Night Walk On The Mt Lewis Road

It's autumn in the tropics. This means reduced rainfall and slightly cooler temperatures. The thing that impresses me is how quickly the season changes and the effect it has on the biota. It seems like in a matter of a couple of weeks, numbers crash and species disappear from the scene.

A walk on the lowers slopes of Mt Lewis, near Julatten, yielded a few insects, but in general, there was not much about.

 Allacta australiensis Roth: Ectobiidae; Pseudophyllodromiinae. This blattodean is found only on tree trunks. It lives in cracks in the bark during the day and emerges at night. It occurs from Cooktown south to the Babinda region including the Atherton Tableland.

 Beybienkoa fuscofemurifera Roth: Ectobiidae; Blattellinae. This species has a rather restricted known distribution with specimens from the Daintree Region and Mt Lewis.

Anaplecta calosoma Shelford): Ectobiidae; Anaplectinae. This is a small roach, measuring a little over 5 mm in length. Misidentified in the first instance. I'm surprised no one picked up on this!

 Amusurgus minmirri Otte and Alexander: Gryllidae: Trigonidiinae; Trigonidiini. Two members of the same genus found on weedy vegetation on the road after dark. Normally they spend the day in leaf litter.

 Amusurgus tinka Otte and Alexander: Gryllidae; Trigonidiinae; Trigonidiini.

 Trigonidium sp. Gryllidae; Trigonidiinae; Trigonidiini.  This may represent a new species

 Mjobergella sp. Gryllidae; Landrevinae; Landrevini. Lives on the forest floor.

Genus? Gryllacrididae. Note the checkered patach at the base of the fore wings.

The Raspberry Sawfly, Philomastix macleaii, on its host. For more on Sawflies, have a look.

 The business end of a Click Beetle, Elateridae

 A Rove Beete, Actinus macleayi, Staphylinidae; Staphylininae

 Head shot

 A Darkling Beetle, Tenebrionidae, probably Promethisis sp.

An anthelid moth before it's a moth!