Hover Fly

hoverfly
Hover Fly on Allium sp

Often mistaken for a wasp, this is a good case of mimicry, however the hover fly is incapable of stinging and it performs useful ecological functions.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Suborder: Brachycera
Section: Aschiza
Superfamily: Syrphoidea
Family: Syrphidae

possibly Genus and species Syrphus ribesii
Latreille, 1802

Pacific Dampwood Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

termite
Pacific Dampwood Termites: Zootermopsis angusticollis

A dead fir tree on the south side of the property had broken off and fallen during the winter. Removal of a piece of bark turned up a horde of termites doing a great job of returning the tree to the earth.

Zootermopsis angusticollis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Isoptera
Family: Termopsidae
Genus: Zootermopsis
Species: Z. angusticollis
Zootermopsis angusticollis Hagen, 1858

Bald-faced-Hornet : Dolichovespula-maculata.

2015-May14-Bald-faced-Hornet Dolichovespula-maculata.
Bald-faced-Hornet : Dolichovespula-maculata

This one showed up on our deck window this morning. Caution: These wasps are very aggressive when defending their paper-house nest.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Dolichovespula
Species: D. maculata

Dolichovespula maculata (Linnaeus, 1763)

Native Plants of Metchosin- blooming this week

This past week brought the emergence of flowering on several more of the native plants we have on the farm.

Eastern Yellow jacket wasp : Vespula pensylvanica

I had not seen this very large wasp until today. Now I realize it is an Eastern Yellow-jacket wasp (Vespula pensylvanica). At this time of years , the queen, the only one to survive the winter, emerges from her overwintering spot and starts to organize for establishing a colony.

easternyellowjacket-wasp

An Easter yellow-jacket wasp seeking nectar in a rhododendron
An Easter yellow-jacket wasp seeking nectar in a rhododendron

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita
Family: Vespidae
Genus: Vespula
Subgenus: (Paravespula)
Species: V. pensylvanica
Binomial name
Vespula pensylvanica Saussure, 1857

Frogs in Metchosin

This week I took pictures of the two species of frogs which I frequently see here in Metchosin : Both add to the chorus in the spring from our pond beside our house.

Sound of frogs

Native plants of Metchosin April 28

Keeping track of some blooming times of native plants (phenology) .

Click on the phenology tag below for other examples.

Water line to upper field trees and a post-pounder solution.

I extended the water line in the upper field so that it provides two closer outlets for watering fruit, pine nuts and other trees ( fewer hoses to drag around)