2024 October 18

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of the first Winter Moth that he has seen this year.  Winter Moths don’t generally appear before November.  Since 2010, Invertebrate Alert has only four October records, the earliest being October 12.

Winter Moth Operophtera brumata  (Lep.: Geometridae)  Jeremy Tatum

2024 October 17 evening  

   Ian Cooper photographed this harvestman on Monday night, October 14 2024, by the 9 km marker in View Royal.  We thank Dr Philip Bragg for confirming Ian’s species identification.

Leptobunus parvulus (Opiliones: Phalangiidae)   Ian Cooper

Gordon Hart writes:   On a day trip to Mayne Island yesterday (Wednesday October 16), we saw no butterflies, but we did see a couple of large Darners and a lively black cricket, photo attached.  It appears to be a female with a long ovipositor . The wings look vestigial. It ran quickly across a gravel path to hide in the grass.

Fall Field Cricket Gryllus pennsylvanicus  (Orth.: Gryllidae)  Gordon Hart

2024 October 17

No Invertebrate Alert was issued on October 16.

There were still a few Cabbage Whites flying yesterday.  Jeff Gaskin reported at least four in the Burnside/Gorge community;  Aziza Cooper saw one at Bear Hill Road; and Jeremy Tatum saw one flying over Poplar Avenue, near Mount Tolmie.

Aziza photographed this dragonfly yesterday along Bear Hill Road.

Paddle-tailed Darner  Aeshna palmata  (Odo.: Aeshnidae)  Aziza Cooper

Here is a selection of photographs obtained by Ian Cooper by the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal on the evening of Oct 14 2024.

First is a linyphiine spider.  This is a large group, whose individual species are very difficult to determine from photographs without close examination of a specimen.  However, Dr Robb Bennett writes, cautiously:  I THINK the female  linyphiine MAY be a Microlinyphia.  M mandibulata is the most common.

Linyphiine spider. Just possibly Microlinyphia  (Ara.:  Linyphiidae –  Linyphiinae)  Ian Cooper

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

Araneus diadematus  (Ara.: Araneidae)  Ian Cooper

Callobius pictus (Ara.: Amaurobiidae)   Ian Cooper

Ariolimax columbianus  (Pul.:  Arionidae)  Ian Cooper

Limax maximus  (Pul.: Limacidae)  Ian Cooper

Pterostichus sp.  (Col.: Carabidae)   Ian Cooper

 Common Rough Woodlouse – Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae)   Ian Cooper

Ian photographed this caterpillar last night at Colquitz River Park:

Noctua pronuba  (Lep.: Noctuidae)  Ian Cooper

2024 October 14

Aziza Cooper writes:

On October 10 at McIntyre reservoir, a fly was on Queen Anne’s Lace.

 
Yellow Dung Fly  Scathophaga stercoraria (Dip.: Scathophagidae)  Aziza Cooper

On October 12, at Jordan River, a fly was on Hairy Cat’s Ear.

Common Drone Fly  Eristalis tenax  (Dip.: Syrphidae)  Aziza Cooper