ADDENDA!! Requena kangaroo

One of the failures of getting old is forgetting! All older people are familiar with this.

In the post below dealing with the fires on Kangaroo Island, I neglected to include one of my own species! It is known from only two specimens but it is distinct. It is described in the Monograph listed at the end of that post.

Requena Walker

Requena is an Australian endemic genus known from 15 species that live in heath habitats in the southern portion of the continent. They are all micropterous (very short-winged) and live close to the ground where they prey on small insects. They have distinctive calls and colour patterns.

Requena kangaroo Rentz is distinct in the black markings on the head and legs. Only the type male and an old female specimen collected by Tepper over 115 years ago are known. I assume the species is at least as common as the others. I just did not find more than a single male (the type). So it may be of conservation interest. As luck would have it, I did not photograph the male from Kangaroo Island, the only locality from which the species is known. Photos of other species are appended here.

 Requena rotto Rentz, male. Described from Rottnest Island, Western Australia.

Requena baraya Rentz, female. Known from coastal and inland localities in southern New South Wales.