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).