Spring is Springing

 Remember to click on the photo to enlarge

With the warm weather approaching, some interesting things are to be seen in the rainforest after dark.

All of a sudden this fellow, a Boyd's Forest Dragon, has been appearing at the light sheet every so often, cleaning up the larger moths. Could this be the same dragon that used to sleep in the tree next to the light sheet all those years ago? See https://bunyipco.blogspot.com/search?q=forest+dragon

Male Hercules Moth, Coscinocera hercules, a common visitor to the light sheet in late spring. The moths come in the wee hours of the morning, not usually shortly after dark.

This katydid, Austrosalomona destructor, is spending the day on a ginger leaf. It is a nocturnal katydid that is an opportunist. It will feed on floral parts and any insects that is can subdue.

This moth is a member of the family Thyrididae, Oxycophina theorina, and has a distinctive stance.

A member of the family Uraniidae, this moth, Phazaca sp, appears to have torn wings. But they are just folded underneath. It is in perfect condition.

Doddiana callizona is name in honour of Dodds, the Butterfly man of Kuranda.

A member of the family Lymantriidae, Euproctis fimbriata. 

Geslasma orthodesma, one of the many greenish Geometridae.

Most Geometridae are rather drab, relying on their colour pattern to conceal them from predators as they rest during daytime. This one is Noreia vinocea.

Then there is Hypsidia erythropsalis, a member of the family Drepanidae-anything but dull.

Some moths do not look like moths. This is an Arctiidae, Manulea sp.

Pygospila tyres, family Crambidae, is a wonderful example of the family.

An unknown Geometridae.

The Two-spotted Silent Cricket, Unka boreena, like the bane suggests, is silent and produces no calling song. It wanders about on leaf surfaces after dark feeding on the particulate matter that falls out of the canopy.

A member of the family Pyralidae, this moth, Vitessa zemire, is quite spectacular. Note the white annulations on the antennaThis gives the impression that antennae are shorter than they really are. This provides the moth with an "early warning device" to compete with predators.

One of the many fulgoroid treehoppers that can often be found on the lightsheet.

There are probably more than 20 species of the beetle family Scarabaeidae that come to the light sheet.

Batocera longicornes are always a spectacular site when they are found in the rainforest.

A wonderful longicorne, Tricheops ephippiger.

A Flat Bark Beetle, family Cucujidae, Platiscus integricollis, lives under bark but emerges after dark to seek new habitats and mates.

The katydid, Caedicia kuranda, is present almost the year round in the Kuranda rainforests.

Lastly a small cockroach, Celatoblatta sp., with a gooey substance on its posterior segments. Originally thought to be a sexual attractant, it turns out that is acts as a deterrent to would-be predators like spiders and lizards. They get "all caught up" in the sticky goo and quickly earn to avoid these insects.

A Small Mystery Solved

A recent trip to the dry (very dry) open mixed woodland north of Mareeba, Queensland started out as a bit of  bust. there was almost no insects activity during the day. But after dark it was different. Many moths and other insects were  attracted to the light sheets.

We usually wander around whilst the lights do their work. I stumbled (literally) upon this damaged mantis ootheca and right along side it there appeared to be some mysterious
"puparia".

At first glance I thought they must be the puparia of a parasitic wasp, for example the Braconidae, parasite wasps that produce similar-appearing puparia once they emerge from their host. But they are usually associated with caterpillars.

I took the branch back for closer examination.

This revealed that they were not puparia at all but eggs. But eggs of what? So I contacted several colleagues, both nationally and internationally. Prof Andy Austin of Adelaide University hit the nail on the head. He thought they might be eggs of an Assassin Bug, family Reduviidae.

Sure enough, that is exactly what they are. A couple of weeks after they were collected dozens of Assassin Bug nymphs emerged.

From the tangle of legs and antennae it is easy to recognise that they are Assassin Bugs.

There were two distinct colour morphs. The golden nymphs may be newly emerged and have not yet coloured up. Note the beak. Assassin Bugs are predators and puncture their prey and suck the bodily contents of the victim through the straw-like beak.

Now why are the eggs so close to the mantis ootheca? Did Mrs Assassin Bug have a feed of the eggs and deposit her eggs right there? Both the mantids and the bugs are predaceous and very hungry when they hatch. Was there a method in her madness, or was this just happenstance? Probably the latter as I know of no other instances of Assassin Bugs depositing eggs near a potential food source. Any thoughts on the matter? And if she ate the mantis eggs, there would be no mantis nymphs to emerge from the ootheca.