Weekly Journal 5: Insect Identification

Weekly Journal 5: Insect Identification

Location: South Trail Bluff, Carkeek Park

Weather: Sunny, breezy, during sunset

Time: 7:30-8:30 pm

                Since visiting my site a couple weeks ago, many of the flowering shrubs and trees have grown more leaves and appear to be much fuller. The trees have a similar amount of leaf cover as I’ve observed previously. This week I visited the site while the sun was setting and observed several differences in the animal species at my site. While I did not see many species, I noticed that there were fewer birds than I had observed when visiting my site earlier in the day. I also heard shuffling near the forest floor in the small shrubs at my site, indicating that small nocturnal animals were just becoming active for the nighttime at my site.  

                I had some difficulty finding insects at my site, which was surprising because in the weeks previous it seemed like they were crawling and flying everywhere. The time of day for my visit could have affected the number of insect species I was able to spot at my sight. Still, after some searching I observed several small species in my area. The first was a Rufous Garden Slug from the gastropod class. This slug was slowly moving across the path, leaving shiny, slimy trail behind it. The slug was about an inch and a half long with a slimy, soft body and reddish brown coloring. It was narrowest at the ends and on the head the slug as two long antennae.

Another species a found moved much more rapidly than this slug. I was unable to

identify the type, but the insect was a sort of beetle from the Coleoptera order. The beetle had a hard body about one inch long with a line running down the middle of its back. It was a dark brown and reddish color with black legs, pinchers, and a spiny extension from the back. I found this beetle in the shrubs at my site moving quickly and pausing occasionally, staying very still.

A species which I was able to identify was the Common Pillbug from crustacean class. I've seen this species several times and found this particular Pillbug motionless inside of a hollowed

tree. The body had grey plates or layers and was about a centimeter long. It had two short black antennae and appeared to have legs that extended from the back.

I also found what appears to be some sort of termite, though the insect did not have clearly visible wings. The species is most likely from the Blaltodea order. It was about one centimeter long with an oval body and shiny, hard body. The color was a reddish brown. I also found this insect next to a small white and green larva. Both were found in a piece of rotting wood with several holes carved throughout.

The last of the insects that I found was very small, about a quarter of a centimeter long. It was a light yellowish brown, had a large body and smaller head. As it was so small it was difficult to identify, but I believe that it is part of the Hemiptera order and looked much like the aphids I am used to seeing in my garden. I found this species on the moss of a tree, sitting on a piece of white fungi within the moss. In the upcoming weeks I will continue to observe the insects at my site and will hopefully be able to make more identifications, especially for flying insects species which I did not observe at my site this week.