Invertebrates

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Ravenna Park is an excellent habitat for finding many of the invertebrates that call Western Washington’s forests and other wooded areas home. Many orders of invertebrates can be found by overturning logs and stones, or visiting the park at night (see “Ravenna at Night”) while others can be found flying or moving at any given moment.

In the Diplopoda order are the millipedes. One of the most common and beautiful millipedes of Washington can be found in Ravenna Park, and that is the Yellow Spotted Millipede. Named after the vibrant yellow spots located above their legs, these millipedes can often be found decomposing fallen logs. At night they are easy to find, as they are more inclined come out from underneath their logs to feed. 

Yellow Spotted Millipede

In the Chilopoda family are the creatures often confused with millipedes, centipedes. You can distinguish between these two different invertebrates by the number of legs extending from their body segments. Millipedes have two legs per segment, while centipedes only one. The Washington Tropical Centipede is readily found in Ravenna, and can be found on the hunt for is next meal. Unlike millipedes, centipedes are carnivorous and eat other invertebrates. 

Washington Tropical Centipede, Courtesy bugguide.net

 Coleoptera are the beetles of the world, and the Common Black Ground Beetle is a staple of Ravenna. You can find these small, black beetles almost anywhere, but they enjoy areas are Skunk Cabbage as the smell these plants give off attracts them. 

Common Black Ground Beetle, Courtesy www.fcps.edu

The Hymenoptera order is represented in many species in Ravenna. Bumblebee’s can be found all over the park in spring and summer as they busily pollinate the flowers of the area. These iconic bees are easily recognizable from their bulbous, black and yellow appearance. Additionally, two forms of ants can be found scurrying along the forest floor or trees and those have been tentatively identified as the Formica Podzolica and Formica Pacifica. These two ants look very similar, with the difference being that the brown of the Podzolica has been replaced by black on the Pacifica. Also be wary, as another species, the common wasp has been seen in the park, and their sting can be inordinately painful. 

Bumble Bee on a bed of moss

The Arachnids are also represented well. The predominate representative found is the gentle Daddy Long Legs, which can be found making its way through virtually any part of the park, though they favor the dead leaves that camouflage them so well.  Multiple spiders can also be found in the park. Waiting patiently for his next meal to come by, you may find a crab spider nestled on the leaf of virtually any plant. The American House Spider and Comb-Clawed spider, common across all of the U.S. can also be found in the park. 

Crab Spider, Courtesy arachnofriends.wordpress.com

American House Spider, Courtesy arachnofriends.wordpress.com

The order Diptera is represented by the Common House Fly, Mosquito, and the large Crane Fly. These species make a large stand in the spring and summer after hatching. Like the Common Ground Beetle, the Flies are often times attracted to the odor of skunk cabbage.

Moth’s represent the Lepidoptera, and made different forms can be found fluttering though Ravenna. Some found in the day cannot be found at night, and visa versa, once again, check “Ravenna at Night,” for a different look at the park.