2015 March 31

   Jeremy Tatum sends a photograph of a weevil from his Saanich apartment this morning.  It was identified for him by Scott Gilmore, who writes:  Your beetle is Otiorhynchus singularis (Raspberry Weevil) a native of Europe from the Curculionidae family. The genus is quite common (at least here). There are no native species in the genus, 5 species are known from BC and I have had 4 of them in my backyard. I am not even sure the 5^th species is recorded from the island.

   Scott sends a photo of another Bark Louse from the same cedar tree in his Upper Lantzville backyard. The attached picture is of Ectopsocus briggsi (Ectopsocidae family) that he found on March 10^th.  Kindly identified by Diane Young.

Bark louse Ectopsocus briggsi (Pso.: Ectopsocidae) Scott Gilmore

   Rosemary Jorna writes, from Otter Point:     There were a half dozen of these bees landing on the damp stones of our path this afternoon. It was good to see them as I have not seen that many yet this spring.  Jeremy Tatum writes:  If there’s anyone out there who can identify it, please let us know.  In the meantime I hope I’m not committing some dreadful blunder in labelling it Andrena sp.

   Bill Katz sends a photo of Coryphista meadii  from that famous garage on Summit Hill.

Coryphista meadii (Lep.: Geometridae) Bill Katz