Vancouver Island, a breathtaking jewel off the coast of British Columbia, boasts not only stunning landscapes but also a fascinating opportunity to study somewhat isolated insect colonies.
While we ship a lot of supplies to Vancouver Island, most of the agriculture is exported, which really cuts down on non-native insect species, with a few exceptions.
Common Insect Inhabitants of Victoria BC
From the familiar to the fantastic, Victoria BC can be a great location to study many of the tiny arthropods that play a surprisingly crucial role in the island’s ecosystem. Let’s delve into the buzzing world of insects in Victoria BC!
Western Tiger Swallowtail
A vibrant butterfly, with its bold black stripes and yellow wings. These beauties are a common sight fluttering through Saanich meadows and local gardens.
Victoria has been a destination for butterfly viewing for decades, with a dedicated Butterfly Garden that offers tours of many living butterfly species.
Douglas Fir Beetle
Bark beetles might be a forestry foe, but these pests are a vital part of the island’s ecosystem, helping to break down dead trees and creating habitats for other species.
Since bark beetles target distressed and weak trees, they seem to thrive successfully in the Victoria region thanks to many preserves of old trees offering easy living.
Vancouver Island Wolf Spider
Very common all over Vancouver Island, this impressive spider boasts a leg span of up to 5 cm (roughly the diameter of drink can lids).
While they are more interested in catching insects than interacting with humans, the size of the average wolf spider can still cause panic, especially for tourists mistaking them for a brown recluse. Vancouver Island has no native sightings of the brown recluse
Carpenter Ants
These larger industrious ants are a familiar sight in Victoria, forming long trails as they forage for food.
Keep an eye out for their impressive displays of size and cooperation.
Pavement/Concrete Ants
A much smaller ant, that seems to love pour out from under heavy concrete/paved structures on the island, these ants can be amazingly prolific, creating huge colonies, if not controlled promptly.
Daddy Long Legs AKA: Cellar Spider
An adorable spider that is both harmless to humans and a handy helper. The webbing these spiders make is currently being studied for a range of industrial and medical applications.
Less-Common Insect Roundup in Victoria
While looking out for the aforementioned Western Tiger Swallowtail and coastal ants, alongside other familiar faces like houseflies and mosquitoes (unfortunately!), there are some interesting less-common insects to be aware of.
Western Black Widow spiders do exist on Vancouver Island, but they prefer a warmer dry climate which makes them somewhat rare to encounter in urban areas and high traffic spots around Victoria BC. Bites rarely cause severe reactions and fatalities are relatively unheard of, but the bites can be painful and visibly dramatic nonetheless.
Since the abundance of a particular insect species can vary depending on location and habitat, Victoria’s insect scene can be pretty diverse and interesting depending on where you look! Spotting a Douglas Fir Beetle might require a closer look at dead or dying trees, meanwhile the Vancouver Island Wolf Spider, a local native, prefers thriving forested areas and should also be less frequent in urban settings.
The Hitchhikers and Invaders
Vancouver Island’s insect population isn’t without its newcomers. Invasive species and migrants can pose challenges to the native ecosystem.
Harlequin Ladybird: This brightly colored beetle might seem attractive, but it’s a predator that feasts on native ladybug species.
Keep an eye out for the native black and red ladybug instead. The invader has a M shaped silhouette behind its head that helps it stand out.
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: This invasive hitchhiker, accidentally introduced from Asia, can damage crops and fruit trees.
The adult stink bug shown above can feed on a wide range of plants making them very adaptable to Vancouver Island vegetation even if this is not where these bugs originate from.
Monarch Butterfly: While a majestic and beautiful sight on its migration journey, the Monarch butterfly isn’t native to Vancouver Island. However, it’s a welcome visitor that relies on milkweed plants to provide nectar for larvae.
