2021 March 17 afternoon

   Scott Gilmore photographed this springtail, Isotoma viridis, from his backyard in Lantzville yesterday (March 16).  Frans Janssens confirmed the identity of the beast.

Springtail Isotoma viridis (Coll.: Isotomidae)  Scott Gilmore

   Ian Cooper writes:  Here are some pre-dawn photos from Colquitz River Park and the Galloping Goose trail 9km site, March 16 2021. It got quite chilly that night.

Drone Fly Eristalis tenax (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Ian Cooper

   Ian writes:  This larva appeared to be feeding on rust-colored lichen growing between the small cracks and crevices in the tree’s bark. It was tiny.  Maybe 6 mm. The bristles on its head look as though they are dusted with what I assume are lichen spores.     Later:  Jeremy Tatum writes:  This larva was finally identified (see March 26) by Dr David Wagner, Charlene Wood and by Ian himself, as the larva of a soldier beetle (Cantharidae).

Soldier beetle larva (Col.: Cantharidae)  Ian Cooper

Soldier beetle larva (Col.: Cantharidae)  Ian Cooper

2021 March 17 morning

   Butterfly!   Jeff Gaskin reports that Kirsten Mills saw a Cabbage White in Brentwood Bay on March 16.  There have been two previous reports (February  9 and  March 5) of Cabbage Whites this year – both premature emergences, one in a kitchen and one in a greenhouse.  Depending on what you think “counts”, this may be the first butterfly that “counts” this year!  Invert Alert merely records the occurrence.

2021 March 16

More creatures found by Ian Cooper at night along the Galloping Goose Trail and Colquitz Creek Park.

Probably Clubiona sp. (Ara.: Clubionidae) Ian Cooper

Eratigena sp. (Ara: Agelenidae) Ian Cooper

Harvestman (Opiliones) Ian Cooper

   Ian writes:  The harvestman above appeared to be cleaning / preening itself between the blades of grass.

Harvestman, probably Protolophus (Opi.: Phalangiidae)  Ian Cooper

Three-banded garden slug – Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Young Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

2021 March 15

   Ian Cooper continues to show us the remarkable range of unfamiliar creatures that he is finding at night along the Galloping Goose Trail and Colquitz Creek Park.  Thanks to Drs Robb Bennett and Frans Janssens for a huge amount of help with the spiders (Robb) and springtails (Frans).

 Female Clubiona lutescens (Ara.: Clubionidae) Ian Cooper

   In  describing his encounters with trapdoor spiders, Ian writes:  After visiting Colquitz River Park, I went to the GG 9km observation site before dawn today (March 14) and was pleasantly surprised to spot multiple resident trapdoor spiders of various sizes ‘on duty’ at their burrow entrances along the embankment by the trail, including some very tiny ones. The newly discovered larger spiders generally retreated into their lairs as my light and camera got too close for comfort, so it was hard to get a good close up shot of them. One of the smaller spiders slammed its folding doors in my face when it suddenly withdrew. Shocking and rude, but cute to see!

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

   Ian continues:  I also spotted a Jumping Bristletail for only the second time.  I was lucky to see it, as its grey coloring made it barely visible against the tree bark it was on.

Jumping Bristletail (Microcoryphia:  Machilidae) Ian Cooper

The remaining animals below are all springtails from various Families – some would say various Orders.

Left: Dicyrtomina minuta f. couloni (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae)

Right: Male Orchesella cincta (Coll.: Orchesellidae)

Ian Cooper

Genus uncertain (Coll.: Tomoceridae – Tomocerinae)  Ian Cooper

Ptenothrix sp. (Coll.: Dicyrtomidae) Ian Cooper

2021 March 13 afternoon

   More creatures from the Galloping Goose Trail or Colquitz Creek Park, by Ian Cooper:

Probably Protolophus sp. (Opi.: Phalangiidae) Ian Cooper

Three-banded Garden Slug – Ambigolimax valentianus (Pul.: Limacidae)

Juvenile Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Adult Limax maximus (Pul.: Limacidae) Ian Cooper

Brown Field Slug Deroceras panormitanum (Pul.: Agriolimacidae)

Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae) Ian Cooper