant rhubarb growing amidst the cattails.

  We thank Scott Gilmore for identifying it as Lixus (probably rubellus).

 

Lixus (probably rubellus) (Col.: Curculionidae)  Ian Cooper