List of first LAQ observations
15 April 2023
Dolerus sp.
A common sawfly (Tenthredinidae)
Found on the side of the garage. Collected
12 April 2023
Clytus canadensis
Observed on 2 July 22, but just confirmed ID today.
22 March 2023
Ceratopogonidae (biting midge, punkie, no-see-um)
Found on the side of the shed.
20 February 2023
Microlestes sp. (a little Ground Beetle - 4 mm)
Found under a rock near the compost pile.
15 January 2023
Conomorium sp. (family Pteromalidae) - Jan 15
First taxon in the family Pteromalid. Found on front porch just outside the front door.
Sphaeroceridae (Small Dung Flies)
Another first for this family. Also found on front porch.
1 January 2023
Accipiter striatus (Sharp-shinned Hawk)
On ground in backyard in front of shed. It flew into the oak tree where I got one photo before it flew out of the yard.
16 October 2022
Bisnius sp.
Found in compost.
Psocodea (Barklice, Booklice, and Parasitic Lice)
Found in compost. New order for the yard.
22 September 2022
Eristalis flavipes (Orange-legged Drone Fly)
Found this sleeping on a goldenrod leaf on a cool, cloudy day. At first I thought this was a small bumble bee. But then I saw it was a mimic.
20 September 2022
Corimelaena sp.
A new Hemiptera family - Thyreocoridae.
9 September 2022
Epithemia sp.
A new phylum for the yard: Ochraphyta (Diatoms)
From the iron birdbath.
31 August 2022
Vorichella sp.
Found in a drop from a wildlife water bowl.
Subclass Hypotrychia (Hypotrychs)
Found in the same drop from a wildlife water bowl.
29 August 2022
Xestia c-nigrum (Lesser Black-letter Dart)
Found in light trap. Waiting for iNat confirmation, but I'm pretty sure of the ID.
Tricoptera (Caddisflies)
Another new insect order for the yard. Came to the moth trap last night.
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
Attrated to moth bait that I painted on the south birch stump last night.
28 August 2022
Thysanoptera (Thrips)
A new insect order for the yard! Found on a Feverfew flower.
24 August 2022
Melanophila sp. (A Buprestid Beeltle)
Found on asphalt driveway.
Erythroneura ziczac (Virginia Creeper Leafhopper)
These little Leafhoppers are infesting our grapevines this summer.
21 August 2022
Polystoechotes punctata (A Giant Lacewing)
Attracted to moth bait on south birch stump.
Asemum nitidum (A Longhorn Beetle - Cerambycidae)
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Attracted to light trap.
8 August 2022
Eris militaris (Bronze Jumpimg Spider)
Jumped on me when I was near spruce stump.
1 August 2022
Upis ceramboides (Roughened Darkling Beetle)
On north birch stump after painting with sugary moth concoction.
24 July 2022
Toxomerus marginatus (Margined Calligrapher)
On a Parsley flower in the keyhole garden.
Minettia flaveola (Lauxaniid Fly)
Netted on Douglas Hawthorn. Collection only. No iNaturalist observation.
23 July 2022
Ichneumon cupitus (A Darwin Wasp)
Found on ground near hammock. Photographed, captured, and pinned.
21 July 2022
Leptomantispa pulchella (A Mantidfly)
Found on window sill. Twitter post
20 July 2022
Buprestis langii
Emerged from spruce stump. twitter post
19 July 2022
Pseudotephritis sp.
On south birch stump.
15 July 2022
Agrilus cuprescens (Rose Stem Girder)
On raspberry leaf.
11 July 2022
Ceruchus punctatus
First stage beetle in the yard. I found it under the spruce stump.
9 July 2022
Eudioctria sackeni
First robber fly in the yard! On the Mallow-leaf Ninebark.
6 July 2022
Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail)
I've seen Pale Swallowtails in the Moscow area before, but this was the first photo from the yard.
4 July 2022
Pemphredon inornata
I collected two males from the branch pile. I cooled, painted the thorax, and released one. The other I kept in the collection and IDed.
I saw the painted one the next morning at the nest entrance, waiting for females to emerge. He was there whenever I checked from 11:15 to 4 pm.
23 June 2022
Bromus tectorum (Cheat Grass)
We've had a patch of cheat grass on the street corner for years - probably for as long as we've lived here (21 years), but I hadn't identified it.
22 June 2022
Bromus diandrus (Ripgut Brome)
Keyed out with Flora of Pacific Northwest.
9 June 2022
Lycogala epidendrum (Wolf's Milk)
This is the first slime mold that I've seen in the yard. So it's also a new kingdom (Protozoa), phylum (Mycetozoa), class (Myxomycetes), order (Lyceales), and family (Tubiferaceae)!
5 June 2022
Magdalis sp. (A True Weevil)
26 May 2022
Empis sp.
Anthriscus caucalis (Bur Parsley)
Epistrophe xanthostoma (Emarginate Smoothtail)
Megalonotus sabulicola (Introduced Dirt-colored Seed Bug)
Araniella displicata (Six-spotted Orbweaver)
24 May 2022
Eumerus sp.
On the ground, north side of driveway.
Aphis sp.
On the growing stems of an ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor).
Possible Cow Pea Aphid (Aphis craccivora) - known to infest ocean spray.
4 May 2022
Glischrochilus quadrisignatus (Four-spotted Sap Beetle)
Found in rotting grass clippings next to compost.
Sitona lineatus (Pea Weevil)
On outside of front door frame.
27 April 2022
Polyxenus lagurus (Bristly Millipede)
I found several of these under a rotting piece of wood. The bristles are easily detached and provide protection from spider and ant predators.
24 April 2022
Anthophora pacifica (Pacific Digger Bee)
At least one female (I've never seen more than one at once) is nearly always on the golden currant this spring.
Orsodacne atra (A ravenous leaf beetle - Orsodacnidae)
Several of these were on plum blossums. A new beetle family for the yard.
17 April 2022
Ozyptila sp. (Leaflitter Crab Spiders)
Found on outside wall of house, near the front door.
Caught it, put it in a petri dish and fed it a flightless fruit fly.
18 August 2022 note: Probably misidentified this one. Most likely a Ground Crab Spider (Xysticus sp.)
8 April 2022
Eoclerus eximius
Another new beetle family for the yard and spruce stump (Cleridae: the Checkered Beetles).
This species is a predator of other beetles on the stump.
29 March 2022
Bitoma crenata
This is also a new beetle family for the yard: Zopheridae (the Iron-clad Beetles).
I found two of these on the south birch stump. This species has recently been introduced from Europe.
24 March 2022
Dahlica sp. (Bagworm larva)
This is probably the larva of the Narrow Lichen Case-Bearer (Dahlica triquetrella), which forms a case of silk, covered with sand and bits of lichen. It is native to Europe, and the population in North America is completely parthenogenetic -- so there are no males and the females just reproduce by laying unfertilized eggs. They overwinter as larvae and pupate in the early spring. The female adults are wingless, eyeless, legless and have no mouthparts. They never leave the case in which they were born. They just lay their eggs and die shortly thereafter.
I tried to collect this with a pooter, but I just got the case and left the larva.
Priocnemis sp. (Spider wasp)
I've seen these before, but have only been able to ID to family. Eric Eaton IDed this one for me on twitter.
Found on ground in front of spruce stump, running around like crazy (searching for spiders, I suppose).
Ceratagallia sp.
On front porch.
18 March 2022
Reduvius personatus (Masked Bed-bug Hunter)
A new LQA family: Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)!
This is nymph is only about 4 mm long. The adult is much larger and spooky looking.
Found on ground in front of spruce stump
Tetramorium immigrans (Immigrant Pavement Ant)
Found on ground in front of spruce stump.
14 March 2022
Momphidae: Mompha sp.
Found around light in bedroom.
13 March 2022
Common Bird's Nest Fungus (Crucibulum laeve)
I'm sure I've seen this species before in the yard, but didn't stop to take a closer look. These little fungi look like tiny bird's nests. The "nests" are only about 5 mm in diameter. This is the sixth fungus species I've found in the yard and a new family.
2 March 2022
Fungus Gnat (Mycetophilidae)
This is a new fly family for the yard. They are common around the compost, but I've never paid much attention to them. This one was point mounted and IDed to subfamily Mycetophilinae, Genus Anatella - but I need to check on this ID.
1 March 2022
Moth Fly (Psychodidae)
This is a new fly family for the yard. I found it on the compost bin, collected, and point mounted it. Since I didn't get a live photo, I din't submit it to iNat.
I'm pretty sure it's in the subfamily Psychodinae, but it's hard to ID further because some of the important characters were messed up in mouninting.
25 February 2022
Common Raven
16 December 21
Merlin
I saw this merlin on top of a spruce tree while shoveling snow.
8 December 21
Ramazzottius sp.
Another new phylum: Tardigrades (Tardigrada) -- and Class Eutardigrada, Order Parachela, Family Ramazzottiidae, Genus Ramzzottius
Scraped from moss off a log in backyard.
13 November 21
Bdelloidean Rotifers (Subclass Bdelloidea)
From rainwater in a flower pot.
First LQA rotifer (and new phylum).
5 November 21
Haematococcus sp.
Cysts in Birdbath. Motile form was also present, but they were harder to photograph since they move rapidly.
Haematococcus are common in birdbaths. They often give the water a pinkish tinge.
This is a new phylum for the yard: Chlorophyta.
28 October 21
Nematode
I found this in a birdbath / hay infusion sample.
Another new phylum: Nematoda.
23 September 21
California Tortiseshell (Nymphalis californica)
I've seen California Tortiseshells before in the yard, but this is the first iNat observation.
14 August 21
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
I've seen Mourning Cloaks before in the yard, but this is the first iNat observation.
8 June 21
Doratura stylata
Found on lawn. Identified to species on 14 December 21.
6 June 21
Crysus sp.
22
This cuckoo wasp seemed larger and a bit slower than others that I've seen on the stump. It turned out to be a new genus: Chrysis.
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