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.

August 28

2015 August 28

 

   Aziza Cooper writes:  Yesterday, August 27, one male Purplish Copper was in the flowers next to the pump house on the east side of Martindale. About 20 Cabbage Whites were also in the area.

 

  Annie Pang sends a photograph of a bee, which reminds us that we very much need someone to help us with identification of Hymenoptera.  Please do let us know if you can help.

 

Bee (Hym.: Apidae)  Annie Pang

 

   Rosemary Jorna photographed a ground beetle at Kemp Lake Road on August 27.  Thanks to Scott Gilmore for identifying it as probably Amara sp.

 

 

Ground beetle, probably Amara sp. (Col.: Carabidae)  Rosemary Jorna

 

 

   Val George found a plusiine caterpillar Autographa californica on his kale plants in his Oak Bay garden today.

 

Autographa californica (Lep.: Noctuidae – Plusiinae)  Val George

 

 

   Also on Val’s kale were some caterpillars of Plutella xylostella.

 

Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae)  Jeremy Tatum