Interesting Katydids

The Balsam Beast, Anthophiloptera dryas Rentz & Clyne, was described some years ago (Rentz & Clyne, 1983) from a suburb near Sydney. Ms Densey Clyne had been observing the species in her garden for some years and noted that they had a distinct predilection for her Balsam flowers ( Impatiens glandulifera). She eventually observed the unique appearance of the nymphs and noted that the short blade-like ovipositor of the female was used to deposit eggs in the cracks of bark in the trees where they were normally found. The Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, where I worked at the time, had a few specimens as did the Australian Museum in Sydney. It was determined to be an undescribed genus in the endemic katydid subfamily Zaprochilinae. This group is an oddity in that its species live on flowers and/or pollen and nectar. The geographic range of the species was rather extensive for a katydid based on the few specimens in the museum collections. One old specimen was labelled "Cairns, Qld." The Cairns vicinity had been fairly well visited by entomologists over the years and one would have thought, if the record was accurate, others would have turned up by 1983. [For extensive discussion of this group and the taxonomy and biology of zaprochilines see Rentz ( 1993)] So it was with some relief when the first specimens of this large and beautiful katydid turned up at the lights shortly after arriving in Kuranda a few years ago. They are probably more common than one is lead to believe but because they live in the trees and feed on flowers, they are not often seen. Their stridulations, a low buzz, can be heard regularly with the Mini Bat-detector.

The heads of all zaprochiline katydids are prognathous. This allows them to dip deep into flowers and either sip nectar or eat pollen.

Meet Broughton's Snout-nose, Euconocephalus broughtoni Bailey. Named after a British educator of researcher, Bill Broughton, this species must have an interesting biology but it is a mystery at this point. It is seldom found at our lights. When it does show up, you can count on more than one individual. On 7 November 2009 one female and 4 males were collected. Are they on the move? Do they fly distances at night? They were found only in April, July, October, November, December since 2004. I have not seen them during the day. If they are typical of other copiphorines (Conocephalinae; Copiphorini) they are seed eaters and the thick head is full of muscle to enable the powerful jaws to crack grass seeds.

The above photograph is of a male. The vertical "line" at the base of the wings is the vein that has on its underside the stridulatory file with which the male produces its characteristic calling song. There are two colour morphs in this species, brown or green. The individual below is a female.

Literature Cited

Rentz, DCF. 1993. A Monograph of the Tettigoniidae of Australia. Volume 2. The Phasmodinae, Zaprochilinae and Austrosaginae. With Appendices by N. Ueshima and D. H. Colless. CSIRO, Melbourne. 386 pp.

Rentz, DCF, Clyne, D. 1983. A new genus and species of pollen and
nectar-feeding katydids from eastern Australia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae;
Zaprochilinae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 22:
155-160.

new book

A new book has appeared recently "Australian Wildlife". This book combines the superb wildlife photography of Perth resident Jiri Lochman and the writings of Louise Edgerton. The book is a wonderful compendium of mammals, birds, frogs, reptiles, freshwater fishes and invertebrates.

There are more than 550 colour photographs that accompany accounts of how these animals have developed as a response to their climate and habitat. The biology of these animals is discussed and contrasted with other animals throughout the world.

This is not the usual treatise on the Australian biota but you will find photos and discussion on the biology of some of the little-known animals that you may know little about.

This book would be a fine addition to any library and well worth having as a reference to the Australian fauna.

Publication details as follows:

Wildlife of Australia. by Louise Edgerton & Jiri Lochman. 448 pages, Allen & Unwin Press 2009.

Spring is Springing

Even though we are in the midst of a very dry period, the animals are tuned into spring. The Cassowaries have lost their brood, perhaps, because there is not enough food of the proper size and nutritional content on the ground, or, perhaps, from predators. Once the rains commence, they will probably try again. The rest of the clan is carrying-on with business as usual. The Brush Turkeys have regained their splendid colours and are raking leaves down the driveway. The goannas were out and on the hunt as are the pythons. a great time of the year.
Mr Turkey sizing up the driveway for the annual leaf litter relocation. Of course, he never moves the stuff where it's practical. It seems to have nothing to do with his nest. We don't know where that is. The females are presently away, probably at the nest site where they will lay an egg each day or so.
Mr Turkey, the Numero Uno in resplendent spring colour.
Look carefully! The Rufous Fantails and the Honeyeaters were creating a kerfuffle early one morning. A closer look revealed a Carpet Snake (python) in the distance. We got a better look when it twisted around to reveal its underbelly.

One of the Brush turkey's bitterest enemies is any large lizard but the big goannas attract their particular ire. They continually bite at the tails of the lizards as they search for the turkey nests. The lizards first react by curling their tails forward towards their head. Eventually this becomes too much for the lizards and they "tree" themselves, staying until the Brush Turkey tires of waiting for them to descend. Humiliating, but it saves the tail. Most of our larger lizards are missing the tips of their tails.

Meet an Emesine

Emesines are members of the Assassin Bug family, Reduviidae. They are often very elongate and stick-like. They are characterised by having raptorial forelegs- like those of a mantis. This species shows up at the light sheet on rare occasions and picks off moths and other small insects. It is a rather small insect as you can judge by the weave of the sheet.

Cassowary Tragedy

All the joy of the appearance of the latest batch of young cassowaries has suddenly come a cropper with Mr Cassowary showing up without any of his offspring. It seems some tragedy must have struck. Perhaps, the current drought was too much for the young chicks and they starved or they have met an early end at the hands of a goanna or python. Whatever, the entire clutch is gone and they will have to start again. Both the male and female Cassowary seem quite wary when they stop by.

Dust

You have probably read about the dust storms of recent days in Australia. Yesterday (24 Sept.) the dust arrived in Cairns, not far from here. There was little wind on the ground, in fact, in Sydney and Canberra there was little wind. The wind that carried the material was high in the stratosphere. But where does it come from? Some of the sources are agricultural fields. Others originate in river valleys where fine-grained sediment particles are being picked up by the winds.

What Caused the Dust Storm?
During the winter in Australia low pressure storms are generated in the Indian and Southern Oceans, whipping up huge seas (great for blackfish!) and creating severe cold fronts which sweep across southern and eastern Australia A severe thunderstorm with 100 km per hour (60 mph) plus winds formed in South Australia on Monday and began whipping up dust from the drought-affected outback regions. As the vegetations dries out, the topsoil is loosened, and it easily blows away. As the dust travelled into the eastern seaboard of New South Wales, which is in drought, it grew in size and by Wednesday morning was affecting most of NSW, the fifth biggest state or territory and representing 10% of the continent, and had descended on Sydney like a thick red blanket. Estimates suggest that during the peak of the storm, the continent was losing 75,000 tonnes of dust per hour off the NSW coast north of Sydney.

This is not entirely unusual. These storms happen every few years and have been occurring over the millennia, removing topsoil from the continent. This coupled with natural and man-made erosion make Australia one of the most infertile regions of the world. In brief, there is virtually no topsoil left. We are down to bedrock. This is precisely why the continent cannot sustain continued human growth. Resources are such that the carrying capacity for Australia is probably around 12-15 million inhabitants. Once we get over that number, problems arise. There is not enough arable land to feed such a population. Water resources, even with more dams, are limited as droughts are commonplace and “natural” in this part of the world. Recent estimations of the population increasing to 39 million in 40 years is really a doomsday prediction. Yet, the politicians see it as positive with their single paradigm “growth” being the sole measure of human development. How wrong they will be.

View of Cairns yesterday at 4.00 pm from Ross Lookout on the Kuranda Range Road.

As above.

What is It?

I noticed a blob on a leaf surface and then looked a bit closer. It moved. On touch it raised the curly structures. Under the microscope it became obvious that is was an insect resembling an imperfection in the leaf or a bird dropping.

The curly structures are actually waxy filaments. They can raise or lower them depending on the situation. Both Murray Fletcher and Lois O'Brien think it's a ricaniid--a fulgoroid sucking bug. Murray suggests it may be Aprivesa exuta.

Disturbed, the filaments are raised and the creature sits motionless.
The filaments are raised and positioned forward when the creature is disturbed, otherwise the are held flat between the hind filaments.
Note the hind filaments, seemingly paired on each side.
Examination of the head region reveals it is a fulgoroid, probably Aprivesa exuta. See some related bugs, the Flatidae represented earlier on this blog.