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Thursday 14 March 2024

More Moths from Kuranda

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Barbacha eurychrysa: Geometridae

Unknown genus: Drepanidae

Eudocima salaminia: Noctuidae

Eudocima iridescens: Noctuidae

Eumelea sp: Geometridae

Lyclene pyrala: Arctiidae

Tridrepana lunulata: Drepanidae

Oxyodes or near: Geometridae
Phazaca mutans: Uraniidae

 

Sunday 25 February 2024

And Still They Come: Recent Arrivals at the Light Sheet

 Recent extended periods of rain have probably contributed to the large numbers of insects that are coming to our light sheet. The rainy period seems to be responsible for some insect populations to have produced abnormally large numbers of individuals.

Remember to click on the image to enlarge

Webber's Caedicia Caedicia webberi
Kuranda Bush Katydid Ozphyllum kuranda
The Eumundi, Leucopodoptera eumundii male in defensive position
The Eumundi, Leucopodoptera eumundii male
Purple-winged Katytid, Kurandoptera purpura female
Greenes' Katydid Greenagraecia attenuata male

Ingrisch's Olive-green Katytdid Ingrischagraecia iterika male
Big-headed Raspy Cricket Chauliogryllacris acaropenates

Small Mediastinia Mediastinia australica 

Rosenbergia megalocephala
Rosenbergia drouini a rarity!
Rentz's Buzzer Aesa rentzi

Elephant-nosed weevil
Noctuidae Cyclodes spectans
Noctuidae Donuca rubropicta
Noctuidae Hulodes caranea
Noctuidae Ischyja sp
Crambid moths responsible for stripping Alstonia trees in the Kuranda region. Stemorrhages amphitritalis
Stalk-headed Fly Achias sp
An icon of tropical Australia
Rainbow Stag Beetle Female Phalacrognathus muelleri 
Janson's Stag Beetle Aegus jansoni
















Saturday 24 February 2024

Centipede meets an untimely end

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The recent rainy period has proved a bonus for the local spider population. It seems there are many more insects about and the spiders are taking advantage.

We found an odd situation. A  Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila) had caught a fairly large centipede. How the centipede managed to get into the web is conjecture. The web is placed under our deck and maybe the centipede just made a fatal mistake and fell into it. 



But that's not the most unusual creature a Golden Orb Weaver has caught. See:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-05/golden-orb-spider-eats-microbat-far-north-queensland/102235274

This one had caught a small bat. And there are records of this kind of spider netting birds from time to time. 

See: https://bunyipco.blogspot.com/search?q=golden+orb+weaver

Friday 23 February 2024

New Book on Australian Jewel

 

Front Cover


A wonderful new book has just appeared. It features the colourful Australian Jewel Beetles, family Buprestidae. Owing to their size, colours and patterns, the Jewel Beetles are among the most popular with collectors world-wide. The Buprestidae is the eighth largest family of beetles (the beetles are represented by around 450,000 described species). Australia has over 1200 species of Buprestidae.

The physical shape of buprestids is easily recognised. But the colour and patterns are extraordinary in their variability. The authors state in the Preface that the book is "intended to be an introduction to the interrelationships and diversity of Australia's spectacular buprestid fauna, from which we trust will follow a greater concern for the fauna's conservation, and that of the landscapes and plant communities in which buprestids dwell and interact." It will do more than that and may stimulate an interest in both collecting and photographing these living Australian gems.

Both buprestid larvae and adults are plant feeders. The larvae have a distinctive shape are often found under bark where they feed on plant tissue. The adults are usually found feeding in flowers on sunny days. A small number of adults have nocturnal habits.

The book has sections on fossil history, Gondawanan and extra-continental associations, warning colours and defence and predators.

The excellently reproduced colour plates are in three sections. "Beetle Specimens, Live Beetles, Regional buprestid faunas and habitats.

The photographs in the Live Beetles section were done by Kevin Mitchell who utilised "stacked focus" to achieve the terrific results.

Beetle Specimens


The "Live Beetles" section shows some of the beetles in nature. The splendid photographs were taken mostly by Geoff Williams and Alan Sundholm.

Habitus photos

These photographs are arranged on a regional basis. This should be helpful to folks speeding up the process in beetle identification. The main text of the book comprises statements on general distribution and "comments" that will help identification. There are also notes on plant associations. At the end of each species writeup, general references are provided. 


The book concludes with five Appendices comprising a list of genera, summary of larval and adult plant relationships, pollen loads collected from collected beetles. Historians will be delighted with the appendix on early taxonomists and buprestid collectors. The appendix on the divisions of geological time should be helpful to students and researchers alike. A glossary, bibliography and index complete the book.


DetailS

Australian Jewel Beetles An introduction to the Buprestidae by Geoff Williams, Kevin Mitchell and Allen M. Sundholm. 215 pages. Published by CSIRO Publishing 36 Gardiner Rd, Clayton, Vic., 3168. Price $Au199.


Sunday 7 January 2024

Recent Arrivals!

 The rains associated with Cyclone Jasper have prompted many insects to emerge and complete their life cycles. Here are just a few. All from the rainforest in Kuranda, far north Queensland.

Remember to click on the image to enlarge.

The Large Forest Pyrgomorph, Desmoptera truncatipennis Sjostedt, male
                             The Large Forest Pyrgomorph, Desmoptera truncatipennis Sjostedt, female
The Small Snub-nosed Katydid, Chloracantha lampra Hebard, male.
This katydid is a relatively common member of the rainforest understorey.
Scarab beetles are often very metallic. They are favourites of beetle collectors.

The White-footed Katydid, Leucopodoptera eumundii Rentz and Webber, male.
This katydid has a fairly extensive geographic range, extending from Cooktown to Bartle Frere and the Atherton Tablelands. 
There are scores of weevil species. This two-spotted little gem is a first time sighting.
The "elephant weevil" is  very large for a weevil. It is extremely hard-bodied and a challenge to beetle collectors to pin.
Cicadas usually emerge from their subterranean life style at night and commence their brief time as adults. They emerge after dark for several reasons: the "cover" of darkness protects them from birds, lizards and other predators; the increased humidity after dark aids in successfully emerging from the tight quarters of the larval skin; usually winds decrease after dark and this further aids the cicada so that the delicate wings will not get twisted and rumpled if blown in the wind. After emergence it will take several hours for the adult cicada to harden so it can fly off at dawn.
The Ginger Katydid, Xingbaoia karakara Rentz, female. This is a nocturnal predatory katydid common in rainforests over a rather narrow geographic range from Cape Tribulation to Innisfail and the Atherton Tablelands. The common name relates the association the species has with native gingers. Females oviposit (lay their eggs) in the leaf axils of native ginger plants. The generic name commemorates an honour to a Chinese colleague, Dr Xing-bao Jin and the specific name is derived from an aboriginal word for "gold", an allusion to the discovery of such a unique rainforest insect.
Kuranda Caedicia, Caedicia kuranda Rentz, Su, Ueshima, male. One of the many species in the large genus Caedicia
Kuranda Speckled Katydid, Diastella kuranda Rentz, Su, Ueshima, female. The spot is distinctive of this and the other two species in the genus. The spot is individually variable in size and colour.
Night is often a good time to photograph dragonflies.
The Kuranda Spotted Katydid, Ephippitytha kuranda Rentz, Su, Ueshima, female. This is a fairly common species in northern rainforests. It has a relative that lives in the interior of the continent in much more arid habitats.
Lipararchis tranquillalis Crambidae, a lovely moth
Speiredonia mutabilis Noctuidae, a not-so-common visitor to the light sheet.