2017 March 7

   Leah Ramsay sends a close-up photograph of one of the cluster flies that she found in a rotten log (see March 4 posting).  Viewers who would like to know exactly which Pollenia species this is of the six that are known to occur in North America can try their hand at identifying it from the key:  http://cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/jmw_19/jmw_19.pdf   Good luck!  (And if you do come to a conclusion be sure to let us know!)

Pollenia sp. (Dip.: Calliphoridae)  Leah Ramsay

   Appropriately, Annie Pang sends two photographs of the host of Pollenia, namely an earthworm, probably the Common Earthworm Lumbricus terrestris — like the commonest species of cluster fly Pollenia rudis, a European import.  Sometimes it can be difficult to find a native species of any plant or animal in Victoria!  As with her photographs of the caterpillar of Noctua pronuba (another European! – see March 6 posting), the earthworm was photographed in the Gorge Park Community Gardens.

Earthworm, probably Lumbricus terrestris (Hap.: Lumbricidae) Annie Pang

Earthworm, probably Lumbricus terrestris (Hap.: Lumbricidae) Annie Pang