2022 November 24

    Cheryl Hoyle sends a photograph of a Western Conifer Seed Bug from View Royal yesterday.

Leptoglossus occidentalis (Hem.: Coreidae)  Cheryl Hoyle

Jochen Möhr writes from Metchosin: After a long hiatus, an Erannis vancouverensis was on our wall yesterday morning.

Erannis vancouverensis/defoliaria (Lep.: Geometridae) Jochen Möhr

Jeremy Tatum writes:  I retain my long-held suspicions that this may actually be the European E.defoliaria.    Also, in Saanich, I have had the same experience as Jochen, with a long hiatus.  Until yesterday, November 23, I had seen only two Winter Moths this November – on November 11 and 15.  Then suddenly, yesterday, four turned up at the back door of my apartment building.

Yesterday, November 23, Jochen also photographed the beautiful moth below.  Libby Avis writes: That’s a really pretty moth. It’s an Acleris for sure (family Tortricidae), but they’re notoriously difficult to sort out – lots of variation even among individuals of the same species. Haven’t seen one like that, so I sent it to Dave Holden who does a lot of work on micro moths. He thinks Acleris semiannula is probably the closest match, but he hasn’t seen that pattern form either, so it’s just a best guess – it would need dissection to be sure.

Acleris (probably semiannula) (Lep.: Tortricidae) Jochen Möhr

2022 November 20

    Ian Cooper writes:  Here are a few more photographs from November 19.   The first is from Colquitz River Park in Saanich.   The other three are from the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal. All pictures are of spiders because the cold seems to have shut down everything else.

Linyphiid spider, possibly Neriene sp. (Ara.:  Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Linyphiid spider, possibly Neriene sp. (Ara.:  Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

Linyphiid spider, possibly Neriene sp. (Ara.:  Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper

   The next one is a smallish spider, about 1cm. Is it an unidentified linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae), or a juvenile Pimoa altioculata (Ara: Pimoidae) ?   I’m leaning towards the latter.   [Jeremy Tatum writes:   So am I – just.]

Maybe Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

2022 November 19

    Last night (in the middle of the night!) Ian Cooper took some photographs in Colquitz River Park in Saanich:

Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis (Col.: Coccinellidae)  Ian Cooper

Female linyphiid spider (Ara.: probably Neriene sp.)  Ian Cooper

Male linyphiid spider (Ara.: probably Neriene sp.)  Ian Cooper

Female and male linyphiid spiders (Ara.: probably Neriene sp.)  Ian Cooper

and more from the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal:

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

Probable crane fly (Dip. – Nematocera:  Tipulidae) Ian Cooper

2022 November 18

    Ian Cooper sends a photograph of the spider Pimoa altioculata.  He writes:  These spiders are normally very skittish and difficult to photograph because they tend to flee to the deeper recesses of their webs at the slightest disturbance. Fortunately, this one lingered out in the open long enough to take multiple photos and video clips of it. Pimoa altioculata are one of my favourite spiders to encounter, as mature individuals like this one can be impressively large and have beautiful markings. They’re also much less common than other species I see on a regular basis.

Pimoa altioculata (Ara.: Pimoidae)  Ian Cooper

2022 November 16

Here are additional photographs – by Sharon Godkin – of the American Lady that was seen at Island View Beach on November 14.

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Sharon Godkin

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Lep.: Nymphalidae)  Sharon Godkin

Ian Cooper sends more photographs of little-known creatures from the Galloping Goose Trail in View Royal (the first picture) and Colquitz River Park in Saanich (the remaining seven).

Harvestman (Opiliones)  Ian Cooper

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

Crane Fly (Dip.: Tipulidae)  Ian Cooper

   When the dorsal surface of the head of the fly above is examined at high magnification, it is seen that ocelli are absent, showing that this insect is one of the small crane flies and not some similar Family.  The photograph was taken for the express purpose of determining the presence or absence of ocelli.

Tetragnatha versicolor (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

Tetragnatha versicolor (Ara.: Tetragnathidae)  Ian Cooper

Porcellio scaber (Isopoda: Porcellionidae) Ian Cooper

Linyphiid spider (Ara.: Linyphiidae)  Ian Cooper