This weekend I spent close to home, working on my final thesis tweaks before it goes out to my committee. Instead of going on a proper expedition, I decided to explore our new neighbourhood of Kerrisdale. Right near our house is a largely-disused railway line that has some good habitat, including tall grasses and saplings, so that is where I rambled. In addition to finding the cuckoo wasps on Friday evening, I also saw a bunch of other cool stuff!

At the top of the grasses where I found the chrysidids, I encountered many large sac spiders (Clubionidae). These fearsome-looking spiders all seemed to be feeding on the same thing: Aphids! With these huge chelicerae and fangs, it seems to be a bit of an overkill!

Check out the chelicerae on this girl!

Also interested in aphids, these Myrmica are milking a thriving colony on a sapling. I figure these are Myrmica incompleta, a fairly robust species.

Myrmica are rather fascinating ants, and a genus I am working with. More on this another day.

These ants have quite the herd of aphids!

On a quick trip to Trout Lake (in East Van), I found some little katydid nymphs. These appear to be meadow katydids, a welcome change from the introduced drumming katydids.

A robust dolichopodid (Long-legged Fly) by the side of Trout Lake. They are quick!

Not quick enough for this tiger fly (Coenosia spp.)!

Here is a Coenosia looking regal and dramatic in the sunset.

This golden dung fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) was also looking regal (and probably freshly-eclosed).

Back at the railroad tracks in Kerrisdale, I found these Lasius taking honeydew from a scale insect on an oak sapling.

and some mating Coleophora deauratella (red clover casebearer).