2017 November 2 morning

 

   Ian Cruickshank sends some pictures of a butterfly (October 26), and a beetle and two spiders (October 27) from the sand dunes among the Ammophila on Sidney Island Spit.

 

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui (Lep.: Nymphalidae)   Ian Cruickshank

 

 

   Charlene Wood identifies the beetle for us as Pterostichus algidus.  Note that it has fused elytra and does not fly.

Pterostichus algidus (Col.: Carabidae)  Ian Cruickshank

 

   Robb Bennett writes:  These two spiders are old friends, both introduced from Britain or western Europe about 100 years ago:

 

         The reddish one is Dysdera crocata, known to the British as the “slater slayer” because of its preference for preying upon woodlice.

 

        The other is one of our two species of Eratigena (previously classified in Tegenaria) – either Eratigena agrestis (hobo spider) or Eratigena atrica (giant house spider).  I suspect it is E. agrestis based on its subtle golden hue – atrica is usually much darker/grayer.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Latin and Greek Scholars will be wondering what “Eratigena” means.  They may well continue to wonder.  Fans of cryptic crosswords will doubtless immediately notice that Eratigena is merely a meaningless Greek-looking anagram of Tegenaria.

 

Dysdera crocata (Ara.: Dysderidae)  Ian Cruickshank

 

Eratigena (probably agrestis )  (Ara.: Agelenidae)  Ian Cruickshank