THE AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGIST

ABN#: 15 875 103 670

The Australian Entomologist is a non-profit journal published in four parts annually

by the Entomological Society of Queensland and is devoted to entomology of the

Australian Region, including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and islands of the

south-western Pacific. Articles are accepted from amateur and professional

entomologists. The journal is produced independently and subscription to the journal

is not included with membership of the society.

The Publications Committee

Editor: Dr D.L. Hancock Editorial Co-ordinator

Assistant Editors: Dr C.J. Burwell Mrs S.G. Wright

Queensland Museum Business Manager

Dr G.B. Monteith Mr R.M. Bull

Queensland Museum (richard.bull@uqconnect.net)

Subscriptions

Subscription are payable in advance to the Business Manager, The Australian

Entomologist, P.O. Box 537, Indooroopilly, Qld, Australia, 4068.

For individuals: A$25.00 per annum in Australia.

A$30.00 per annum in Asia-Pacific Region.

A$35.00 per annum elsewhere.

For institutions A$30.00 per annum in Australia.

A$40.00 per annum in Asia-Pacific Region.

A$40.00 per annum elsewhere.

Please forward all overseas cheques/bank drafts in Australian currency.

GST is not payable on our publication.

ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF QUEENSLAND

Membership is open to anyone interested in Entomology. Meetings are normally held

in the Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Queensland on the

second Monday of March-June and August-December each year. Meetings are

announced in the Society's News Bulletin which also contains reports of meetings,

entomological notes, notices of other Society events and information on Members'

activities.

Enquiries relating to the Society should be directed to the Honorary Secretary,

Entomological Society of Queensland, P.O. Box 537, Indooroopilly, Qld, Australia,

4068.

Cover: This undescribed ant spider (Zodariidae), known only from the Expedition

Range, is one of about 25 new Habronestes species from Queensland. In Australia,

Habronestes is one of the most diverse genera of ant spiders with almost 130 species,

of which only about one fifth are described. They are small to medium-sized spiders

(2 — 12 mm in length) and most can be recognised by the bright yellow or orange

spots on their backs and the distinctive palps of the males. Illustration by Barbara

Baehr.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 1-4

THE INSECT COMPLEX INHABITING GALLS FORMED BY

CECIDOMYIA ACACIAELONGIFOLIAE SKUSE (DIPTERA:

CECIDOMYIIDAE) ON BLACKWOOD (ACACIA MELANOXYLON)

IN TASMANIA

R. BASHFORD

Forestry Tasmania, GPO Box 207, Hobart, Tas 7001

(email: dick. bashford@forestrytas.com.au)

Abstract

Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae Skuse is newly recorded from Tasmania, where it forms galls on

blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon, a new host record. Five species of Lepidoptera and four species

of Hymenoptera were found to be associated with the galls.

Introduction

Blackwood, Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. (Mimosaceae), is a valued timber

tree, endemic to eastern Australia and Tasmania and introduced to other

countries such as South Africa and New Zealand. The timber is the basis of

an important furniture and veneer industry in Tasmania and the expansion of

the blackwood estate through plantation development has been an important

development in adding value to Tasmania’s forest industry. As a tree species

it has few insect pests of significance to growth increment (Jennings 1991).

In New Zealand, 18 species of insects have been recorded feeding on

blackwood (Appleton and Walsh 1997).

Flower bud gall formation on blackwood has not been recorded previously

from Tasmania (Bashford 2004), although Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae

(Froggatt) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) galls have been reported on

blackwood in South Africa (Dennill et al. 1993). Froggatt (1923) described

the wattle gall-fly, Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae Skuse, as being common

on the foreshores of Sydney Harbour, NSW, on long-leafed wattles.

McKeown (1942) reported C. acaciaelongifoliae attacking the flower buds of

several Acacia species in New South Wales, causing a twisted mass of green

tubes which later turned brown as they dried.

Materials and methods

Galls were initially collected in March 2000, from several blackwood trees

growing in Lauriston Reserve near George Town in northern Tasmania. Both

green (Fig. 1) and dried, brown galls were collected in January and February

2001. The galls were placed in paper bags and transferred to laboratories in

Hobart the same day. The galls were then placed individually into plastic

food containers with perforated lids to prevent condensation. The containers

were placed in a controlled temperature room at 18°C and examined weekly

for insect emergence. Single, galled blackwood trees were also detected in

recreational parks at Burnie and Deloraine. All infested trees located were

exposed trees in open situations. Routine surveys of blackwood plantations

by Forest Health officers found no other evidence of galled plants.

2 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Specimens of the cecidomyiid fly and hymenopteran parasitoids reared from

the galls were sent to the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra

for identification.

Fig. 1. Developing galls on Acacia melanoxylon in Tasmania, caused by Cecidomyia

acaciaelongifoliae.

Results

The ten insect species reared from the galls are listed in Table 1. Apart from

Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae, five species of Lepidoptera and four species

of Hymenoptera were recorded.

Discussion

Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae is newly recorded from Tasmania and Acacia

melanoxylon is a new host record.

All Lepidoptera species emerging from the galls were recorded from other

Acacia galls in previous studies (Bashford 2002, 2004). Of the four species of

Hymenoptera recorded, the ichneumonid Glabridorsum stokesii (Cameron) is

a common parasitoid of Lepidoptera larvae inhabiting galls in Tasmania.

Platygasterids are mainly parasitoids of cecidomyiids (Masner 1993, J.

LaSalle pers. comm.) and species of Torymoides Walker (Torymidae) are

known mainly from dipteran galls, including those caused by cecidomyiids

(J. LaSalle pers. comm.). Species of Sierola Cameron (Bethylidae) have been

reared from other types of gall on Acacia species in Tasmania, usually

associated with lepidopteran inquilines (Bashford 2004).

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 ( 1) 3

The large number and unusual structure of the galls found on the affected

trees in Tasmania caused shoot dieback and reduced seed production

markedly. Any biotic agent that has an impact on growth increment and form

needs to be identified and its impact risk factored into growth models. The

establishment of plantations off-site may result in an increase in biotic loads,

especially if trees are under stress, and knowledge of insect pests and diseases

1s an Important component in developing high quality sustainable timber

products. Records of insect pests that have the potential to become a problem

in a rapidly increasing blackwood plantation estate are of value in

determining management decisions.

Table l. Insect species reared from flower bud galls formed by Cecidomyia

acaciaelongifoliae on Acacia melanoxylon in Tasmania.

Insect species Family Number of

specimens

DIPTERA

Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae Skuse Cecidomyiidae 237

LEPIDOPTERA

Erechthias mustacinella (Walker) Tineidae 66

Opogona comptella (Walker) Tineidae 3

Polysoma eumetalla (Meyrick) Gracillariidae 6

Stathmopoda chalcotypa Meyrick Oecophoridae 22

Macrobathra sp. Cosmopterigidae 3

HYMENOPTERA

Glabridorsum stokesii (Cameron) Ichneumonidae 12

Sierola sp. Bethylidae 32

Torymoides sp Torymidae 154

Genus and species indet. Platygasteridae 287

Acknowledgements

I thank Dr John LaSalle at the Australian National Insect Collection for his

help in examining the Hymenoptera and Dr Don Colless for confirming the

identification of the cecidomyiid gall former. I also thank Comalco

Aluminium (Bell Bay) Limited for allowing access to trees in Lauriston

Reserve.

References

APPLETON, C. and WALSH, P. 1997. Insect pests associated with Blackwood (Acacia

melanoxylon) in New Zealand. New Zealand Tree Grower 18(1): 38-39.

BASHFORD, R. 2002. The insect fauna inhabiting Uromycladium (Uredinales) rust galls on

silver wattle (Acacia dealbata) in Tasmania. Australian Entomologist 29(3): 81-95.

4 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

BASHFORD, R. 2004. The insects associated with galls formed by Trichilogaster

acaciaelongifoliae (Froggatt) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) on Acacia species in Tasmania.

Australian Entomologist 31(1): 5-12.

DENNILL, G.B., DONNELLY, D. and CHOWN, S.L. 1993. Expansion of the host-plant range

of a biocontrol agent of Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae (Pteromalidae) released against the

weed Acacia longifolia in South Africa. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 43:1-10.

FROGGATT, W.W. 1923. Other insects of the wattle. P. 121, in: Forest insects of Australia.

Government Printer, Sydney.

JENNINGS, S.M. 1991. Blackwood. Native Forest Silviculture Technical Bulletin No, 10.

Forestry Commission, Tasmania; 28 pp.

MASNER, L. 1993. Superfamily Platygasteroidea. Pp 558-565, in: Goulet, H. and Huber, J.

(eds), Hymenoptera of the world: an identification guide to families. Research Branch,

Agriculture Canada, Ottawa; 668 pp.

McKEOWN, K.C. 1942. Flies. P. 221, in: Australian insects. Royal Zoological Society of New

South Wales Handbook.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 5-7 5

FIRST CONFIRMED OBSERVATION OF HETERONYMPHA

CORDACE WILSONI BURNS (LEPIDOPTERA: NYMPHALIDAE:

SATYRINAE) IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

BRYAN T. HAYWOOD! and VICKI NATT?

'CMB, Moorak, SA 5291

?1] Wilhelmina St, Kingston SE, SA 5275

Abstract

A population of Heteronympha cordace wilsoni Burns was discovered in South Australia east of

Port MacDonnell in December 2004. Although it is unknown if the species is breeding at or near

this site, due to the apparent lack of its host plant, this appears likely because of the extremely

fresh condition of some of the specimens observed. H. cordace wilsoni was presumed extinct

from various localities where it was once common and this is the first documented observation

for over 27 years.

Introduction

The bright-eyed brown, Heteronympha cordace (Geyer), is a geographically

variable satyrine with two subspecies found in southeastern Australia and

three others restricted to Tasmania (Braby 2000). Subspecies H. c. wilsoni

Burns has been recorded only from southwestern Victoria, from the Wannon

River in the Grampians southwest to Dartmoor and Nelson (Braby 2000,

Dunn et al. 1994, Sands and New 2002). It was suspected (but not confirmed)

to occur in South Australia by Grund (1998).

Dunn ef al. (1994) rated the conservation status of H. c. wilsoni as

‘Vulnerable’, Grund (1998) as ‘Endangered’ in South Australia and Sands

and New (2002) as ‘Critically Endangered’ throughout its range. Previous

reports and studies (Fisher 1978, Grund and Hunt 2000) failed to record

and/or find this species in South Australia but Grund and Hunt (2000)

suggested it could be present as suitable habitat occurs.

H. c. wilsoni occurs in swampy areas where its host plant Carex appressa is

present (Grund and Hunt 2000, Sands and New 2002, Dunn ef al. 1994).

Adults are not known to fly far from sites where the larval food plant occurs

and have a slow, meandering flight close to the ground among the larval food

plants, unlike other species of Heteronympha Wallengren (Braby 2000).

H. c. wilsoni is smaller and paler than typical H. c. cordace, the orange

markings on the upperside are paler and more extensive and the eyespots

much smaller. The underside ground colour is paler, with the markings on the

hind wing obscure and ill-defined. The eyespots on the underside are smaller

or absent (Dunn et al. 1994, Braby 2000, Sands and New 2002).

First South Australian observations

Observers. Vicki Natt, Elaine Lawson, Jean Haywood and Bryan Haywood.

Locality. Between the South Australia/Victoria border and Port MacDonnell

in the lower southeast of South Australia.

6 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Habitat. Leptospermum lanigerum shrubland with Phragmites australis,

Myoporum insulare, Acacia longfolia var sophorae and various species of

Cyperaceae.

Observations. In mid to late afternoon on 30 December 2004, in fine, mild

weather, V. Natt, E. Lawson and J. Haywood noticed three to four small,

orange butterflies flitting around and feeding on creeping brookweed

(Samolus repens) flowers that bordered the rushes. After being disturbed they

did not fly far and usually alighted on or near another Samolus flower. They

were similar in colouring to the common brown, Heteronympha merope

merope (Fabricius), but smaller, with a much more distinctive black and

orange pattern that was striking on the upperside of both fore and hind wings

and on the underside of the forewing. The underside of the forewing had less

distinct, more subdued pattern/colouring.

The individuals observed (Figs 1-2) had eyespots with blue centres on both

fore and hind wings. On limited occasions we observed them open their

wings, when we could see a very tiny eyespot at the top of the upperside of

the hind wing. Several digital photographs were taken and these were enough

to work from for an identification using Braby (2000).

Subsequent visits to the site in January 2005 by B. Haywood found that the

butterfly was still flying and both sexes were present. On several occasions

observations were made of a smaller and paler (presumed male) individual

pursuing a larger (presumed female) individual throughout the site. The last

visit to the site was on 24 January, with one male and one female observed.

Discussion

The individuals of H. c. wilsoni observed at the site were identical to those

described in Braby (2000) and Dunn et al. (1994); however, there are a few

additional features to report. A photograph of one specimen had one bluish-

white spot above the subtornal eyespot on the underside of the hind wing.

Also, minute white spots are evident between the two upperside hind wing

eyespots, and one below the apical eyespot on the forewing. Specimens

photographed in the field showed much variation in these markings and they

were not always present. Further taxonomic investigations are warranted on

this population.

Drainage, wildfire and cattle grazing have been identified as threatening

processes against the long-term survival of this species. In South Australia,

these Carex swamp habitats are now severely degraded and fragmented

(Grund and Hunt 2000). Alterations to hydrology in potential habitat areas

should be closely scrutinised before permission to alter these areas is granted.

Sands and New (2002) highlighted the poor dispersal ability of this butterfly,

rendering isolated populations susceptible to extinction from habitat loss or

degradation. This fact highlights the importance of connectivity between

colonies, as natural re-colonisation is unlikely in a fragmented landscape.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 7

Figs 1-2. Heteronympha cordace wilsoni in South Australia. (1) perched on reed; (2)

basking.

Braby (2000), Grund and Hunt (2000) and Grund (1998) all noted that this

species flies close to the ground amongst the larval food plant. Carex

appressa was not observed where the butterflies were flying, so this is

inconsistent with our observations. Further surveys should be undertaken in

South Australia and Victoria to ascertain whether past populations are still

extant, whether new populations can be found, and if they are using a

different host plant.

Acknowledgements

We thank Jan Forrest (South Australian Museum, Adelaide) for information

on specimens held in the Museum, Dianne Smith (DEH Library, Canberra)

for assistance in accessing reference material, and Lucy Brindley and Luke

Campbell for providing additional photographs for analysis. Fabian Douglas

and Roger Grund are especially thanked for their input, interest and

enthusiasm towards this finding and future work on this species.

References

BRABY, M.F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: their identification, biology and distribution. 2

Vols. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne; xx + 976 pp.

DUNN, K.L., KITCHING, R.L. and DEXTER, E.M. 1994. The conservation status of Australian

butterflies. Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Canberra.

FISHER, R.H. 1978. Butterflies of South Australia (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea).

Government Printer, South Australia; 272 pp.

GRUND, R. 1998. Butterflies of South Australia website. www.chariot.net.au/~rgrund

GRUND, R. and HUNT, L. 2000. Butterfly conservation in the Lower South East Region.

National Parks Foundation Inc., Adelaide.

SANDS, D.P.A. and NEW, T.R. 2002. The action plan for Australian butterflies. Environment

Australia, Canberra; 378 pp.

8 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

RECENT ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE

ANDERSEN, N.M. and WEIR, T.A.

2004 Australian water bugs: their biology and identification (Hemiptera-Heteroptera,

Gerromorpha & Nepomorpha). Entomonograph Volume 14. CSIRO Publishing,

Collingwood & Apollo Books; 344 pp.

BALKE, M. and RIBERA, I.

2004 Jumping across Wallace’s line: Allodessus Guignot and Limbodessus Guignot revisited

(Coleoptera: Dytiscidse: Bidessini) based on molecular-phylogenetic and morphological

data. Australian Journal of Entomology 43(2): 114-128.

BARTON, P.S., ABERTON, J.G. and KAY, B.H.

2004 Spatial and temporal definition of Ochlerotatus camptorhynchus (Thomson) (Diptera:

Culicidae) in the Gippsland Lakes system of eastern Victoria. Australian Journal of

Entomology 43(1): 16-22.

BELOKOBYLSKIJ, S.A., WHARTON, R.A. and LA SALLE, J.

2004 Australian species of the genus Opius Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) attacking

leaf-mining Agromyzidae, with the description of a new species from South-east Asia.

Australian Journal of Entomology 43(2): 138-147.

BRABY, M.F., TRUEMAN, J.W.H. and EASTWOOD, R.

2005 When and where did troidine butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) evolve?

Phylogenetic and biogeographic evidence suggests an origin in remnant Gondwana in

the late Cretaceous. /nvertebrate Systematics 19(2): 113-143.

CHRISTIDIS, F. and DEAN, J.C.

2005 Three new species of Austrophlebioides Campbell and Suter (Ephemeroptera:

Leptophlebiidae: Atalophlebiinae) from the wet tropics bioregion of north-eastern

Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 44(2): 132-143.

DAWES-GROMADZKI, T.Z.

2005 The termite (Isoptera) fauna of a monsoonal rainforest near Darwin, northern Australia.

Australian Journal of Entomology 44(2): 152-157.

de JONG, R.

2003 Are there butterflies with Gondwanan ancestry in the Australian region? Invertebrate

Systematics 17: 143-156.

EDWARDS, C.M. and LA SALLE, J. j

2004 A new species of Closterocerus Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a parasitoid of

serpentine leafminers (Diptera: Agromyzidae) from Australia. Australian Journal of

Entomology 43(2): 129-132.

ELLIOTT, M.G.

2005 First record of the genus Brachygaster Leach (Hymenoptera: Evaniidae) from Australia

with the description of a new species. Australian Journal of Entomology 44(1): 2-5.

GILCHRIST, A.S., SVED, J.A. and MEATS, A.

2004 Genetic relations between outbreaks of the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni

(Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Adelaide in 2000 and 2002. Australian Journal of

Entomology 43(2): 157-163.

HETERICK, B.E.

2005 Identity of Monomorium occidaneum Crawley, a species inquirenda, and status of

Monomorium micron Crawley (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Australian Journal of

Entomology 44(2): 122-131.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 9-22 9

BUTTERFLY (LEPIDOPTERA) RECORDS FROM THE DARWIN

REGION, NORTHERN TERRITORY

C.E. MEYER’, R.P. WEIR? and D.N. WILSON?

110 Anne Clark Avenue, Nicholls, ACT 2913

?] Longwood Avenue, Leanyer, NT 0812

?28 Mahaffey Road, Howard Springs, NT 0835

Abstract

From 1990 to 2005, 87 of the 111 butterfly species recorded from Darwin in the Northern

Territory were reared or collected by the authors from within a 15 km radius of the city centre.

Details of localities and months of capture are provided, together with notes on the additional 24

recorded species not collected during the survey.

Introduction

The remoteness of Darwin, in the ‘Top End’ of the Northern Territory in

Australia, is the principal reason why only a small number of butterfly

workers visited the region in the past. Early butterfly workers, such as F.P.

Dodd in 1908 and 1909, had to endure long sea journeys (Monteith 1991)

and, on arrival, were faced with limited access to potential collecting areas.

Much of the early collecting was restricted to the local Port Darwin area or

from sites such as Rum Jungle, Adelaide River, Brocks Creek and Pine

Creek, all sidings along the rail line south from Port Darwin, as road access

was limited. In recent years, improvements in road conditions and readily

accessible air travel has seen more butterfly workers visiting Darwin yet, to

the best of our knowledge, no checklist of butterflies for the Darwin region

has ever been published.

For the purposes of this paper, the Darwin ‘region’ is defined as the area

within a 15 km radius of the city centre. Collecting localities are mapped in

Figure 1 and listed, together with habitat data, in Table 1. Over the past 15

years we have recorded 87 butterfly species from the Darwin region. These

records are listed in Table 2, along with locality and months of capture or

emergence. Literature records for a further 24 species from Darwin are

reviewed and discussed, all of which require further data to confirm their

existence in the Darwin region.

We follow the scientific nomenclature of Common and Waterhouse (1981) in

order to maintain consistency with the International Code of Zoological

Nomenclature, and have retained historical subspecies names except where a

taxonomic revision of a species or subspecies has been published.

Darwin plant habitats

Brock (1993) described three broad categories of habitat, showing a natural

progression from sandstone through lowland to coastal plant communities.

The Darwin region consists of lowland to coastal plant communities,

although on Channel Island a remnant sandstone plant community exists,

supporting Baronia lanceolata (Rutaceae), a food plant for Nesolycaena

10 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

urumelia (Tindale) (Edwards 1980, Meyer 1996b). Brock (1993) further

subdivided these lowland and coastal habitats into plant communities

associated with open forest or woodland, monsoon vine forests, swamps and

mangroves. We follow Brock’s descriptions for the data provided in Table 1,

except that an additional habitat of parkland has been added to cover parks

and reserve areas in suburban Darwin, where council plantings of Pongamia

pinnata (Fabaceae), Calophyllum inophyllum (Clusiaceae) and host trees

supporting the mistletoe Decaisnina signata (Loranthaceae) can be readily

found.

20 1124

Northern |

Suburbs mae

13,4 are 24

(NM Jh; v^

| fo |

S SES [ss | |

ITS EG ||

^ 26 ; t

ees a

Berrimah

mt Ji

VON

Darwin CBD

East Arm

Humpty Doo

Fig. 1. Map of collecting localities in the Darwin region. (Based on a map taken from

http://uluru.nt.gov.au/prod/bams/inventory/index.cfm?fuseaction-inventory&hreflink

=D11)

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Table 1. Key to butterfly locality and habitat data for sites shown in Fig. 1. The letters

under the Habitat heading refer to the following plant community keys: Open

Locality Habitat

l Darwin Esplanade P,V

2 Doctors Gully P

3 Administrators Hill P

4 Francis Bay P

5 Stuart Park Jungle V

6 Stuart Park Primary School P

7 Myilly Point P

8 Fannie Bay P

9 Darwin High School P

10 Parap P

|l] East Point Reserve V

12 Nightcliff Beach V

13 Nightcliff Esplanade P

14 Rapid Creek P

15 Coconut Grove P

16 Velodrome, McMillians P

Road

Woodland (O); Monsoon Vine Forest (V); Swamp (S); Mangroves (M); Parkland (P).

Locality Habitat

17 Bagot Reserve ` P

18 |. Darwin Golf Club P

19 — Wagaman P

20 Casuarina Beach P

21 Lee Point V

22 Buffalo Creek off Lee Point VO

Road

23 Buffalo Creek Jungle V,M,S

24 . Leanyer P

25 Holmes Jungle V

26 Winnellie (0)

27 Berrimah (0)

28 Bens Hill, Trade Oo

Development Zone

29 + Thorak Road O

30 Shoal Bay V,M,S,O

31 Palmerston P

32 Channel Island via V,M,O

Palmerston

Table 2. Darwin butterflies collected or reared by the authors from 1990-2005.

Species

HESPERIIDAE

Hasora chromus chromus (Cramer)

Hasora hurama hurama (Butler)

Badamia exclamationis (Fabricius)

Chaetocneme denitza (Hewitson)

Neohesperilla xiphiphora (Lower)

Neohesperilla crocea (Miskin)

Neohesperilla senta (Miskin)

Hesperilla sexguttata Herrich-Schäffer

Taractrocera anisomorpha (Lower)

Taractrocera dolon diomedes Waterhouse

Taractrocera ina Waterhouse

Ocybadistes flavovittatus vesta

(Waterhouse)

Ocybadistes walkeri olivia Waterhouse

Ocybadistes hypomeloma vaga

(Waterhouse)

Suniana lascivia larrakia Couchman

Localities

(see Table 1)

7,13,14,22,30

11,21,22,27,30

27,29

22,23,30

1,3

1,2,5,6,22,29,31

1,5,22,29,31

5,27

1,3,5,6,29

Months collected / emerged

JFMAMJJASOND

XX XX

Species

Suniana sunias sauda Waterhouse

Telicota colon argeus (Plótz)

Telicota augias argilus Waterhouse

Cephrenes trichopepla (Lower)

Cephrenes augiades (C. Felder) ssp.

Parnara amalia (Semper)

Borbo impar lavinia (Waterhouse)

Pelopidas lyelli lyelli (Rothschild)

PAPILIONIDAE

Graphium eurypylus nyctimus (Waterhouse

& Lyell)

Papilio fuscus canopus Westwood

Papilio demoleus sthenelus W.S. Macleay

Cressida cressida cassandra (Waterhouse &

Lyell)

PIERIDAE

Catopsilia pomona pomona (Fabricius)

Catopsilia scylla etesia (Hewitson)

Eurema hecabe hecabe (Linnaeus)

Eurema alitha (C. & R. Felder)

Eurema laeta sana (Butler)

Elodina walkeri Butler

Delias argenthona fragalactea (Butler)

Delias mysis aestiva Butler

Belenois java teutonia (Fabricius)

Cepora perimale scyllara (W.S. Macleay)

Appias paulina ega (Boisduval)

NYMPHALIDAE

Danaus petilia (Stoll)

Danaus affinis affinis (Fabricius)

Tirumala hamata hamata (W.S. Macleay)

Euploea core corinna (W.S. Macleay)

Euploea sylvester pelor Doubleday

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Localities

(see Table 1)

1,5,27

5,21,29,31

5,11,20,21,22,

29,30,32

17,22,26,28,30,

5,11

11,22,23,27,28

5,6,22,31

5,6,11,21,22,27

1,5,11,20,21,22,

5,11,20,21,22,

23,30,31,32

4,11,20,30,31

11,21,26,27,28,

30,31,32

7,11,14,20,21,

22,30,31,32

1,11,31

1,10,11,28,30,

31,32

11,28,32

21,30

1,11,20,21,22,

30,32

6,8,9,10,13,14,

15,16,28,31

5,2327

11,21,22,30

11,21,22,23,30,

31,32

11,21,22,23,30,

31,32

6,30

11,20,22,23,30,

31,32

11,21,30,32

Months collected / emerged

JFMAMJJASOND

XXX

x X

Xx X

X X

Xx X

X X

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Species

Euploea darchia darchia (W.S. Macleay)

Melanitis leda bankia (Fabricius)

Mycalesis sirius sirius (Fabricius)

Mycalesis perseus perseus (Fabricius)

Hypocysta adiante antirius Butler

Ypthima arctous arctous (Fabricius)

Polyura sempronius sempronius (Fabricius)

Hypolimnas bolina nerina (Fabricius)

Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus)

Hypolimnas alimena darwinensis

Waterhouse & Lyell]

Junonia hedonia zelima (Fabricius)

Junonia villida calybe (Godart)

Junonia orithya albicincta Butler

Cethosia penthesilea paksha Fruhstorfer

Phalanta phalantha araca (Waterhouse &

Lyell)

Acraea andromacha andromacha

(Fabricius)

Libythea geoffroy genia Waterhouse

LYCAENIDAE

Liphyra brassolis major Rothschild

Hypochrysops ignitus erythrinus

(Waterhouse & Lyell)

Hypochrysops apelles apelles (Fabricius)

Arhopala centaurus asopus Waterhouse &

Lyell

Arhopala micale amydon Waterhouse

Ogyris zosine typhon Waterhouse & Lyell

Ogyris amaryllis hewitsoni (Waterhouse)

Hypolycaena phorbas ingura Tindale

Deudorix smilis dalyensis (Le Souéf &

Tindale)

Anthene seltuttus affinis (Waterhouse &

R.E. Turner)

Anthene lycaenoides godeffroyi (Semper)

Candalides gilberti Waterhouse

Candalides erinus erinus (Fabricius)

Nesolycaena urumelia (Tindale)

Localities

(see Table 1)

5,11,21,22,23,

1,5,6

11,22,23

5,19,29

29,30

1,27,28

1,11,20,21,22,

27,30,31,32

20,21,27,30

1,11,22,30

11,30

11,30,31

11,30,32

11,21,22,27,31

11,28,32

6,18,27,31

27,28

23,32

8,10,11,13,14

9,16

12,32

1,20,21,28,30,

11,21,22,23

1,10,13

1,5,11,20,22,23,

1,6,8,9,10,13,

14,16,31

21,28,29,30

Months collected / emerged

JFMAMJJASOND

X X

~ KK MK

XXX

x x x x

14 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Species Localities Months collected / emerged

(see Table 1) JFMAMJJASOND

Prosotas dubiosa dubiosa (Semper) 11,30,32 XxxX Xx

Catopyrops florinda estrella (Waterhouse & 1,11 Xx x

Lyell)

Theclinisthes miskini miskini (T.P. Lucas) 11,18,26,29,30 XXXX x

Theclinisthes sulpitius (Miskin) 24,30 x <a X

Jamides phaseli (Mathew) 13 xx

Catochrysops panormus platissa (Herrich- 18,30 X

Scháffer)

Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus) 27 x

Zizeeria karsandra (Moore) 22,30 Xx x X

Zizina labradus labradus (Godart) 28 x

Famegana alsulus alsulus (Herrich- 21,30 XN

Scháffer)

Zizula hylax attenuata (T.P. Lucas) 5 X XX

Euchrysops cnejus cnidus Waterhouse & 1,11 Xx

Lyell

Freyeria putli putli (Kollar) 27 X

Additional literature records

HESPERIIDAE

Proeidosa polysema (Lower)

Lower (1911) first recorded this species (as Anisynta polysema) from Port

Darwin, based on a single male collected by F.P. Dodd in February 1909.

Dodd and his son Walter were based in Port Darwin for 10 months from

August 1908, exploring the East Point rainforest north to Rapid Creek

(Monteith 1991). Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) recorded the holotype female

from Petford near Chillagoe, Queensland, taken in February, and two males

from Port Darwin. They incorrectly listed January, February and March as

the months of capture for the two Port Darwin males. Waterhouse (1933)

recorded an allotype male from Port Darwin, collected in February 1909, in

the South Australian Museum, Adelaide, a paratype male from Port Darwin,

collected in February 1909, in the Australian Museum, Sydney and other

males from Port Darwin, collected in January and March, plus a female

collected in April. Subsequent authors (Common and Waterhouse 1972,

1981, Dunn and Dunn 1991, Braby 2000) have continued to refer to the Port

Darwin records in the distribution of this butterfly in the Northern Territory.

The larvae of this species feed on Triodia spp. (Poaceae), generally found

growing on rocky sandstone outcrops and slopes. Triodia records for the

Darwin region are sketchy but there have been records from Casuarina Beach

(Darwin Herbarium). It is not known whether the 7riodia was of the coastal

dunes variety or those found in the more arid regions. We have collected this

butterfly from the sandstone escarpment country behind a radio repeater

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 15

station, 15 km south of the Adelaide River township, along the old Stuart

Highway. Further data are required to determine whether it exists in the

Darwin region. We believe it is unlikely that it will be encountered there in

the future, due to a lack of suitable habitat.

Taractrocera ilia ilia Waterhouse

Waterhouse (1932a) described this species (as Taractrocera udraka ilia)

from four males and two females from the King River, one male from Port

Darwin in the South Australian Museum and a female from Melville Island.

Waterhouse (1932a) noted that the Port Darwin specimen was collected in

November and bore a label in Lower's handwriting ‘T. flavogattata Plótz

male’. Waterhouse (1932b), Common and Waterhouse (1972, 1981), Dunn

and Dunn (1991) and Braby (2000) all listed Darwin in the distribution of this

butterfly. We are not aware of any records of this butterfly from Darwin other

than the original male referred to by Waterhouse (1932a). Most records for

this butterfly appear to be from the King River eastwards into Arnhem Land

and we have found it to be common locally at Little Nourlangie Rock,

Kakadu National Park. Further data are required to determine whether it

exists in the Darwin region. We believe it is unlikely that it will be

encountered there in the future, due to a lack of suitable habitat.

Oriens augustulus (Herrich-Scháffer)

Evans (1949) recorded a single male, labelled Port Darwin, in The Natural

History Museum (BMNH), London. This butterfly is native to Fiji. Common

and Waterhouse (1981) questioned the natural occurrence of the butterfly in

Australia and Braby (2000) noted that it might have been introduced

accidentally, as there are no recent records to support its establishment in

Australia. Edwards et al. (2001) stated ‘it was probably not permanently

established in Australia’. Further data are required to determine whether it

exists in the Darwin region. We believe it is unlikely that it will be

encountered there in the future and is probably a locality label error.

Telicota ancilla baudina Evans

Lower (1911) recorded this species from Sydney to Port Darwin. Evans

(1949) included three males and one female from Port Darwin in his

description of the subspecies. Braby (2000) noted that a female collected by

Dunn in 1979, from Lameroo Beach (Dunn and Dunn 1991), is actually

Telicota augias (Linnaeus). We are unaware of any further records of this

butterfly from Darwin. In July 2004, we found three larvae of what we

believe to be this butterfly feeding on /mperata sp. (Poaceae), a known food

plant, at Robin Falls on the old highway south of the Adelaide River

township. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in rearing them to adults. The

larvae closely resembled those T. ancilla ancilla (Herrich-Scháffer) from the

east coast. Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin

region.

16 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Telicota mesoptis mesoptis Lower

Peters (1969) recorded a single male, labelled Port Darwin, NT, 24.xi.1902,

G. Turner, in the Australian Museum, Sydney. This is the only known record

of this butterfly from the Northern Territory and Braby (2000) noted that

further surveys were required to determine whether it exists in the Northern

Territory. We believe it is unlikely that it will be encountered in the Darwin

region in the future and is probably a locality label error.

Borbo cinnara (Wallace)

Angel (1951) first recorded collecting specimens of this butterfly at Adelaide

River, Darwin and Berry Springs, where it was supposedly more plentiful

than Borbo impar lavinia, during a collecting trip that he and F.E. Parsons

undertook during April and May 1948. Couchman (1951) provided

comments on the specimens collected by Angel and Parsons during this trip

and noted that a single male had been collected at Darwin on 7 May 1948.

Dunn and Dunn (1991) incorrectly referred the Darwin record to Couchman,

assigning only the Adelaide River records to Angel. Braby (2000) assigned

all records to Angel and noted that very few records were known. Braby

(2000) suggested that the butterfly may have been overlooked because of its

superficial resemblance to the more common Pelopidas Walker species.

Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Pseudoborbo bevani (Moore)

Waterhouse (1932a) first recorded this species from Australia (as Baoris

bevani) based on three undated specimens in the South Australian Museum,

labelled Port Darwin. These three specimens are the only records from

Australia (Braby 2000). Waterhouse (1932a, 1937) believed the species may

have been introduced, as its larvae feed on rice. Experimental rice crops have

been grown in the Darwin region from as early as 1879 and, more recently,

Territory Rice Ltd operated on the Adelaide River flood plains from 1952 to

1960, when operations were abandoned (Powell 2000). Systematic searching

over the years by the present authors around the old Adelaide River rice

project areas at Tortilla Flats, Harrison Dam and Fogg Dam failed to turn up

any specimens. Further data are required to determine whether it exists in the

Darwin region.

Pelopidas agna dingo Evans

Angel (1951) recorded specimens from Darwin and Berry Springs during the

first week of May 1948 and noted that it was only seen occasionally.

Couchman (1951) provided comments on the specimens collected by Angel

and Parsons during this trip and noted that the single male collected by them

on 7 May 1948 was the first to be recorded from Darwin. Dunn and Dunn

(1991) recorded specimens in the Museum of Victoria, Melbourne and the

Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), Canberra; however, they noted

that most records were based on females. A female collected by E.D.

Edwards from Holmes Jungle on 15 May 1973, in the ANIC, would appear to

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 17

be this species since it agrees with the description provided by Braby (2000)

on how to separate females of P. /yelli lyelli from those of P. agna dingo. We

have numerous females of Pelopidas spp. and many are difficult to separate.

Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

PAPILIONIDAE

Papilio aegeus aegeus Donovan

Dunn and Dunn (1991) first recorded this species from Darwin based on a

specimen in the J.T. St Leger Moss collection and they were followed by

Braby (2000). The Darwin record is probably the result of the nursery trade,

as it would appear that the butterfly has not established itself in Darwin

despite the abundance of citrus host plants. Further data are required to

determine whether it still exists in the Darwin region.

PIERIDAE

Catopsila pyranthe crokera (W.S. Macleay)

Braby (2000) attributed the Darwin record for this species to T.L. Fenner;

however, this record is in error (T.L. Fenner pers. comm.). Adults may be

encountered in Darwin in the future during irregular seasonal migrations but

little is known of the butterfly's behaviour in the northern areas of its

distribution (Braby 2000). Further data are required to determine whether it

currently exists in the Darwin region.

Eurema brigitta australis (Wallace)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species (as Terias libythea

zoraide Felder) from Darwin, with specimens collected in February and

March (presumed to be F.P. Dodd specimens). Dunn and Dunn (1991) noted

no other records and Braby (2000) also made reference to Darwin within the

butterfly's distribution. Further data are required to confirm its existence in

the Darwin region.

Eurema smilax smilax (Donovan)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species (as Terias smilax)

from Darwin, with specimens collected in March. Subsequent authors

(Common and Waterhouse 1972, 1981, Dunn and Dunn 1991, Braby 2000)

all detailed an Australia-wide distribution, although none specifically referred

to Darwin. There is a single male in the ANIC, Canberra, from Darwin

collected on 5 May 1948, originally from the F.E. Parsons collection. The

butterfly is known to be an opportunistic migrant (Braby 2000) and it might

be encountered in the Darwin region in the future; however, further data are

required to determine whether it currently exists there.

Eurema herla (W.S. Macleay)

Peters (1969) first recorded this species from Port Darwin from four males

and two females dated 16.ii.-19.iii.1909, plus three undated males all

collected by F.P. Dodd. These specimens are in the Australian Museum,

18 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Sydney. We have collected this butterfly from Marrakai Road, approximately

70 km south of Darwin. Further data are required to confirm its existence in

the Darwin region.

Appias albina albina (Boisduval)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Darwin in

March. Subsequent authors (Waterhouse 1932b, Common and Waterhouse

1972, 1981, Dunn and Dunn 1991, Braby 2000) all included Darwin within

the butterfly’s distribution. There is a single female in the ANIC, Canberra,

collected in January 1977 by Gary Fitt. Recently, a single male was collected

from East Point Reserve on 3 March 2000 (C.G. Miller pers. comm.), flying

with Appias paulina ega and Cepora perimale scyllara. Braby (2000)

suggested that populations of this butterfly may be resident in Darwin but

further data are required to determine whether or not this is the case.

NYMPHALIDAE

Danaus genutia alexis (Waterhouse & Lyell)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Derby, Western

Australia and Darwin (as Danaida plexippus alexis) from four males and

three females. The Darwin specimens were collected in January and February

(presumed to be F.P. Dodd specimens). Subsequent authors (Waterhouse

1932b, Common and Waterhouse 1972, 1981, Dunn and Dunn 1991, Braby

2000) also list Darwin in the distribution of this butterfly. We have collected

it from Fog Bay on the Cox Peninsula and from Oolloo Crossing on the Daly

River, where adults have been observed using the river as a flight corridor

and pausing to feed at flowers along the river bank (Meyer 1995). Further

data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Hypolimnas anomala albula (Wallace)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species (as H. antilope

albula) from Darwin from a single male collected in March. Subsequent

authors (Waterhouse 1932b, Common and Waterhouse 1972, 1981, Dunn and

Dunn 1991, Braby 2000) also referred to this record. Dunn and Dunn (1991)

recorded three specimens from the Arnhem phytogeographic region in

March. Braby (2000) noted that that the original specimen was taken in 1909,

probably by F.P. Dodd, although Braby (2000) did not mention the collector.

Braby (2000) also recorded another male collected by C.G. Miller at East

Point Reserve on 10 February 1987, flying around a track through the vine

forest (C.G. Miller pers. comm.). Further data are required to confirm its

existence within the Darwin region.

Yoma sabina parva (Butler)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Darwin in

March, probably collected by F.P. Dodd in 1909. We are unaware of any

further records of this butterfly from Darwin and further data are required to

confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 19

LYCAENIDAE

Ogyris iphis doddi (Waterhouse & Lyell)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Darwin from

two males and two females, collected in September and November,

presumably by F.P. Dodd in 1908. Dunn and Dunn (1991) recorded seven

specimens from the Arnhem phytogeographic region taken in September,

November and February (presumed also to be the original F.P. Dodd

specimens). Braby (2000) noted that the butterfly had not been collected from

Darwin since 1909, although an adult resembling this species was observed

hill-topping in March 1992 on Bens Hill behind the Trade Development Zone

(S.S. Brown pers. comm.). The last known record from the Northern

Territory is a single female, taken at light (E.D. Edwards pers. comm.) during

Operation Raleigh, from Pularumpi, Melville Island (11°4'S, 130°25'E) on 30

June 1986. The specimen is in the Northern Territory Museum collection and

Braby (2000) attributed this record to P. Homer [actually P. Horner]. Despite

extensive searching, we have not located any breeding colonies. Further data

are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Deudorix diovis Hewitson

Dunn and Dunn (1991) first recorded this butterfly from Darwin from a

single undated female collected by W. Graham. Braby (2000) also referred to

the Dunn and Dunn (1991) record. The specimen was a female collected on

the Darwin esplanade, flying in the company of Hypolycaena phorbas ingura

on 25 May 1983 (W. Graham pers. comm.). It is probable that this butterfly

occurs naturally in Darwin but has been overlooked in the past, as one of the

known food plants, Cupaniopsis anarcardioides (Sapindaceae), grows

prevalently along the esplanade. Further data are required to confirm its

existence in the Darwin region.

Nacaduba kurava felsina Waterhouse & Lyell

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Port Darwin (as

Nacaduba perusia felsina) from three males and five females, collected in

January, February, September and November (presumed to be the original

F.P. Dodd specimens). Dunn and Dunn (1991) also included Darwin in the

butterfly’s records, based on specimens in the Museum of Victoria. We are

unaware of any recent records from Darwin; however, it is quite possible that

suitable habitat supporting the food plant Embelia curvinervia (Myrsinaceae)

(Meyer 1996a, 1996b) still exists. We have collected and reared this butterfly

from Marrakai Road, approximately 70 km south of Darwin, from Oolloo

Crossing on the Daly River and from adjacent to the Adelaide River bridge

on the Daly River Road. Further data are required to confirm its existence in

the Darwin region.

Nacaduba biocellata biocellata (C. & R. Felder)

Common and Waterhouse (1981) first recorded this species from Darwin,

attributing the record to K.L. Dunn. Dunn and Dunn (1991) and Braby (2000)

20 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

did not specifically list Darwin but gave an Australia-wide distribution for the

butterfly. Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin

region.

Theclinesthes onycha capricornia Sibatani & Grund

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Darwin (as

Theclinesthes onycha onycha Hewitson) from specimens collected in August,

September and October. Sibatani and Grund (1978) determined that in fact

only one male from Port Darwin, collected by F.P. Dodd, belonged to this

species, with the remaining records belonging to T. miskini miskini (T.P.

Lucas). Common and Waterhouse (1981), Dunn and Dunn (1991) and Braby

(2000) all referred to this single record. Larvae of this butterfly feed on the

soft new growth of Cycas sp. (Cycadaceae) and Macrozamia sp. (Zamiaceae)

(Braby 2000). Cycas armstrongii and Cycas calcicola both occur in the

Darwin region (Brock 1993) and may prove to be the food plant near Darwin.

Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Sahulana scintillata (T.P. Lucas)

Waterhouse and Lyell (1914) first recorded this species from Darwin (as

Theclinesthes scintillata Lucas) from specimens collected in September.

Dunn and Dunn (1991) also recorded it from Darwin in September, based on

two specimens in the Museum of Victoria, Melbourne (assumed to be

original F.P. Dodd specimens), and noted that the underside markings of the

females from Darwin are more contrasting than in females from Queensland

or New South Wales. On 16 June 2003, four specimens were collected flying

around the tops of trees adjacent to mangroves at Buffalo Creek (12.3528,

130.035E) (S.J. Johnson pers. comm.). It has also been collected at

Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) blossom in reasonable numbers from the Hunting

Reserve, 10 km east of the Adelaide River bridge, and from adjacent to the

Mary River bridge, both on the Arnhem Highway, in June 1994 by R.

Stoodley, T. Woodger and J. O'Dell (R. Stoodley pers. comm.). Further data

are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Everes lacturnus australis Couchman

Nowhere in the literature is this butterfly specifically recorded from Darwin,

although the distribution maps contained in Common and Waterhouse (1972,

1981) and Braby (2000) encompass Darwin. We are not aware of any current

or previous records of this butterfly from the Darwin region. We have

collected it from Marrakai Road, approximately 70 km south of Darwin.

Further data are required to confirm its existence in the Darwin region.

Summary

One hundred and eleven butterfly species have been recorded from the

Darwin region to date, representing approximately 2596 of Australia's known

butterfly species. The present authors have recorded 87 of the 111 recorded

species from the Darwin region since 1990. We believe it is unlikely that

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 21

Proeidosa polysema and Taractrocera ilia will be encountered in the Darwin

region in the future, due to loss of suitable habitat. We also believe that the

records of Oriens augustulus and Telicota mesoptis mesoptis are probably the

result of incorrect labelling by their collectors. Further data are required to

confirm the existence of the remaining 20 species recorded previously in the

literature. In time, some of these records may also prove to be labelling

errors, as some of the early butterfly workers, including F.P. Dodd, have been

known to err with their label data. It is hoped that the data presented in this

paper will help stimulate future butterfly workers in determining the

existence or otherwise of the remaining 20 species in the Darwin region.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Bill Graham, Steve Brown, Russell Stoodley, Grant

Miller and Steve Johnson for the inclusion of their specimen data and Ted

Edwards for the loan of literature and for his constructive comments on a

draft of this paper.

References

ANGEL, F.M. 1951. Notes on the Lepidoptera of the Northern Territory of Australia, with

descriptions of new species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 74: 6-14, pl. 1.

BRABY, M.F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: their identification, biology and distribution.

CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne; xx + 976 pp.

BROCK, J. 1993. Native plants of northern Australia. Reed, Chatswood; xii + 355 pp.

COMMON, I.F.B. and WATERHOUSE, D.F. 1972. Butterflies of Australia. Angus and

Robertson, Sydney; xii + 498 pp, 41 pls.

COMMON, I.F.B. and WATERHOUSE, D.F. 1981. Butterflies of Australia. 2nd ed. Angus and

Robertson, Sydney; xiv + 682 pp, 47 pls.

COUCHMAN, L.E. 1951. Notes on a collection of Hesperiidae made by F.M. Angel in the

Northern Territory. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 74: 15-17, pl. 1, figs 5-

DUNN, K.L. and DUNN, L.E. 1991. Review of Australian butterflies: distribution, life history

and taxonomy. Parts 1-4. Privately published by the authors, Melbourne; 660 pp.

EDWARDS, E.D. 1980. The early stages of Adaluma urumelia Tindale and Candalides geminus

Edwards and Kerr (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Australian Entomological Magazine 7: 17-20.

EDWARDS, E.D., NEWLAND, J. and REGAN, L. 2001. Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea,

Papilionoidea. /n: Wells, A. and Houston, W.W.K (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol.

31.6. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne; x + 615 pp.

EVANS, W.H. 1949. A catalogue of the Hesperiidae from Europe, Asia and Australia in the

British Museum (Natural History). British Museum (Natural History), London; xix + 502 pp, 53

pls.

LOWER, O.B. 1908. Descriptions of new Australian Hesperiidae. Transactions of the Royal

Society of South Australia 32: 311-317.

LOWER, O.B. 1911. Revision of the Australian Hesperiidae. Transactions of the Royal Society

of South Australia 35: 112-172.

22 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

MEYER, C.E. 1995. Notes on the life history of Danaus genutia alexis (Waterhouse and Lyell)

(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae). Australian Entomologist 22: 137-139.

MEYER, C.E. 1996a. Notes on the life history of Nacaduba kurava felsina Waterhouse and

Lyell (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Australian Entomologist 23: 73-74.

MEYER, C.E. 1996b. Butterfly larval food plant list for the Northern Territory and Kununurra

district in Western Australia. Victorian Entomologist 26: 66-72.

MONTEITH, G.B. 1991. The butterfly man of Kuranda, Frederick Parkhurst Dodd. Queensland

Museum, Brisbane; 34 pp.

PETERS, J.V. 1969. Notes on the distribution of Australian Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea

(Lepidoptera). Australian Zoologist 15: 178-184.

POWELL, A. 2000. Far country: a short history of the Northern Territory. 4th ed. University

Press, Melbourne; 272 pp.

SIBATANI, A. and GRUND, R. 1978. A revision of the Theclinesthes onycha complex

(Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Transactions of the Lepidopterological Society of Japan 29: 1-34.

WATERHOUSE, G.A. 1932a. Australian Hesperiidae II. Notes and descriptions of new forms.

Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 57(3-4): 218-238.

WATERHOUSE, G.A. 1932b. What butterfly is that? Angus and Robertson, Sydney; 291 pp, 32

pls.

WATERHOUSE, G.A. 1933. Notes on the type specimens of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) in the

museums in Australia, with special reference to those in the South Australian Museum. Records

of the South Australian Museum 5(1): 49-62.

WATERHOUSE, G.A. 1937. Australian Hesperiidae VII. Notes on the types and type locations.

Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 62(3-4): 107-125.

WATERHOUSE, G.A. and LYELL, G. 1914. The butterflies of Australia. A monograph of the

Australian Rhopalocera. Angus and Robertson, Sydney; vi + 239 pp, 41 pls.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 23-25 23

RE-COLLECTION AND TENTATIVE HOST RECORD FOR AYGIA

(AUSTRALOCOLPURA) SANDARACINE BRAILOVSKY

(HEMIPTERA: COREIDAE: COLPURINI)

MARTIN J. STEINBAUER

University of Tasmania, CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry, c/- CSIRO Entomology,

GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601

Address for correspondence: Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government —

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT 2601

(email: martin.steinbauer@daff.gov.au)

Abstract

A second collection at the original type locality of the rare Australian colpurine coreid Hygia

(Australocolpura) sandaracine Brailovsky is recorded, with an apparent feeding record on the

tree fern Dicksonia antarctica Labill. (Dicksoniaceae).

Introduction

The coreid tribe Colpurini contains 21 species in Australia (Brailovsky 2001,

Cassis and Gross 2002). Little is recorded of their biology although

Brailovsky (1993) described them as ‘typically species of the rainforest’.

Collection records indicate that most colpurines are taken on the ground and

among leaf litter. The only references to their food plants in Australia are

those by Kumar (1966), who recorded Pachycolpura manca Breddin on

Urtica, Coreopsis, tomato and pumpkin, and Steinbauer and Clarke (1996),

who noted a possible association between Acantholybas kirkaldyi Bergroth

and Eucalyptus. In New Zealand, the introduced Australian species

Acantholybas brunneus (Breddin) feeds on a wide variety of plants,

summarised by Steinbauer and Clarke (1996). Extralimital host records on

cacao and taro in New Guinea for the Australian species Agathyrna

praecellens Stal were summarised by Cassis and Gross (2002).

Hygia (Australocolpura) sandaracine Brailovsky was described from a single

collection of two specimens in New England National Park, northern New

South Wales (Brailovsky 1993). This paper documents a re-collection of the

species and a possible food plant.

Observations

On January 1, 2004, a group of 10-15 individuals (including 3 pairs in cop.)

and 5-10 nymphs (of early to late instar) of H. sandaracine were observed on

fronds of the soft tree fern Dicksonia antarctica Labill. (Dicksoniaceae), on

the Lyrebird Walk in New England National Park. At this point the track

passes through ‘myrtle forest (temperate rainforest with Nothofagus

cunninghamii (Hook.) Oerst.) at about 1300-1400 m altitude at the base of

the eastern escarpment cliffs. A few individuals were observed with their

rostra touching the central leader of the frond, apparently feeding. Five males

and two females (Fig. 1) were collected for identification and have been

deposited in the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC), Canberra.

24 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

When handled, they released a pungent, ester-smelling odour, similar to that

of other coreids (Steinbauer and Davies 1995).

Discussion

Records of heteropterans feeding on ferns are rare. The only member of the

Pentatomomorpha recorded in Australia on ferns, in the summary by Cassis

and Gross (2002), is the highly polyphagous rhyparochromid Remaudiereana

inornata (Walker). Only gymnosperms and angiosperms were listed for

world Coreidae (including only one Colpurini) by Schaefer and Mitchell

(1983). No lower vascular plants were listed for Coreidae in a review of

economically important species (Mitchell 2000). Schaefer (1965) regarded

the Colpurini as ‘primitive’ within the Coreidae. If H. sandaracine can be

shown to be monophagous on ferns it would support this view. However, this

may be unlikely in view of the wide range of plants used by Acantholybas

brunneus in New Zealand (see above). Clearly, more information on the host

plants of native Australian Coreidae is required.

Fig. 1. Hygia (Australocolpura) sandaracine Brailovsky. (A-B) dorsal and lateral

views of adult female, (C-D) dorsal and lateral views of adult male. Scale bar = 5 mm.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 25

Acknowledgements

I thank Ben Boyd (ANIC, Canberra) for Fig. 1, Tony Prior (NSW National

Parks and Wildlife Service, Dorrigo) for assistance in determining the

identity of the host plant, Tom Weir (ANIC, Canberra) for confirmation of

the initial species determination and an anonymous reviewer for beneficial

revisions to the text.

References

BRAILOVSKY, H. 1993. A revision of the tribe Colpurini from Australia (Hemiptera-

Heteroptera-Coreidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34: 35-60.

BRAILOVSKY, H. 2001. A further contribution to the Australian systematics of the tribe

Colpurini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae: Coreinae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 77: 79-89.

CASSIS, G. and GROSS, G.F. 2002. Hemiptera: Heteroptera (Pentatomomorpha). In Houston,

W.W.K. and Wells, A. (eds), Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 27.3B. CSIRO Publishing,

Melbourne; xiv + 737 pp.

KUMAR, R. 1966. Studies on the biology, immature stages, and relative growth of some

Australian bugs of the superfamily Coreoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Australian Journal of

Zoology 14: 895-991.

MITCHELL, P.L. 2000. Leaf-footed bugs (Coreidae). Pp 337-403, in: Schaefer, C.W. and

Panizzi, A.R. (eds), Heteroptera of economic importance. CRC Press, Boca Raton; 828 pp.

SCHAEFER, C.W. 1965. The morphology and higher classification of the Coreoidea

(Hemiptera-Heteroptera). Part II. The families Rhopalidae, Alydidae, and Coreidae.

Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America 5: 1-76.

SCHAEFER, C.W. and MITCHELL, P.L. 1983. Food plants of the Coreoidea (Hemiptera:

Heteroptera), Annals of the Entomological Society of America 76: 591-615.

STEINBAUER, M.J. and CLARKE, A.R. 1996. Revision of the genus Acantholybas Breddin

(Hemiptera: Coreidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89: 519-525.

STEINBAUER, M.J. and DAVIES, N.W. 1995. The defensive secretions of Amorbus

obscuricornis (Westwood), A. rubiginosus (Guérin-Méneville) and Gelonus tasmanicus (Le

Guillou) (Hemiptera: Coreidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 34: 75-78.

26 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

BIRNA, ANEW NAME FOR LINEA McDONALD

(HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE)

F.J.D. MCDONALD

Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, University of Sydney, NSW 2006

Abstract

Birna nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for the genus Linea McDonald, 2003,

preoccupied by Linea Schroder, Medioli & Scott, 1989. Birna griggae (McDonald), comb. n., is

transferred from Linea McDonald.

Introduction

McDonald (2003) proposed the name Linea McDonald for a new genus of

Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) from northern Australia. This name is preoccupied

in the Foraminifera (Schroder et al. 1989) and a replacement name is

provided below.

Birna nom. n.

Linea McDonald, 2003: 17. Not Linea Schroder, Medioli & Scott, 1989.

Type species (automatic): Linea griggae McDonald.

Etymology. Birna is the word for bug in the Yindjibarndi language spoken by

the indigenous people of the Pilbara region in Western Australia. The gender

is to be taken as feminine.

Birna griggae (McDonald), comb. n.

Linea griggae McDonald, 2003: 19.

Description. See McDonald (2003).

Acknowledgements

I should like to thank David Rider (North Dakota State University and the

Zoological Record) for alerting me to the homonymy of Linea McDonald. I

should also like to thank David McAlpine (Australian Museum, Sydney) for

his help in correctly formatting this paper.

References

McDONALD, F.J.D. 2003. A new genus and species of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)

from northern Australia. Australian Entomologist 30(1): 17-20.

SCHRODER, C.J., MEDIOLI, F.S. and SCOTT, D.B. 1989. Fragile abyssal Foraminifera

(including new Komokiacea) from the Nares abyssal plain. Micropaleontology (New York)

35(1): 10-48.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 27-30 27

THE RETURN MIGRATION OF BOGONG MOTHS, AGROTIS

INFUSA (BOISDUVAL) (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE), FROM

THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS, NEW SOUTH WALES

KEN GREEN

Snowy Mountains Region, NPWS, PO Box 2228, Jindabyne, NSW 2627

(email: ken.green@environment.nsw.gov.au)

Abstract

The return (autumnal) migration of Agrotis infusa (Boisduval) from the Snowy Mountains

commences after most plants have finished flowering, and the return journey to the plains to

breed is generally against the general direction of the wind. At the commencement of these

flights, bogong moths were recorded flying into the wind, which was a head wind at all altitudes

up to 4000 m, and were observed feeding on honeydew.

Introduction

The bogong moth, Agrotis infusa (Boisduval), has a mixed biology. In some

populations there are spring and autumn generations and no migration. Other

populations are univoltine, with adults emerging in spring and migrating up

to 1000 km from the western slopes and plains of New South Wales and

southern Queensland, to aestivate in rock crevices in the mountains on and

adjacent to the Great Dividing Range (Common 1954). The spring migration

has been well documented (Common 1954), but post-diapause migrations of

insects are generally not as obvious nor as well described as pre-diapause

flights, because there are fewer insects involved and the migration flight is

thought to be more scattered (Johnson 1969).

During the spring migration, bogong moths have been reported feeding on a

number of plants, such as forest and orchard trees, garden flowers and shrubs

(McCarthy 1945) and nectar of eucalypt and other flowers (Common 1981).

Common (1981) reported bogong moths ‘migrating back to their breeding

areas, where nectar is again sought before mating’ but did not comment on

the food used during the actual migration. Moths must make the return

migration at a time in autumn when temperatures are low, winds are

generally not favourable, most plants have finished flowering, and the moth’s

body fat is depleted. In these conditions, the food that provides fuel for the

return migration is crucial but has not as yet been documented.

Results and discussion

On 10 April 2005, at about 1800 h on an island in Valentines Creek at 1800

m asl, SSE of Mt Jagungal (36°08.5’S, 148°23.2E), I observed fast-flying

moths moving unidirectionally northward to where the sky was still light just

after sunset; there was no moon. The direction of flight was almost exactly

northerly, just off the wind which was from the NNW averaging 8 km/hr and

peaking at 14.5 km/hr during observations with a hand-held weather station

(Kestrel 3000). The temperature was 14.5°C, in humid conditions leading to a

thunderstorm within an hour of the observations.

28 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Looking south, where it was almost dark, and without moving my head, I

counted all fast-flying moths passing my vision until 200 had passed. This

took 3.5 minutes, which equals 57 moths per minute. The angle of view was

small and unquantifiable. Common (1954) used a vertical light beam to count

return migration of bogong moths from Mt Gingera and, on 11 April 1952,

counted 13-27 per minute at 2-5 m off the ground, which was the

approximate height of the flight I observed. Moths were flying fast into a

wind that was coming up-valley from the NNW.

There are two distinct ways in which moths migrate. In the first, they may

ascend to considerable altitude in rising, warm air and be transported

downwind (Drake and Farrow 1988, Gatehouse 1997). In this type of

migration the moths cannot feed, have little control over their ultimate

destination and may travel great distances in a short time. Alternatively, the

moths remain close to the ground (in the boundary layer) and control the

direction in which they fly, often having to fly upwind (Johnson 1969). They

are able to feed during the migration, may take much longer to travel long

distances and may arrive at a definite destination.

Moths migrating close to the ground may be caught in updrafts and taken

downwind for great distances, particularly in spring when winds are more

violent. Bogong moths trapped like this may reach New Zealand (Common

1981). Captures of moths in northern NSW suggest downwind movement in

the geostrophic layer (Gregg et al. 1994). In nearly all autumnal records by

Common (1954), the wind at ground level was either a cross wind or a head

wind, as in the present observations where moths were flying fast into a

gentle breeze. There were no favourable winds at higher altitudes. Bureau of

Meteorology recordings from Canberra Airport (120 km to the north),

throughout the day and into the evening of 10 April 2005, showed

consistently NW to N winds at all altitudes up to above 4000 m (15000 feet),

moderáting from 100 km/hr in the morning to 40 km/hr in the evening

(Bureau of Meteorology, pers. comm.).

There has been much research into the assistance that wind gives to migrating

insects (Drake and Farrow 1988, Gregg et al. 1994), with the implication that

bogong moths are just passengers on the wind. However, to be able to locate

the same mountain tops for aestivation suggests some control over the

direction taken by the moths, as does the ability to migrate back to natal sites

against generally unfavourable wind conditions. In these unassisted

conditions, autumnal migration would be energetically more expensive, with

access to food critical for moths that are returning to breed.

After counting the moths, the shrubs on the island were examined. This

revealed thousands of bogong moths, with up to 50 moths on a single shrub.

Shrubs containing moths were both epacrids: Epacris microphylla s.l. and E.

paludosa. Other shrubs in the vicinity, viz. Kunzea muelleri, Olearia algida,

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 29

Grevillea australis, Nematolepis (Phebalium) ovatifolium and the heath

Richea continentis, had no moths.

Several plants of the two Epacris species were examined; only FE.

microphylla that had lerps (Homoptera: Psyllidae) had any moths on them,

whereas all E. paludosa had lerps and all also had bogong moths. The moths

were examined closely by headlamp; all had their proboscides extended and

appeared to be feeding. Feeding on the sugary exudate (honeydew) of lerp-

forming bugs has been recorded for noctuids (Common 1990), but this is the

first record for bogong moths (Ted Edwards pers. comm.). Epacris paludosa

grew mainly along the rocky banks of Valentines Creek but no moths were

observed drinking in the creek.

Light traps set for five years on Point Lookout (1560 m) in northern NSW,

about 50 km inland from Coffs Harbour, showed spring numbers of bogong

moths (going south) peaking in October or November, with the return

migration peak in February/March and a decrease in numbers in April (Gregg

et al. 1993). The migration recorded in the present study was past the peak

recorded by Gregg et al. (1993), but the timing was not particularly late.

Although return migration to the natal grounds commences in about March

(Common 1954), Green (2003) recorded bogong moths in the mountains,

sunning themselves on rocks in May, and bogong moth remains in fox scats

in June. Presumably, there is a balance of advantages and disadvantages in

the timing of the return migration; the later the migration the greater the

chance of autumnal rains and plant growth in the natal sites but also the

greater the lack of food for the return journey. The use of honeydew may well

alleviate this lack of flowering plants on the return migration.

Acknowledgements

I thank Ted Edwards for many discussions on bogong moths and comments

on the manuscript. Dave Woods identified some of the plants.

References

COMMON, LF.B. 1954. A study of the ecology of the adult bogong moth, Agrotis infusa

(Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with special reference to its behaviour during migration and

aestivation. Australian Journal of Zoology 2: 223-263.

COMMON, LF.B. 1981. The bogong moth. Bogong 2(6): 4-5.

COMMON, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Melbourne University Press, Carlton; vi + 535 pp.

DRAKE, V.A. and FARROW, R.A. 1988. The influence of atmospheric structure and motions

on insect migration. Annual Review of Entomology 33: 183-210.

GATEHOUSE, A.G. 1997. Behaviour and ecological genetics of wind-borne migration by

insects. Annual Review of Entomology 42: 475-502.

GREEN, K. 2003. Altitudinal and temporal differences in the food of foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at

alpine and subalpine altitudes in the Snowy Mountains. Wildlife Research 30: 245-253.

30 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

GREGG, P.C., FITT, G.P., COOMBS, M. and HENDERSON, G.S. 1993. Migrating moths

(Lepidoptera) collected in tower-mounted light traps in northern New South Wales, Australia:

species composition and seasonal abundance. Bulletin of Entomological Research 83: 563-578.

GREGG, P.C., FITT, G.P., COOMBS, M. and HENDERSON, G.S. 1994. Migrating moths

collected in tower-mounted light traps in northern New South Wales, Australia: influence of

local and synoptic weather. Bulletin of Entomological Research 84: 17-30.

JOHNSON, C.G. 1969. Migration and dispersal of insects by flight. Methuen, London; xvi +

763 pp.

McCARTHY, T. 1945. The. bugong moth (Agrotis infusa) The Agricultural Gazette of New

South Wales 56: 2.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 31-34 31

LIFE HISTORY NOTES ON LEUCOMONIA BETHIA (KIRBY)

(LEPIDOPTERA: SPHINGIDAE)

D.A. LANE

3 Janda St, Atherton, Qld 4883

Abstract

Notes are presented on the life history of Leucomonia bethia (Kirby). The larval food plant is

Clerodendrum floribundum R. Br. (Verbenaceae).

Introduction

Leucomonia bethia (Kirby) is the only known species within the genus

Leucomonia Rothschild & Jordan. It has a wide distribution across northern

Australia (D'Abrera 1987) but nothing has been published to date on its

biology. During January and February 2005, eggs and early instar larvae of L.

bethia were found near Granite Creek, 15 km northwest of Atherton in

northern Queensland. These were reared through to adults and the following

observations recorded.

Life history

Food plant. Clerodendrum floribundum R. Br. (Verbenaceae).

Egg (Fig. 1). Spherical; 1.5 mm in diameter; pale green; laid singly on upper

or undersurface of food plant leaf.

First instar larva (Fig. 2). Length 5-8 mm. Head, body and legs light green

(almost translucent). Caudal horn dark brown, directed backwards and

extending away from body, turned upwards slightly with extreme upper tip

bifurcate.

Second instar larva (Fig. 3). Length 8-20 mm. Body and legs light green; a

mid-lateral band, adorned with fine pale yellow spots, extends along thoracic

and abdominal segments. Head and anal claspers darker green, also adorned

with fine yellow spots. Caudal horn brown, clothed in brown setae, raised at

approximately 30° and turned upwards slightly, with extreme upper tip also

bifurcate but not as distinctly as in the first instar.

Third instar larva (Fig. 4). Length 20-32 mm. Head, body and legs green

(darker than first and second instars). Head, body and upper prolegs with

slightly raised yellow spots; seven pale yellow oblique stripes along

abdominal segments 1-8, arising anterior to and below spiracles and

terminating on dorsal surface of abdomen; posterior stripe terminating at base

of caudal horn. Caudal horn brown, nearly straight, angled at approximately

45°, with brown setae.

Fourth instar larva (Fig. 5). Length 32-55 mm. Head, body and legs green,

with slightly raised fine yellow tubercles. Thorax with legs light brown; a

series of raised green or brown tubercles on anal prolegs and on dorsal

surface of thoracic segments; lateral oblique stripes more prominent,

32 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

coloured yellow with upper dark green edging. Caudal horn straight, brown

with yellow underside, clothed in fine, raised tubercles. Spiracles brown, with

surrounding narrow yellow ring.

Fifth instar larva (Figs 6-8). Length 55-80 mm. Head, body and legs with

markings as in fourth instar, but larva more stocky. Green or brown tubercles

on anal prolegs prominent; yellow tubercles on body often less prominent and

in green colour form (see below) often lacking; lateral oblique stripes

coloured white with upper dark green edging. Caudal horn dark brown,

curved slightly backwards, with raised brown tubercles. Raised tubercles on

thoracic segments either green or brown. Fifth instar larvae occur in both

green (Fig. 6) and brown (Fig. 7) colour forms, with intermediate (Fig. 8)

forms occurring.

Pupa (Fig. 9). Dark brown; haustellum case well developed and about one

quarter length of pupa. Cremaster black, deeply pitted, in dorsal view nearly

an equilateral triangle, terminating in a pair of distally directed, sharp spines

about one third width of length; these spines are basally wider and angled

more obtusely away from body axis compared with those on the pupal

cremaster of Psilogramma argos Moulds & Lane. In lateral view, cremaster

sides nearly straight and parallel sided, tilting upward from body axis. Pupa

similar in overall shape and form, but much darker brown in colour, than that

of P. argos (Moulds and Lane 1999).

Observations

Larvae normally rest on the undersurface of food plant leaves and are

remarkably well camouflaged, as the combination of green colouration with

diagonal striping gives the impression of filtered sunlight. During particularly

hot days, mature larvae (especially brown colour forms) were observed at the

base of food plant trees, resting head upwards with caudal horns touching the

ground. This situation possibly afforded more shade and slightly cooler

conditions, and also may have aided camouflage.

At the time of year observed (January-February), third to fifth instar larvae

were heavily parasitised by tachinid flies, with up to 9096 mortality rate. Such

final instar larvae continued to feed, but developed slowly. Attempts at

pupation usually failed, as the limp larval body rapidly decomposed after

multiple fly larvae exited.

Before pupating, final instar larvae first turn a purplish colour, then leave the

food plant and may wander considerable distances before finding a suitable

pupation site.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Figs 1-9. Leucomonia bethia. (1) egg; (2) first instar larva; (3) second instar larva; (4)

third instar larva; (5) fourth instar larva; (6-8) fifth instar larvae: (6) green colour form

(note the parasitic strike marks on abdominal segment 1); (7) brown colour form; (8)

intermediate colour form; (9) pupa, lateral view.

34 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

In captivity, purplish coloured larvae were placed in suitable containers

containing 150 mm of bedding soil. Some burrowed immediately and others

wandered for up to several hours before burrowing to pupate. In this

situation, they constructed cells made of soil lined with silk and pupated

within these cells. Adults emerged from pupae after two to three weeks.

Acknowledgements

Thanks are extended to Garry Sankowsky (Tolga) for food plant

identifications, to Dr. M.S. Moulds (Sydney) for constructive criticism and

advice, and to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service for permits

allowing research within State Forest areas under their jurisdiction.

References

D'ABRERA, B. 1987. Sphingidae Mundi, hawkmoths of the world. Based on a checklist by Alan

Hayes and the collection he curated in the British Museum (Natural History). E.W. Classey,

Faringdon; ix + 226 pp.

MOULDS, M.S. and LANE, D.A. 1999. A new hawkmoth from Northern Australia with notes

on its life history (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Australian Entomologist 26(2): 37-44.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 35-38 35

A SURVEY OF INSECT PESTS BREEDING IN MANGO FRUIT IN

DILI, EAST TIMOR

GLENN A. BELLIS!, RAFAEL FALICIANO?, AUGUSTINO ALVES’ and

MARK HEARNDEN?

! Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, PO Box

37846, Winnellie, NT 0821 (email: glenn. bellis@aqis.gov.au)

"National University of East Timor, Dili, East Timor

"Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines, GPO Box 3000,

Darwin, NT 0801

Abstract

A survey of 1345 mango fruit from 231 trees in Dili detected a 9.5% prevalence of Deanolis

sublimbalis Snellen (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and a 14.7% prevalence of Bactrocera spp. fruit

flies (Diptera: Tephritidae). No other mango fruit borers were detected and it is very unlikely that

they occur in Dili. The absence of Sternochetus frigidis F. and S. mangiferae (F.) (Coleoptera:

Curculionidae) suggests a low probability of their presence in East Timor.

Introduction

In Southeast Asia, a number of insects have been reported breeding in mango

fruit, particularly red-banded mango caterpillar, Deanolis sublimbalis Snellen

(Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), mango pulp weevil, Sternochetus frigidis Fabricius

and mango seed weevil, Sternochetus mangiferae (Fabricius) (Coleoptera:

Curculionidae), several Bactrocera Macquart species (Diptera: Tephritidae)

and an undescribed species of Nephopteryx Hiibner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidac)

(Kalshoven 1981, Waterhouse 1993, Allwood et al. 1999, Anon 1999, Smith

1999). These pests not only affect fruit production through reduction in yields

but can also impinge on exports, since many countries impose strict

quarantine requirements on the import of fruit potentially infested with one or

more of these pests.

Deanolis sublimbalis, S. frigidis and Bactrocera spp. have been reported

from Indonesia but confirmed records from many of the individual islands in

the Indonesian archipelago, including Timor, are lacking (Kalshoven 1981,

Anon 1993, Drew and Hancock 1994). Consequently, the status of these pests

on mango fruit in East Timor, a newly independent country which lies in this

archipelago, is unclear.

Many species that breed in mango fruit are difficult to find as the only means

of detection is to sample fruit destructively. Additionally, mangoes are very

seasonal and provide only a brief window of opportunity to sample fruit. In

many areas, fallen fruit is quickly eaten by domestic animals, making large

scale sampling difficult. This paper reports the results of a recent survey for

mango fruit pests in Dili, East Timor.

Materials and methods

Mango fruit were collected from fruiting trees in backyards in Dili in

December 2003 and January 2004. In most cases, five fruit were picked from

36 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

each tree, although fallen fruit were also sampled opportunistically. In areas

where fruiting trees were scarce, ten fruit were sampled from each tree.

Samples from each tree were treated as a unit, so infestation levels were

calculated for individual trees rather than for individual fruits. Tree owners

were shown photographs and specimens of D. sublimbalis and Sternochetus

sp. larvae and asked if these insects ever occurred in their fruit.

Fruit maturity, as gauged by flesh colour, was recorded for each mango

sampled. Mangoes, including seeds, were dissected using a knife or secateurs

and examined for the presence of borers or borer damage. The position within

the fruit of borers or damage was recorded and all borers were collected,

immersed in freshly boiled water for 5 minutes, then preserved in 70%

ethanol for subsequent morphological examination.

The confidence level that pest specimens not detected in the samples were

absent from the sampled population, was calculated using the formula of

Cannon and Roe (1982):

DISP P PEN DA

where N is the estimated population size, d is the number of positives in the

population and n is the number sampled. Confidence levels were calculated

using an upper and a lower estimate for N, the number of fruit in the Dili

growing region using a lower estimate of 90,000 (300 trees each producing

an average of 300 fruit) and an upper estimate of 200,000 (400 trees each

producing an average of 500 fruit), and d was given the value of 1. The result

is the confidence level expressed as the probability of finding less than 1

infected fruit in the sample.

Results

Ten fruits from each of 38 trees and five fruits from each of 193 trees were

sampled, giving a total of 1345 fruit from 231 trees. It was estimated that the

majority of fruiting trees in Dili were sampled. A total of 1221 fruit (90.8%)

were picked from trees, while 124 fruit (9.2%) were collected from the

ground beneath fruiting trees. Three maturity stages were represented, with

114 mature (orange flesh), 102 partially mature (yellow flesh) and 15

immature (white/pale yellow flesh) samples respectively.

Deanolis sublimbalis and tephritid fruit flies were the only primary pests

observed. Forty-eight specimens of D. sublimbalis were collected from 22

trees, indicating a prevalence of infestation of trees of 9.5%. D. sublimbalis

were only collected from picked fruit. The infestation rates relative to fruit

maturity are given in Table 1. All specimens of D. sublimbalis were found in

the seed, although damage to flesh was usually also evident.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 37

Table 1. Infestation rate of Deanolis sublimbalis relative to maturity of mango fruit

examined in Dili, East Timor.

Fruit maturity % of larvae collected Infestation rate (%)

Mature 45 7.9

Partially mature 10 2.9

Immature 44 i 66.7

Fruit fly larvae (Bactrocera spp.) were present in 34 (14.7%) samples. All but

four of the samples infested by D. sublimbalis were also infested by fruit flies

and all but one of the samples infested by fruit flies were also infested by

opportunistic beetle species (adult scarabaeids and nitidulids). Tree owners

agreed that these were the only insects ever seen in the fruit.

The probability (level of confidence) that mango fruit-boring insects not

detected in the samples are absent from the Dili mango growing region was

calculated to be between 98.5% and 99.3%, depending on which estimate of

the number of fruit produced in Dili was used.

Discussion

Dili serves as a major market for fruit grown in surrounding areas of East

Timor. Consequently, pests able to be transported in infested fruit would be

expected to be continuously brought into Dili for sale and subsequently

become established there. Their absence in Dili suggests that other areas of

East Timor may also be free of such pests. This is particularly true for

Sternochetus frigidis and S. mangiferae, which can infest up to 80% of

mango fruit and do not affect the external appearance (Cunningham 1991,

Kalshoven 1981). Where these pests are present, infested fruit are likely to be

harvested and sold in the marketplace.

The presence of Deanolis sublimbalis in East Timor is not surprising. This

species has been reported from across Indonesia as far east as Papua New

Guinea (Kumar 2001). A prevalence of 9.5% is comparable with that

observed in the Philippines by Golez (1991) and probably does not impinge

significantly on mango production. Mangoes of varying states of maturity

harboured caterpillars, which agrees with the observations of Golez (1991).

The relatively higher infestation rate of immature fruit may be due to a

tendency for infested fruit to fall prematurely (Kalshoven 1981), thereby

reducing the proportion that remain on the tree until maturity.

Several species of fruit fly, e.g. Bactrocera papayae Drew & Hancock, B.

carambolae Drew & Hancock and B. albistrigata (de Meijere), which are

important pests of mangoes, are known to be present in Timor (Drew and

Hancock 1994, Allwood et al. 1999, Bellis and Brito unpublished data). No

attempt was made in this study to identify larvae collected in this study so the

actual species involved are not known. The prevalence of fruit flies in

38 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

mangoes may underestimate true rates as many immature fruit were sampled

and these are often less frequently attacked by fruit flies than are mature fruit.

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.

We are grateful to Ir Flaviano Soares and Robert Williams of the National

University of East Timor for logistical support in Dili and to E.S.C. Smith

(NTDPIFM) for advice on experimental design. Jane Royer (QDPIF) and

Judy Grimshaw (AQIS) provided reference material of D. sublimbalis.

Graham Goodyer (AQIS) confirmed identifications.

References

ALLWOOD, A.J., CHINAJARIYAWONG, A., DREW, R.A.I., HAMACEK, E.L., HANCOCK,

D.L, HENGSAWAD, C. JIPANIN, J.C, JIRASURAT, M., KONG KRONG, C.,

KRITSANEEPAIBOON, S., LEONG, C.T.S. and VJAYSEGARAN, S. 1999, Host plant

records for fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in South East Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology

Supplement 7: 1-92.

ANON. 1993. List of important plant pest already reported from Indonesia, Pusat Karantina

Pertanian, Jakarta; 232 pp.

ANON. 1999. Final import risk analysis on the proposal to change the treatment for mango

(Mangifera indica L.) fruit from the Republic of the Philippines. Australian Quarantine and

Inspection Service, Canberra; 26 pp.

CANNON, R.M. and ROE, R.T. 1982. Livestock disease surveys: A field manual for

veterinarians. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra; 35 pp.

CUNNINGHAM, I.C. 1991. Mango seed weevil in Queensland. Acta Horticulturae 291: 413-

417.

DREW, R.A.I. and HANCOCK, D.L. 1994. The Bactrocera dorsalis complex of fruit flies

(Diptera, Tephritidae, Dacinae) in Asia. Bulletin of Entomological Research Supplement 2: 1-68.

GOLEZ, H.G. 1991. Bionomics and control of the mango seed borer, Noorda albizonalis

Hampson (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera). Acta Horticulturae 291: 418-424.

KALSHOVEN, L.G.E. 1981. Pests of crops in Indonesia. P.T., Ichtiar Baru, Van Hoeve,

Jakarta; 701 pp.

KUMAR, R. 2001. Insect pests of agriculture in Papua New Guinea, Part 1. Principles and

practice, pests of tree crops and stored products. Science in New Guinea, PNG; 723 pp.

SMITH, E.S.C. 1999. Report to AQIS on two visits to the Republic of the Philippines in

connection with area freedom of mango pulp and seed weevils during 1999. Unpublished report

to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Canberra; 36 pp.

WATERHOUSE, D.F. 1993. The major arthropod pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast

Asia: distribution, importance and origin. ACIAR. Monograph No. 21; 141 pp.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 39-48 39

THE BUTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA) OF MIDDLE, MONDRAIN,

SANDY HOOK, WOODY AND GOOSE ISLANDS IN THE

RECHERCHE ARCHIPELAGO, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

ANDREW A.E. WILLIAMS! and ROBERT J. POWELL?

! Department of Conservation and Land Management, W.A. Wildlife Research Centre,

PO Box 51, Wanneroo, WA 6065

254 Bournemouth Crescent, Wembley Downs, WA 6019

Abstract

Twelve butterfly species are recorded from Middle, Mondrain, Sandy Hook, Woody and Goose

Islands in the Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia: Hesperilla chrysotricha chrysotricha

(Meyrick & Lower), Delias aganippe (Donovan), Pieris rapae rapae (Linnaeus), Geitoneura

klugii (Guérin-Méneville), Heteronympha merope duboulayi (Butler), Junonia villida calybe

(Godart), Vanessa kershawi (McCoy), Vanessa itea (Fabricius), Nacaduba biocellata biocellata

(C. & R. Felder), Theclinesthes serpentata serpentata (Herrich-Scháffer), Neolucia agricola

occidens Waterhouse & Lyell and Zizina labradus labradus (Godart). Their status on the islands

is discussed and the butterfly fauna compared with that of other Western Australian islands.

Introduction

The islands of the Recherche Archipelago are located off the southern

coastline of Western Australia, from Esperance eastwards. About 200 islands

make up the archipelago; some lie close to the coast while others are a

considerable distance off shore. The furthest, Salisbury Island, is 50 km

southeast of the mainland at Cape Arid. In November of 1998, 1999 and

2003, we surveyed five of the larger islands for butterflies: Middle (34?06'S,

123°11’E); Mondrain (34?08'S, 122°15’E); Sandy Hook (34°02’S,

122°00’E); Woody (33°58’S, 122°01’E); and Goose (34?05'S, 123?11'E).

Prior to these visits, no butterflies had been recorded from the archipelago.

The islands are mostly granitic remnants of the Precambrian Shield (Brown et

al. 1984). Middle Island (1060 ha) is the largest and physiographically most

diverse of the islands. It lies about 8.5 km SSE of Cape Arid and 120 km ESE

of Esperance. Its topography is dominated by Flinders Peak (174 m), a large

granite dome at the western end of the island. The coastline is very irregular,

with numerous promontories and coves with white sandy beaches. In some

places limestone overlies the granite substrate. Lake Hillier, a pink,

hypersaline lake, is located in the northeast of the island. The vegetation on

Middle Island is diverse and 20 vegetation associations have been mapped

(Hopkins 1981); 235 plant species are now recorded (Keighery 1995). Half

the island was burnt in a fire in 1972 and almost all the rest in 1977. The

areas burnt now support dense regrowth vegetation.

Mondrain Island (787 ha) is the second largest island in the Recherche. It lies

42 km SE of Esperance and some 11 km from the mainland. It is irregular in

shape, 6 km long and 2.8 km wide at its widest point. Permanent or semi-

permanent water is found in seepage areas on the western side of the island

and in rock pools on Baudin Peak (222 m), the island's highest point. The

40 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

island is characterised by a series of granite domes with large expanses of

bare rock. The vegetation is varied and some 283 native species are recorded

(Pearson et al. 2004). In shallow soils between the granite domes is dense

scrub, predominantly of Melaleuca globifera, Acacia conniana and

Allocasuarina huegeliana. In swales, where the soil is deeper, low forest of

Eucalyptus lehmanni occurs. Open sandy areas support Carpobrotus

virescens and meadows of yellow-flowered Senecio lautus, especially where

nesting shearwaters have enriched the soil. In other areas dense Rhagodia

baccata and Atriplex cinerea occur.

Sandy Hook Island (238 ha) is located 9 km WSW of Cape Le Grand and 22

km WNW of Mondrain Island. Like other islands in the archipelago it is

characterised by large granite domes and boulders. Much of the interior is a

high plateau overlain with shallow sand and gravel, which supports a dense

eucalypt and shrub association (Willis 1953). On the southeastern side of the

island is a small sandy cove, above which is a sheltered wooded gully. The

gully vegetation is dominated by Eucalyptus conglobata, Acacia and Hakea

species. Introduced grasses, thick in places, are well established.

Woody Island (196 ha) is located in Esperance Bay, 7 km from the mainland

and 15 km SE of Esperance. It is about 2 km (E-W) by 1.5 km (N-S) and

rises at its centre to 130 m. It is composed of granite, which is frequently

exposed between areas of shallow overlying soil. The island is well

vegetated. The shallow soils support variable heath and mallee formations.

Eucalypt forest is found in areas of deeper soil. Abbott and Black (1978)

recognised six vegetation classes; the two main ones are low open-heath on

the western half of the island and Eucalyptus-dominated closed forest on the

sheltered slopes south and east of the summit. The island has been grazed in

the past and parts of the northeastern portion are still cleared.

Goose Island (56 ha) is the smallest of the islands to be surveyed for

butterflies. It lies less than a kilometre to the north of Middle I. and 7.5 km

from the mainland. Its highest point is a gently sloping, exposed granite

dome.. Limestone cliffs are found on the eastern side of the island. The

vegetation is generally very low, in response to the shallow soils and

probably also to grazing by rabbits, which have been introduced to the island.

The presence of rabbits probably also explains, to a large degree, the extent to

which this vegetation differs in composition from that of nearby Middle I.

Dominant species such as Rhagodia baccata, Senecio lautus and

Carpobrotus virescens are uncommon on Middle I. R. baccata is found in

sandy areas honeycombed with petrel burrows. Shrubs of Pimelea ferruginea

occur in shallow soils near sheets of exposed granite.

Methods

Butterfly surveys of the Recherche islands were carried out in November of

1998, 1999 and 2003, at the time of year when peak butterfly activity is to be

expected on the adjacent mainland. It was not possible to visit all five islands

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 41

in a single year. Most time was devoted to the largest islands, Middle and

Mondrain, with their more diverse habitats. Four days were spent on Middle

Island, in 2003, and a total of five days on Mondrain, in 1998 and 1999.

Woody Island was visited for one day and Sandy Hook Island for just a few

hours in November 1998. A further day spent on Sandy Hook Island in 1999

by one of us (AW) was generally unproductive, due to cool, cloudy

conditions. Goose Island was surveyed for a few hours in November 2003

during the Middle Island expedition. Suitable sunny conditions for butterflies

were experienced on each survey trip. One of us (RP) spent a few hours on

Woody Island in December 1993, and his opportunistic observations are

included in this paper.

Prior to visiting the islands, we identified the major habitat types, with the aid

of aerial photographs and published data on the topography and vegetation.

Published plant lists were scrutinised for known butterfly food plants. During

our surveys, all accessible types of habitat were carefully explored and food

plants, when encountered, were examined for signs of larvae. Accessible

hilltops were monitored for hilltopping butterflies. Botanical nomenclature

follows Green (1985).

Results

The results of our survey are summarised in Table 1. Voucher specimens

have been lodged in the Insect Collection of the Department of Conservation

and Land Management or (plants) in the Western Australian Herbarium.

HESPERIIDAE

Hesperilla chrysotricha chrysotricha (Meyrick & Lower)

Recorded from Middle I. Locally abundant around the food plant, Gahnia

trifida (Cyperaceae), growing in a narrow belt along the eastern shoreline of

Lake Hillier. In the early mornings, males were observed flying amongst the

Gahnia foliage, presumably in search of emerging females. Several pupae

were found in typical sealed cylindrical shelters on the food plant.

PIERIDAE

Delias aganippe (Donovan)

Recorded from Woody I. This species was not observed during the surveys in

1998, 1999 and 2003. However, several specimens were seen by one of us

(RP) on an earlier trip to Woody I. in December 1993.

Pieris rapae rapae (Linnaeus)

Recorded from Mondrain, Sandy Hook and Woody Is. On Woody I., a few

individuals were seen on the eastern side of the island, particularly in cleared

areas near the landing point. On Sandy Hook I. the species was not seen in

1998. A single individual was observed in November 1999, even though the

weather on that visit was cool and overcast. On Mondrain I. P. r. rapae was

usually uncommon. However, in 1998, after a period of off-shore north-

easterly winds, the species suddenly became abundant.

42 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Table 1. Butterflies recorded from Middle, Mondrain, Sandy Hook, Woody and

Goose Islands of the Recherche Archipelago.

Family and species Middle Mond- Sandy Woody Goose

rain Hook

HESPERIIDAE

Hesperilla chrysotricha chrysotricha °

PIERIDAE

Delias aganippe °

Pieris rapae rapae e e °

NYMPHALIDAE

Geitoneura klugii e

Heteronympha merope duboulayi °

Vanessa kershawi ° e. e. e

Vanessa itea ° ° °

Junonia villida calybe e. ° °

LYCAENIDAE

Nacaduba biocellata biocellata °

Neolucia agricola occidens ° e e e

Theclinesthes serpentata serpentata ° ° ° °

Zizina labradus labradus ° e e

Total number of species: 12 6 7 4 10 2

NYMPHALIDAE

Geitoneura klugii (Guérin-Méneville)

Recorded from Sandy Hook I. This species was encountered only on the

eastern side of the island, in a sheltered valley above the landing beach.

Butterflies were collected around patches of Austrostipa flavescens Labill.

(Poaceae), a known larval food plant.

Heteronympha merope duboulayi (Butler)

Recorded from Woody I. The common brown was not recorded during the

surveys in 1998, 1999 or 2003, which took place in the first half of

November and may have preceded the butterfly's appearance. RP, in his brief.

visit to Woody I. on 28 December 1993, recorded one female. Robyn Benken

(pers. comm.) found the species to be abundant during her visit on 12-13

December 2004; all specimens she was able to observe closely were male.

Vanessa kershawi (McCoy)

Recorded from Middle, Mondrain, Woody and Goose Is. On Middle I.,

numbers of fresh specimens were observed along the sheltered north-facing

and eastern coastline. Inland they were also common around Lake Hillier.

The butterflies were often seen feeding at flowering shrubs of Pimelea

ferruginea and Senecio lautus. On Mondrain I. the species was encountered

in 1998 and 1999. Butterflies were commonest in open meadows of

flowering Senecio lautus and Carpobrotus virescens. This habitat is often

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 43

found in nutrient enriched soils honeycombed with the burrows of the fleshy-

footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes Gould). On Woody I., V. kershawi was

common in cleared areas near the landing point on the eastern side of the

island. Adults were seen feeding on the flowers of Senecio lautus and the

introduced Arctotheca calendula. A. calendula (Asteraceae) is a known food

plant and V. kershawi was seen ovipositing on this plant. On Goose I. two

specimens were observed, feeding on the flowers of Pimelea ferruginea.

Vanessa itea (Fabricius)

Recorded from Middle, Mondrain and Woody Is. The yellow admiral was

commonest on Mondrain and Woody Is, where its food plant Parietaria

debilis (Urticaceae) was abundant. On Mondrain L, adults were seen in

coastal areas and upland meadows of flowering Senecio lautus and

Carpobrotus virescens. Large numbers of larvae were found on P. debilis,

which was growing profusely under dense stands of Melaleuca lanceolata.

Some were collected and subsequently reared in captivity. On Woody 1.,

about six adults were seen in the late morning to early afternoon. Four or

more were seen hilltopping after 1630 h at the island's highest point. P.

debilis was abundant and typical larval shelters were found in three or more

places. On both Mondrain and Woody Is, many of the V. itea were freshly

emerged. On Middle I. only a few plants of P. debilis were found, under a

small stand of M. lanceolata north of Lake Hillier that had escaped the two

major fires. On this island V. itea was uncommon; only about six individuals

were seen over four days. Some of these fed briefly at the flowers of Pimelea

ferruginea. One of the plants of P. debilis had a typical larval shelter.

Junonia villida calybe (Godart)

Recorded from Middle, Mondrain and Woody Is. On Middle I., the species

was encountered only on the rocky promontory between Coverdale Cove and

Cormorant Cove. At this site three worn males had established territories

along the rocky shoreline. On Mondrain I. the species was also scarce. A

fresh specimen was captured on an exposed granite sheet in November 1998,

and none was seen in 1999. Only on Woody I. was the butterfly common.

Several specimens were observed and collected at the eastern end of the

island near the landing point. The species was observed with V. kershawi on

flowering Senecio lautus and flying along pathways and in open areas.

LYCAENIDAE

Nacaduba biocelata biocellata (C. & R. Felder)

Recorded from Woody I. This common lycaenid was encountered only on

Woody I. A few individuals were seen near the summit of the island, around

freshly opened flowers of Acacia rostellifera.

Neolucia agricola occidens Waterhouse & Lyell

Recorded from Middle, Mondrain, Sandy Hook and Woody Is. Fringed

heath-blues were found on all but Goose I. On Middle I. they were plentiful.

44 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Butterflies were almost always seen close to flowering shrubs of Pultenaea

obcordata or Eutaxia obovata, which were common on the southeastern side

of Lake Hillier and along the northern and eastern coastline. By contrast, the

species was uncommon on the other islands. One freshly emerged specimen

was captured on a low flowering Acacia rostellifera near the summit of

Woody I. On Sandy Hook I., a specimen was collected flying round a Hakea

shrub. On Mondrain L, one butterfly was collected in 1998 and another

closely observed on a shrub at the northern end of the island in 1999.

Theclinesthes serpentata serpentata (Herrich-Schaffer)

Recorded from Mondrain, Sandy Hook, Woody and Goose Is. Saltbush blues

were seen mostly near one of their food plants, Rhagodia baccata

(Chenopodiaceae); no other species of food plant was encountered. We

recorded this butterfly on all the islands except Middle L, where we found

very few Rhagodia specimens. On Middle I. it was evident that this plant's

occurrence had been much reduced by grazing Tammar wallabies (Macropus

eugenii (Desmarest)). On Mondrain I., the butterflies were abundant in 1998,

around Rhagodia baccata above the landing beach on the northeastern side of

the island. On the return visit, in 1999, the butterflies were absent from this

site. On Sandy Hook I. one butterfly was seen (but not collected) in 1998. On

Woody I. the species was moderately common in low-lying, partly cleared

areas on the sheltered northeastern side. Here, too, the butterflies were found

near R. baccata. On Goose I., where succulent mats of R. baccata grow

extensively in nutrient enriched sandy areas honeycombed with shearwater

burrows, freshly emerged butterflies were abundant.

Zizina labradus labradus (Godart)

Recorded from Middle, Mondrain and Woody Is. On Middle I. the species

was uncommon. Two individuals were found on the northern coastline

between Coverdale Cove and North East Point, one feeding on a flowering

Senecio lautus. On Mondrain I. it was recorded in 1998 and 1999. On our

first visit, Z. /. labradus was not seen for the first three days and appeared on

the island only after a prolonged period of strong off-shore winds. The

butterflies were first observed about 0930 h on 12 November 1998; by late

morning they had become abundant and were frequently seen on the slopes of

the hill at the northern end of the island, in meadows and around vegetation

between granite sheets. In 1999 only one butterfly was recorded. On Woody

I., Z. l. labradus was locally common near the landing point.

Discussion

In considering the behaviour and ecology of butterfly species on islands, of

particular interest is their status. They can be present either permanently or

temporarily, referred to here as ‘permanent’ or ‘temporary’ species.

For a permanent species, the population is likely to be composed entirely or

largely of individuals that are resident on the island. There may be a viable,

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 45

isolated population, comprising resident individuals with no influx from

elsewhere, or such an influx may occur, boosting a resident population. In the

latter case, the resident population may to some degree rely on the influx for

its viability. If the butterfly population is to remain permanent, however, it

cannot rely on that influx too heavily, since there are bound to be years or

times when the usual influx does not occur (for example, as a result of a

mainland population being destroyed by fire).

Most of the permanent species might be expected to have a single generation

a year, since such species need a food plant only at the time the larvae are

feeding. Those species that have continuous generations would normally

need to have food plants available in a suitable state of growth throughout the

year, to allow each new generation to breed; this is unlikely on islands, with

their limited number of plant species. An influx of adults from elsewhere

cannot be relied on to maintain the presence of a species with continuous

generations at times of the year when it is unable to breed.

The temporary species will all be ones able to travel to the island from

elsewhere. Some may go there deliberately, either to breed when the season

or conditions are right or to rest during a migration. Others may be there by

accident, having the intention of remaining on the mainland but being

displaced out to sea by off-shore winds.

Four of the species we recorded - Hesperilla chrysotricha chrysotricha,

Geitoneura klugii, Heteronympha merope duboulayi and Neolucia agricola

occidens - are likely to be permanent species on the islands where found.

In Western Australia, Hesperilla chrysotricha has one or possibly two

generations a year (Braby 2000). Breeding was confirmed on Middle Island.

For most of the year the larvae or pupae remain in shelters on the Gahnia

trifida food plant. This island population is likely to be an isolated one, viable

enough to have persisted since the island was formed. The fire in 1972 burnt

the eastern part of the island, including the Gahnia vegetation fringing the

eastern side of Lake Hillier. However, isolated clumps of the food plant may

have survived on the northern side of the lake. Moreover, G. trifida occurs

also on the lower eastern slopes of Flinders Peak (A.J.M. Hopkins, pers.

comm.). Either part of the lakeside population may have survived, or

recolonization may have occurred from a population at Flinders Peak.

Neolucia agricola has one generation a year (Braby 2000) and is not known

to be very mobile. Its populations on the islands are likely to be isolated ones

that have persisted. On Middle Island the butterflies were very common and

were habitually seen around flowering shrubs of Pultenaea obcordata and

Eutaxia obovata. (Fabaceae). These are likely food plants, as other Pultenaea

and Eutaxia species are known larval food plants. A potential food plant,

Bossiaea dentata, occurs on the other islands where N. agricola was

recorded.

46 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Geitoneura klugii has only one generation a year (Braby 2000). It is not

known to be a very mobile species; our experience in Perth is that it wanders

barely at all from the bushlands where it breeds. The population on Sandy

Hook I., 8 km from the mainland, is likely to be an isolated one, where the

species almost certainly breeds on the native grass Austrostipa flavescens.

Given that Heteronympha merope has only one generation a year (Braby

2000) and that the grasses on Woody Island include two of its known food

plants, Cynodon dactylon and Poa poiformis, this butterfly may be a

permanent breeding species on this island. This likelihood is further

emphasized by the apparent abundance of the species on the island. H. m.

duboulayi has been found to be quite mobile, even though it is not known to

migrate (Braby 2000). A specimen recorded on Garden Island may have

travelled 2 km or more from the Perth mainland (Williams 1997) and the

Woody Island population may possibly be boosted by occasional arrivals

from the mainland. Whether or not H. m. duboulayi occurs on other islands in

the Recherche would need to be determined by surveys in summer.

Most of the eight remaining species are likely to be temporary. For Vanessa

itea, V. kershawi and Junonia villida, this is partly because they have

continuous generations and partly because they are highly mobile migrants

(Braby 2000). That we have recorded them from most of the islands we have

visited, including those of the Houtman Abrolhos, 60-80 km off the coast

(Williams and Powell 1998), suggests they are easily capable of travelling the

much shorter distances between the mainland and the Recherche islands

surveyed. Being swift, powerful fliers, they probably rely less on favourable

winds for such journeys than do other, less powerful species.

On the Recherche islands, V. ifea breeds on Parietaria debilis and probably

also on Urtica urens, which is available on Woody Island (Western

Australian Herbarium Collection). Both these plants are annuals, which

germinate in May or June and die off in November to December. V. itea

would be unable to persist on the islands over the four to five months when

its food plants are unavailable.

V. kershawi likely breeds from time to time on the islands, where likely food

plants include Arctotheca calendula, Gnaphalium sp. and Rhodanthe sp.

Likewise, J. villida may breed on known food plants such as Centaurium

spicatum and Scaevola aemula. It is unlikely, however, that either species

would breed on the Recherche islands over the whole year.

Both Delias aganippe and Pieris rapae are somewhat mobile (Braby 2000).

D. aganippe is clearly a temporary species on at least Woody Island, since

none of its food plants is present. Although we did not find it on any of the

other islands, it is likely to visit other islands in the archipelago from time to

time, and could breed on Middle Island where a known food plant, Amyema

melaleucae, occurs. The sudden increase in numbers of P. rapae observed on

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 47

Mondrain Island after a period of off-shore winds suggests that this species

will travel from the mainland to the islands, at least when the winds are

favourable. Cakile maritima (Brassicaceae), a possible food plant, grows on

many of the islands. On the mainland the species is certainly mobile. It was

introduced to Melbourne in 1939, and within three years had reached the west

coast (Thomas and Lewington 1991). In Europe, large migratory flights occur

from time to time.

Although the number of generations a year of Zizina labradus labradus has

not been recorded, the presence of the adults throughout the year in temperate

Australia (Braby 2000) suggests that it breeds continuously. It is therefore

probably a temporary species on the Recherche islands. The sudden

abundance of this species on Mondrain Island following its apparent absence,

and after a period of off-shore winds, strongly suggests that it travels to the

islands from the mainland, at least when the winds are favourable.

From the present information, the status on the islands of the remaining two

species, Nacaduba biocellata and Theclinesthes serpentata, is difficult to

determine. It is unknown whether N. biocellata has a single generation or a

succession of generations (Braby 2000), or whether it is sufficiently mobile

to travel between the mainland and the islands. The number of annual

generations of 7. serpentata has not been established (Braby 2000). Its

absence from the portion of Mondrain Island surveyed in 1999, following an

abundance in 1998, indicates that its occurrence on the island may be only

temporary. If the Mondrain population is temporary, the same can be

expected for the populations on Woody and Goose Islands.

The butterfly fauna on the adjacent mainland has a direct bearing on what

butterflies may be expected to occur on off-shore islands. Some species

appear to have remained on the islands since their separation from the

mainland, supported there by surviving available food plants. Others are now

known to be regular visitors to the islands.

V. kershawi, V. itea, J. villida and Z. labradus, have been recorded on all the

island groups surveyed: Bernier and Dorre Is, the Houtman Abrolhos,

Rottnest, Garden and the Recherche Archipelago (Williams and Hall 1993,

Williams 1997, Williams et al. 1998, Williams and Powell 1998, Williams et

al. 2000). All are temporary species, which either visit the islands under their

own power or are carried there by off-shore winds.

The silver-spotted ochre, Trapezites argenteoornatus (Hewitson), is well

established on all but the Recherche islands. Its success can be attributed to

the abundance of its food plant Acanthocarpus preissii on the west coast

islands. Two lycaenids, 7. serpentata and N. agricola, are successful island

species. T. serpentata occurs on all but Garden Island, where its saltbush food

plant is lacking. N. agricola appears to breed and maintain stable populations

on the Abrolhos and Recherche islands.

48 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to regional staff of the Department of Conservation and Land

Management in Esperance, particularly Bernie Haberley, who organised our

boat transport to and from Mondrain and Sandy Hook Islands, and Geoff

Young, who made arrangements for us to travel to Middle Island with

Department field staff Ray (Moey) Ramsden, Craig Clements and Wayne

Williams. Greg Keighery of the Deparment of Conservation and Land

Management identified plant specimens from Middle Island.

References

ABBOTT, I. and BLACK, R. 1978. An ecological reconnaissance of four islands in the

Archipelago of the Recherche, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western

Australia 60: 115-128.

BRABY, M.F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: their identification, biology and distribution.

CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood; xx + 976 pp.

BROWN, J.M., HOPKINS, A.J.M., TRUDGEN, M.E. and WESTON, A.S. 1984. Regeneration

after fire in 170 year old vegetation on Middle Island, South Western Australia. Pp 18-19, in:

Dell, B. (ed.), Medicos IV, Proceedings. Perth.

GREEN, J.W. 1985. Census of the vascular plants of Western Australia. Western Australian

Herbarium, Department of Agriculture, Perth; 312 pp.

HOPKINS, A.J.M. 1981. Studies on Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago. Swans 11: 6-9.

KEIGHERY, G. 1995. Additions to the flora of the Recherche Archipelago. Western Australian

Naturalist 5: 133-138.

PEARSON, D., HOPPER, S., COCHRANE, A., COMER, S. and DANKS, A. 2004. Fire in the

Arc. Landscope 20: 10-17.

THOMAS, J. and LEWINGTON, R. 1991. The butterflies of Britain and Ireland. Dorling

Kindersley Limited, London.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E. 1997. The butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Garden and Rottnest islands,

Western Australia. Australian Entomologist 24(1): 27-34.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E. and HALL, G.P. 1993. New records of butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Heperioidea and Papilionoidea) from Bernier Island, Western Australia. Australian Entomologist

20(1): 45-46.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E. and POWELL, R.J. 1998. The butterflies (Lepidoptera) of East and West

Wallabi Islands, Western Australia. Australian Entomologist 25(4): 107-112.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E., SCANLON, M.D. and HIMBECK, K.J. 1998. New records of butterflies

(Lepidoptera) from Dorre Island, Western Australia. Victorian Entomologist 28: 55-58.

WILLIAMS, A.A.E., WILLIAMS, M.R. and GRAHAM, A.J. 2000. Further notes on some

Western Australian butterflies. Victorian Entomologist 30: 3-9.

WILLIS, J.H. 1953. Land flora. Report of the Australian Geographical Society Expedition to the

Recherche Archipelago. Part 3a: 3-30.

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1): 49- 55 49

A KEY TO SOME AUSTRALIAN GENERA OF LARGE

NOCTURNAL ICHNEUMONIDAE (HYMENOPTERA), INCLUDING

FLIGHT PERIODICITIES AND INFLUENCE OF MOON PHASE ON

LIGHT TRAP CATCHES

MARK W. SHORT'?, STEFAN SCHMIDT? * and MARTIN J.

STEINBAUER'?

'Co-operative Research Centre for Sustainable Production Forestry & CSIRO Entomology,

GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601

?Present address: Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Unit, Australian Government -

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, GPO Box 570, Canberra, ACT 2601

3CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601

"Present address: State Museum of Zoology, Hymenoptera Section, Miinchhausenstr. 21, 81247

Münich, Germany

* Address for correspondence: Australian Plague Locust Commission, Australian Government —

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT 2601

(email: martin.steinbauer@daff.gov.au)

Abstract

A simple key to some of the genera of large, nocturnal ichneumonid wasps found in southeastern

Australia is provided, along with information about their flight periodicities and the influence of

moon phase on light trap catches. Approximately 74% of wasps caught were active between

2130 and 0245 h and more were caught on new moon nights than on full moon nights.

Introduction

Large (ie. forewing 2 15 mm long), nocturnal ichneumonid wasps are

commonly caught when UV light trapping in southeastern Australia and

undoubtedly form an important guild of natural enemies of other insects.

Similarities in morphology and colouration between different genera may

deter non-taxonomists from identifying them, thus limiting the recording of

their diversity and abundance.

Nocturnal wasps generally have swollen ocelli, very long antennae and are

entirely or almost entirely orange-brown in colour (Fig. 1). This appearance

is called the *ophionoid facies" and occurs mainly in the Ichneumonoidea

(Braconidae and Ichneumonidae) and some tropical Chalcidoidea and

Vespoidea (Huddleston and Gauld 1988). Many nocturnal parasitic wasps

attack the nocturnally active larvae of Lepidoptera (e.g. Noctuidae) and

Symphyta, some of which are of significant economic importance

(Huddleston and Gauld 1988; hosts listed in Table 1). Although similarities

in circadian rhythms and their parasitoid lifecycle might logically place them

in a single functional group (i.e. ‘natural enemies’), such a grouping would

provide only limited insight into the specific impacts of the different taxa on

other biota in a given ecosystem.

Large nocturnal wasps are distinctive and easily extracted from a typical light

trap catch. In our studies, Ichneumonidae accounted for all but one of many

hundreds of specimens examined from light traps in southeastern Australia,

50 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Table 1. Host records for large nocturnal ichneumonids of Australia (compiled from

Gauld 1984). Host families lepidopteran except Pergidae (Hymenoptera).

Ichneumonid Host family Host species

taxon

Cidaphus No records Non-Australian species are secondary parasitoids

of moths and sawflies via Ichneumonidae

Hypopheltes Pergidae Perga sp., Pseudoperga belinda Kirby

Megaceria Geometridae Mnesampela privata (Guenée), Paralaea Guest (as

Stathmorrhopa sp.)

Notodontidae ^ Unidentified pupa

Netelia Noctuidae Agrotis infusa (Boisduval), Agrotis munda Walker,

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), Helicoverpa sp.,

Mythimna convecta (Walker), Mythimna separata

(Walker) ^ Persectania ewingii (Westwood),

Spodoptera exempta (Walker), Spodoptera litura

(Fabricius)

Pieridae Pieris rapae (Linnaeus)

Ophioninae Anthelidae Anthela varia (Walker), Anthela sp.

Geometridae Chlenias sp.

Lymantriidae ^ Acyphas sp.

Noctuidae Mythimna separata (Walker), Mythimna sp.,

Persectania sp.

SN =

RN ees

Fig. 1. Netelia sp., female. Habitus illustrating an ichneumonid with ophionoid facies

(length 18 mm from face to tip of abdomen, excluding ovipositor).

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 51

the exception belonging to the family Aulacidae. We collated information

about this group while conducting routine light-trapping as part of another

study. Accordingly, we compiled a key to the large, nocturnal ichneumonid

genera (excluding the Ophioninae — see below). The key is aimed at non-

taxonomists and is much less formidable than the keys to Australia's

Ichneumonidae provided by Gauld (1984).

We used Gauld (1984) as a guide to the Australian genera of nocturnal

Ichneumonidae, supplemented by material in the Australian National Insect

Collection, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, and our own material. The key

was constructed by compiling information from Gauld (1984) and with

reference to Gauld and Huddleston (1976) and Huddleston and Gauld (1988).

Key to some Australian genera of large nocturnal Ichneumonidae

This key is designed for non-taxonomists and uses only easy-to-see

characters of the forewing. However, the eight Australian genera of

Ophioninae cannot be separated so easily and have not been included; keys to

these genera can be found in Gauld (1977, 1984). Our key is applicable to

any ichneumonid with ophionoid facies and a forewing at least 12 mm in

length. A key covering smaller ichneumonids would need to include Anacis

Porter, Mesochorus Gravenhorst and perhaps other genera. Light traps also

occasionally catch wasps that do not exhibit ophionoid facies. These wasps

are probably not nocturnal but might be crepuscular or have been disturbed

by the setting up or operation of the trap (Gauld and Huddleston 1976).

1 Forewing with two intercubital veins that enclose a small cell, the areolet

(Fig. 2); in Netelia lower part of distal intercubital vein often missing .... 2

— Forewing with a single intercubital vein and no areolet (Fig. 3) ................

irr ETETO HXIMITEIINI E E s E E PI eee Ophioninae (not keyed further)

2 First subdiscal cell of forewing much higher at distal end than at proximal

endi(EigT4) pete ENTRE Ie I IR TRITT Megaceria Szépligeti

— First subdiscal cell of forewing about same height at each end (Fig. 5) ... 3

3 Forewing vein 2m-cu with two widely separated bullae (unpigmented

portions of the vein crossed by flexion lines) (Fig. 6) ............ Netelia Gray

— Forewing vein 2m-cu with a single long bulla (Fig. 7) ............................. 4

4 Areolet approximately rectangular, about twice as long as wide (Fig. 8,

lower arrow); pterostigma (thickened vein about halfway along anterior

margin of forewing) moderately broad, r-rs vein arising near its centre

(Hig S Xuppenarrow)leme eu EE Cidaphus Forster

— Areolet diamond-shaped (Fig. 9, lower arrow); pterostigma long and

narrow, r-rs vein arising near its proximal end (Fig. 9, upper arrow) .........

UTOTONI EEOAE YAYAT LIIITE EIDA or Hypopheltes Cushman

52 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Figs 2-9. Venation of the distal portions of the forewings of large nocturnal

ichneumonids, encompassing the genera Megaceria (Fig. 4), Netelia (Fig. 6),

Cidaphus (Fig. 8) and Hypopheltes (Fig. 9). Venation typical of species belonging to

the Ophioninae is shown in Fig. 3. Arrows indicate locations of features mentioned in

the key. Compiled from Gauld (1984).

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 53

Summary of light trap catches

The study site was an experimental planting of 500 eucalypts located near

Hall, ACT (35?09'55.7"S, 149?02'49.9"E; altitude 615 m a.s.l.). The two

light traps used were custom made so that they could sub-sample in seven

periods from 1800 to 0600 h (illustrated in Steinbauer 2003).

We did not develop the above key until after our trapping was complete.

Consequently, the following findings relate to large nocturnal ichneumonids

as a whole rather than individual genera or species. Our light trapping yielded

a total of 625 large nocturnal wasps. Based on a small sub-sample, we

estimate that approximately 75% of the wasps were species of Netelia and the

remainder Ophioninae.

The number of wasps caught fluctuated considerably from night to night but

there was a clear downward trend in numbers from December to May (Fig.

10; see also Steinbauer eft al. 2001, p. 530). The numbers of wasps caught

showed a clear peak between 2130 and 0245 h, with 73.696 of them being

caught in this period (Fig. 11). The phase of the moon also appears to have

influenced the number of wasps collected, with more caught near the new

moon than near the full moon (Fig. 12).

N N

Total number of wasps caught

Dec99 : Jan0O : Feb0O : Mar0O : AprO0 ; May00

Month

Fig. 10. Total number of large nocturnal wasps caught in light traps versus day of year

(n = 625 individuals).

54 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

Total number of wasps caught

"- B E ag

| 1800-1945 1945-2130 2130-2315 2315-0100 0100-0245 0245-0430 0430-0600 |

| " |

| Time of night (24 hrs) |

L - - E CM. en Pm a >

Fig. 11. Total number of large nocturnal wasps caught in light traps versus time of

night (n = 625 individuals).

| 16.0

[O Full E Last Qtr m New & First Qtr |

| B I

Jan00 : Feb00 : Mar00

140 4

12.0 4

10.0 |

8.0 +

60.

40 4

2.0 4

Mean number of wasps caught per night

Poe.

Apr00 : May00

0.0 -

Month

Fig. 12. Average number of large nocturnal wasps caught in light traps versus phase

of moon (average computed for phase + 2 nights).

Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1) 55

Acknowledgements

We thank Colin Tann (CSIRO Entomology, Narrabri) for donating the two

light traps, Brett Brewer, Craig Szabadics and Roger Williams (CSIRO

Entomology, Canberra) for modifications and repairs to the traps, John

Dowse, Michelle Michie and Rex Sutherland (CSIRO Entomology,

Canberra) for assistance with trapping and two anonymous referees for

helpful comments on an earlier version of the text.

References

GAULD, I.D. 1977. A revision of the Ophioninae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) of Australia.

Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 49: 1-112.

GAULD, LD. 1984. An introduction to the Ichneumonidae of Australia. British Museum

(Natural History), London; 413 pp.

GAULD, I.D. and HUDDLESTON, T. 1976. The nocturnal Ichneumonoidea of the British Isles,

including a key to genera. Entomologist's Gazette 27; 35-49.

HUDDLESTON, T. and GAULD, I. 1988. Parasitic wasps (Ichneumonoidea) in British light-

traps. Entomologist 107: 134—154.

STEINBAUER, M.J. 2003. Using ultra-violet light traps to monitor autumn gum moth,

Mnesampela privata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in south-east Australia. Australian Forestry 66:

279-286.

STEINBAUER, M.J., McQUILLAN, P.B. and YOUNG, C.J. 2001. Life history and behavioural

traits of Mnesampela privata that exacerbate population responses to eucalypt plantations:

comparisons with Australian and outbreak species of forest geometrid from the northern-

hemisphere. Austral Ecology 26: 525-534.

56 Australian Entomologist, 2006, 33 (1)

RECENT ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE

LUSHAI, G., ZALUCKI, M.P., SMITH, D.A.S., GOULSON, D. and DANIELS, G.

2005 The lesser wanderer butterfly, Danaus petilia (Stoll 1790) stat. rev. (Lepidoptera:

Danainae), reinstated as a species. Australian Journal of Entomology 44(1): 6-14.

MALIPATIL, M.B.

2005 One new genus and three new species of Orsillinae (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) from

Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 44(2): 122-131.

MASCHWITZ, U., GO, C., DOROW, W.H.O., BUSCHINGER, A. and KOHOUT, R.

2003 Polyrhachis loweryi (Formicinae), a guest ant parasitizing Rhytidoponera sp.

(Ponerinae) in Queensland, Australia. /nsectes Sociaux 50: 69-76.

MEATS, A., CLIFT, A.D. and ROBSON, M.

2003 Incipient founder populations of Mediterranean and Queensland fruit flies in Australia,

the relation of trap catch to infestation radius and models for quarantine radius.

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 43: 397-406.

MENDEL, Z., PROTASOV, A., FISHER, N. and LA SALLE, J.

2004 Taxonomy and biology of Leptocybe invasa gen. & sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae),

an invasive gall inducer on Eucalyptus. Australian Journal of Entomology 43(2): 101-

113.

MOUND, L.A. and POSTLE, A.C.

2004 = Panchaetothrips timonii sp. n. (Thysanoptera, Thripidae); first Australian record of this

Old World tropical genus. Australian Journal of Entomology 43(2): 133-137.

NEW, T.R. and SANDS, D.P.A.

2004 Management of threatened insect species in Australia, with particular reference to

butterflies. Australian Journal of Entomology 43(3): 258-270.

OGAWA, J.R., MILLER, K.L. and JUDD, D.D.

2004 Redescription of Dixella humeralis (Tonnoir) with notes on the immature stages

(Diptera: Dixidae). Australian Journal of Entomology 43(4): 340-345.

PERERA, A.

1993 Ornithoptera priamus euphorion (Gray) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) nuevas mutaciones.

SHILAP Revista de Lepidopterologia 21(84): 256.

[records and illustrates a melanistic aberration of a male O. euphorion]

TARMANN, G.M.

2004 Zygaenid moths of Australia: a revision of the Zygaenidae of Australia (Procridinae:

Artonini). Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Volume 9. CSIRO Publishing,

Collingwood; 320 pp.

WATTS, C.H.S. and HUMPHREYS, W.F.

2001 Six new species of Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) from underground waters in the Yilgarn

palacodrainage system of Western Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum

34: 99-114.

2003 Twenty-five new Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) of the genera Tjirtudessus Watts &

Humphreys, Nirripirti Watts & Humphreys and Bidessodes Régimbart, from

underground waters in Australia. Records of the South Australian Museum 36: 135-187.

WILLS, T.E., CHAPMAN, T.W., MOUND, L.A., KRANZ, B.D. and SCHWARZ, M.P.

2004 Natural history and description of Oncothrips kinchega, a new species of gall-inducing

thrips with soldiers (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Australian Journal of Entomology

43(2): 169-176.

ENTOMOLOGICAL NOTICES

Items for insertion should be sent to the editor who reserves the right to alter,

reject or charge for notices.

NOTES FOR AUTHORS

Manuscripts submitted for publication can either be submitted as hardcopies

or electronically. Three copies (double spaced text and illustrations) of

hardcopy manuscripts should be submitted. Manuscripts submitted in digital

format should be sent in Microsoft Word. Digital illustrations should be sent

initially as low resolution images in a separate Word file, as low resolution

JPEGs, or as low resolution PDF files, with figure numbers indicated clearly

for each figure. Digital manuscripts may be sent via email to

susan.wright@qm.qld.gov.au. Hardcopy manuscripts and digital manuscripts

on floppy disk or CD-ROM should be sent to:

The Editor

The Australian Entomologist

P.O. Box 537,

Indooroopilly, Qld, 4068

Authors should refer to recent issues for layout and style. All papers will be

forwarded to two referees and the editor reserves the right to reject any paper

considered unsuitable.

It is Magazine editorial policy that usage of taxonomic nomenclature will

comply with the mandatory provisions of the International Code of

Zoological Nomenclature.

Papers longer than ten printed pages will normally not be accepted.

Publication costs are as follows: cost per printed page, or part thereof, $27.50

(black & white) and $60 (colour). These costs include the supply of 50 free

reprints to the senior author. Papers occupying one printed page or less may

be accepted without charge if no reprints are required. Reprints may be

supplied for one page papers at the normal cost, by arrangement. Page

charges may be reduced at the discretion of the Publications Committee. An

application for reduction must be made, with reasons, at the time of

acceptance of the manuscript.

Printed by ColourWise Reproductions, 300 Ann Street, Brisbane, 4000.

THE AUSTRALIAN

Entomologist

Volume 33, Part 1, 12 March 2006

CONTENTS

BASHFORD, R.

The insect complex inhabiting galls formed by Cecidomyia acaciaelongifoliae Skuse

(Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) in Tasmania.

BELLIS, G.A., FALICIANO, R., ALVES, A. AND HEARNDEN, M.

A survey of insect pests breeding in mango fruit in Dili, East Timor.

GREEN, K.

The return migration of bogong moths, Agrotis infusa (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera:

Noctuidae), from the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales.

HAYWOOD, B.T. AND NATT, V.

First confirmed observation of Heteronympha cordace wilsoni Burns

(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) in South Australia.

LANE, D.A.

Life history notes on Leucomonia bethia (Kirby) (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).

MCDONALD, F.J.D.

Birna, a new name for Linea McDonald (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

peines sss A SS suique ENDE ee

MEYER, C.E., WEIR, R.P. AND WILSON, D.N.

Butterfly (Lepidoptera) records from the Darwin region, Northern Territory.

SHORT, M.W., SCHMIDT, S. AND STEINBAUER, M.J.

A key to some Australian genera of large nocturnal Ichneumonidae (Hymenoptera),

including flight periodicities and influence of moon phase on light trap catches.

STEINBAUER, MJ.

Re-collection and tentative host record for Hygia (Australocopura) sandaracinae

Brailovsky (Hemiptera: Coreidae: Colpurini).

WILLIAMS, A.A.E AND POWELL, RJ.

The butterflies (Lepidoptera) of Middle, Mondrain, Sandy Hook, Woody and

Goose Islands in the Recherche Archipelago, Western Australia.

RECENT ENTOMOLOGICAL LITERATURE

ISSN 1320 6133 e