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