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 13

2015 October 13

 

   Jeremy Gatten writes:  The geo you had, Tetracis jubararia (I guess they changed the genus from Synaxis to Tetracis), is the one I have seen loads of on the walls out at Hans Helgesen School.  It is extremely variable with the ground colour ranging from faded margarine yellow to vivid burnt sienna.  For what it’s worth, the walls at Hans Helgesen were much barer today.  Still a few Ceranemota fasciata, a couple of Ennomos magnaria, maybe a half dozen Tetracis jubararia, and a couple of Noctua pronuba.  I forgot to add that I also had one of each Nepytia phantasmaria and Philedia punctomacularia on the 10th.

  Jeremy Tatum writes:  Jeremy Gatten is right on both counts re jubararia.  Synaxis jubararia and Tetracis jubararia are synonyms.  The former has been used for many years, but some modern lists use the latter name.  Previous examples in Invert Alert have used the name Synaxis, which is also the name used in the Index.  Whether I ever have the energy to go through our archival postings and change the name remains to be seen.  Maybe I’ll wait a bit and see what the majority of modern authors are doing.

  Jeremy G also mentions the wide colour variation.  Jeremy T went out to Goldstream this morning, and there were several jubararia there.  Most were of the typical pale yellow or yellowish brown colour, but there was one that was deep, rich reddish brown (perhaps Jeremy G’s “vivid burnt sienna”?).  I photographed it on the chance that it might be another species, but I think it is just an extreme example of jubararia.

 

Tetracis (also called Synaxis) jubararia (Lep.: Geometridae)   Jeremy Tatum

   Jeremy Tatum found a spider in his bath this morning.  Thanks to Robb Bennett who identified it as Scotophaeus blackwalli.  Robb writes that it is a recently established Old World spider, with BC records so far only in Victoria and Salmon Arm.  This is the third time Robb has identified this species from my Saanich apartment – obviously the centre of its BC distribution!   Lots of Banded Woolly Bears at Panama Flats this morning.  But have we seen the last butterfly of the season?  Let us know if you see any – even a Cabbage White.

Scotophaeus blackwalli (Ara.: Gnaphosidae)   Jeremy Tatum