INVERTEBRATE ALERT
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.

October 9

2015 October 9

 

   Kelly Whitnack sends a picture of a fearsome spider from Sooke.  Thanks to Robb Bennett for identifying it as a mygalomorph (that’s a Suborder of spiders), a male burrowing “folding door” spider, Antrodiaetus pacificus.  Robb also says that it may be awesome, but not fearsome.  We leave viewers to decide for themselves.

  

Antrodiaetus pacificus (Ara.: Antrodiaetidae)  Kelly Whitnack

    Jeremy Tatum writes:  The butterfly season may be almost over – but not quite.  While visiting Gordon Hart’s Highlands garden yesterday I found the Cabbage White caterpillar shown below on Gordon’s prize broccolis.

Oct 9 4

Pieris rapae (Lep.: Pieridae)  Jeremy Tatum

  Gordon Hart writes:  Anne-Marie found a small slug eating holes in the sour cherry leaves. I have attached a picture since we were wondering if it was a species of small slug, or is just a smaller stage of a large slug? It reminds me of a leech.  Jeremy Tatum replies:  Not a slug! Not a leech!  It is amazing, but this is the larva of a sawfly!   I think we can just make out Anne-Marie in the reflection!

 

Eriocampoides limacina (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Gordon/Anne-Marie Hart

 

Eriocampoides limacina (Hym.: Tenthredinidae)  Gordon/Anne-Marie Hart