PLANNING AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 2010

President:

Vice President:

Treasurer:

Secretary:

Magazine:

Publicity & Library

Excursion Convenor:

Ross Kendall 07 3378 1187

John Moss O7 3245 2997

Rob MacSloy 07 3824 4348

Position not filled

Daphne Bowden (daphne.bowden1 @bigpond.com)07 3396 6334

Lois Hughes 07 3206 6229

Alisha Steward 07 3275 1186

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION MEETINGS

A quarterly meeting is scheduled in order to plan club activities and the magazine.

See BOIC Programme.

CONTACT ADDRESS AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

PO Box 2113, Runcorn, Queensland 4113

Membership fees are $25 for individuals, schools and organizations.

AIMS OF ORGANIZATION

e To establish a network of people growing butterfly host plants;

e To hold information meetings about invertebrates;

e To organize excursions around the theme of invertebrates e.g. butterflies, native

bees, ants, dragonflies, beetles, freshwater habitats, and others;

e To promote the conservation of the invertebrate habitat;

e To promote the keeping of invertebrates as alternative pets;

e To promote research into invertebrates;

e To encourage the construction of invertebrate friendly habitats in urban areas.

MAGAZINE DEADLINES

If you want to submit an item for publication the following deadlines apply:

March issue — February 14" June issue — May 14"

September issue — August 14" December issue — November 14"

Zodiac Moth (Alcides metaurus) on Omphalea papuana - Painting by Lois Hughes.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 2

Prints of this painting may be available from the artist. Ph. 07 3206 6229

FROM THE PRESIDENT

As the publication date of our magazine approaches and I learn of the various articles

that have been assembled, I am always impressed by the dedicated “work” that has

been done by our contributors. Often this work have been carried out over many

years, such 1s the dedication of the authors. In this edition, we welcome and thank

three new contributors: Maya Harrison, in her cover story on the Zodiac Moth, shares

her colourful journey of discovery with us; Todd Burrows writes of the Silky Jewel;

Linda Rogan of the Imperial Hairstreak.

Kelvyn Dunn’s article reminds us again to expect the unexpected 1f we employ keen

observation at any time of the year.

Just when I thought I had gained a victory over the slugs and snails that proliferated

and feasted on so many of my seedlings in our wonderfully wet summer and autumn,

Densey Clyne writes of how beautiful slugs can be. I fear I will now have to go out

at night with a strong torch to determine friend or foe before waging war on these

slippery creatures!

Limited space permits me only to say, “Thank you” to all of our other writers and

photographers. Your articles will be read with pleasure and interest.

Unfortunately, the position of Club Secretary remains vacant. Do we have a

volunteer? Best wishes Ross

Creature Feature - The Zodiac Moth ......... cc eeccccsssseccccesseccceesececceesecccseneeccsaeseeeseeeeess 4

Hostplants of the Zodiac Moth 1n Australia ............cccccccsseccccssecccesececeeneccceeeecceaeneceseeees 7

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Life history notes on the Wide-brand Grass-dart (Suniana sunias rectivittd) ..........0+. 15

Life history notes on the Silky Jewel (Hypochrysops Gigglesii) .....ccccccscccccssecceneeeeeeees 18

Winter butterfly observations near the Melbourne CBD............ cc ecccceseeceeeneeeeees 19

some FAQs About Stingless Bee .............:.ccsssscavvessetesvsteessovenpesevechsvsscstesenevessuvecevsess 26

Excursion Report - Ray and Delphine Archer's property - 6" and 7" February 2010. 29

At the Light Trap - A night at Ray's .............c cc cecccccsssccccesesccecseccceessccsenesceeenececeeneceseeees 30

DVD Review - The Imperial Blue Butterfly o.oo eeccccessecceceesecceeeeeceeeaneeeees 33

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New host plant for the Scarlet or Northern Jezebel (Delias argenthona) ..............0000. 35

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 7 Page 3

CREATURE FEATURE

The Zodiac Moth... A discovery and study - Maya Harrison, Visitors

Services Officer at the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens

Whilst resting on a log at the

Mackay Regional Botanic

Gardens and gazing upward

towards the leafy canopy 1n the

Shade Garden, I noticed a large

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you?” I asked myself, noticing

es its bright arc of iridescent

colours? Not having seen such

Alcides metaurus a large creature like this

before, I looked in our

Australian butterflies book to see 1f I could identify it. No luck, so by chance I

thought to look in an Australian moth book and there it was...1n the Uraniidae

family... Alcides metaurus (formerly A. zodiaca)...commonly known as the North

Queensland Day Moth or Zodiac Moth.

According to the literature, A/cides metaurus 1s a very large and conspicuous day-

flying moth, most readily seen in the early morning when it visits flowers to feed. It 1s

found in rainforests from Cape York south to Mackay in Queensland. The larvae feed

on Omphalea queenslandiae and two species of Endospermum (the former vines and

the latter trees in the family Euphorbiaceae).

The moth species pictured above, was photographed during December 2008 at the

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens 1n the Shade Garden and adjoining Palm Walk. In

the Palm Walk Gardens are a number of Tree Omphalea... Omphalea celata, the only

tree species in the Omphalea (mostly vine) genus 1n Australia. These moths can be

seen fluttering at all times of the day and are especially active in the late afternoon.

A caterpillar was located on the Tree Omphalea growing in the Regional Forest

Garden... the tree had been decimated... but with leaves from other trees the rescued

larva was fed until pupal stage in March 2009.

Having found many caterpillars in the Tree Omphaleas in Palm Walk, differences

were noted 1n the colourings of the caterpillars. Some had deep red and black

markings, some were green with lighter stripes and others were a plain green... why

the differences?

It could be that the different stages of the caterpillars’ development coincides with

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 4

their changes in colour’? The young caterpillar is dark with red patches and some

white spots and stripey black bands. The caterpillar seemed to become greener the

larger it became...or was this just what appeared to be from the specimens available?

There still seemed to be differences between caterpillars just before they pupated...

some were green but with visible stripes whereas others seemed to be a plainer green.

The black band at the head end was evident 1n both types of the fully grown

caterpillars. Could it be that the differences were due to being either male or female?

Examples of some colour variation

Lots of questions to be answered!

The caterpillars appear to have a defense mechanism of dropping on a strong and

sticky silken thread when they detect danger. After hanging for a period of time, they

then twist their bodies and climb back up the thread to resume their position on the

leaves or twig. I took a small video to document this action. The caterpillar also

passed excrement.

Before pupation the caterpillars create a silken pouch... joining several leaves together

around them with a strong thread. It is like a totally enclosed vertical lacy hammock!

Here the caterpillar changes into a pupa and the developing moth can be seen inside. I

have not observed any caterpillar lowering to the ground to pupate 1n leaf litter or in

crevices as written in articles found on the web... “The larvae of this moth feed

mainly on the vine Omphalea queenslandiae and pupate in transparent cocoons

between dead leaves on the ground or in crevices.”

(rainforest-australia.com/zodiac.htm)

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Larva beginning to create a cocoon Pupa within its cocoon

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 5

In fact, I have observed that when all leaves of the Tree Omphalea are eaten and

none remain, the caterpillar will create this lacy cocoon enclosure in adjoining trees

and plants in natural conditions. I have not observed any caterpillars pupating

elsewhere but in between joined leaves. However in my observation containers, the

caterpillars would make their transparent cocoons either between leaves or against the

edges of the container either at the base in corners, on the sides or even on the

underside of the lid.

Parts of the developing moth can be seen through

the pupal wall just before the moth emerges. The

wings and eyes are clearly visible in the developing

pupae. After about 2 weeks the moth emerges then

expands and hardens its very velvety looking

wings.

. Expanding its wings

The upper and under sides of both wings are very

different; the underside having strong jade green/light blue and black colourings

while the upperside has a semi-circle of iridescent rainbow coloured scales. When

taking a photo with a camera flash the reflective scales are accentuated.

y -se'!

Adult upperside and underside

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 6

More differences in colours! “I wonder what 1s the purpose of these colour

differences”

I was still wondering about the different colour

variations I had previously observed in the

caterpillars. At least 13 different versions were

noted, including yellow /orange, a tartan brown,

red and black combinations, sometimes the

caterpillar being nearly all black with some red

and vice versa, a yellow green, a plain lighter

ereen with faint yellow stripes, a dark plain green

(these green ones always being much plumper

than the other coloured caterpillars). Could one

clutch of eggs produce one colour variation or :

could one clutch produce a range of colour Vit

variations? On the 6" April 2009, I was fortunate 1 &, ~-#

to see a moth laying eggs and collected the leaf |

with these fresh eggs. The Zodiac Files had Egg laying

begun! (To be continued in a future issue of

Metamorphosis Australia. )

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Photos Maya Harrison

PLANT PROFILE

Hostplants of the Zodiac Moth in Australia - John T. Moss

The large and magnificent day-flying Zodiac Moth (Alcides metaurus, formerly A.

zodiaca) fam. Uraniidae, has been a source of wonder and mystery in Papua New

Guinea and northern Australia for nearly two centuries. Often mistaken for a

swallowtail butterfly, its Australian larval food plants were unknown until the early

eighties when Coleman and Monteith (1981) reported that larvae fed on the leaves of

the large, canopy scrambling, rainforest vine Omphalea queenslandiae (fam.

Euphorbiaceae).

O. gueenslandiae has a large North Queensland coastal distribution, 1n tropical

rainforest and also, according to Alan King (pers. comm.), occurs 1n swampy forests

around Innisfail. Cooper and Cooper (1994) give the distribution as “foothills to

upland rainforest of northeastern Queensland”. In their classic work they illustrate

beautifully over two facing pages, not only the fruit and foliage, but also a specimen

of the moth resting, typically, with wings outspread, on a leaf of the vine.

Alan King (unpub.) reports the moth utilising the related vine O. papuana in one of

Townsville’s botanic gardens. This rare vine’s natural occurrence 1s much further

north in the Iron Range/Claudie River region of eastern Cape York, as well as in

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 7

Papua New Guinea. Undoubtedly it is the moth’s natural hostplant at the former

locality, and probably in PNG as well.

Omphalea papuana — juvenile left — adult right

Photos Russel Denton

O. papuana differs from

O. gueenslandiae in

having juvenile foliage

with deeply divided (3 to

5 lobed) simple leaves.

The adult foliage of both

is similar, although the

latter has relatively

smaller leaves (A.King

pers.comm.). Lois

Hughes has superbly

illustrated both moth

and these juvenile leaves

on the cover of this

issue.

Monteith and Wood (1987) determined that in Australia there were two species of

Endospermum (also Euphorbiaceae) — £. myrmecophilum from the Bamaga-

Lockerbie rainforests at the tip of Cape York Peninsula and £. medullosum which

occurs from Iron Range to Tully and in the Northern Territory. Both these medium to

large trees have large hairy leaves, either peltate or subcordate in form. Additionally,

the former tree, as its botanical name suggests, exhibits hollowed out branchlets,

many of which contain ant colonies.

In their paper, Monteith and Wood reported on the observations of Denis Kitchen and

Harry Fay, namely on the former’s rearing of Zodiac Moths from £. myrmecophilum

at Bamaga in 1985 and the latter’s rearing of the moth from E. medullosum at Mission

Beach in April 1987, thus confirming a second euphorbiaceous hostplant genus for

this moth and also a few related nocturnal uraniids.

However, for many years, the Zodiac Moth has been reported well south of the

distribution of these four hostplants, 1n particular around Bowen and in the Mackay

hinterland. I was unwittingly involved in the discovery of its fifth recorded hostplant

in the Eungella area west of Mackay, by ranger Steve Pearson of the Queensland

Parks and Wildlife Service.

Sometime in 1986/87 Steve rang me about “a large swallowtail butterfly” that he

couldn’t identify and which was flying “in large numbers” around an unknown tree

within the national park. I realised that it had to be the Zodiac Moth, but was curious

about the tree which was said to resemble a Candlenut Tree (A/eurites species). In

fact, following deposit of a specimen in the Queensland Herbarium, it was given the

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 8

presumptive identity of Aleurites sp. “Hazelwood Gorge” (from its first discovery

site). Later, further study by botanist Paul Forster led to its revision and placement

within Omphalea as O. celata, becoming the only tree within this genus of lianes.

There are photos in Pearson (1992)

showing both fruit and foliage, the former

closely resembling that of the Candlenut

and the latter having softly textured leaves

with undulating margins and clustered on

terminal branches, neither resembling

typical Aleurites nor Omphalea! The

image of foliage of a seedling tree

accompanying this article should help to

illustrate this point.

An interesting illustrated A4 size flyer Omphalea celata seedling — Photo J. T. Moss

from the Mackay Regional Botanic

Gardens showing the moth and both foliage and fruit of O. celata states that the tree

“is only known from three small isolated populations in Central Queensland”. It

further states that the tree germinates readily from marble-sized seeds and grows

easily in sandy, rocky and shallow soils. “It is a water-wise plant that stores water in

its fat, fleshy, carrot-shaped roots.”

References

Coleman, N.C. and Monteith, G.B. 1981. Life history of the North Queensland day-

flying moth Alcides zodiaca Butler (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae). North

Queensland Naturalist 45(179): 2-6

Cooper, W. and Cooper, W.T. 1994. Fruits of the Rainforest. 327pp. RD Press

Monteith, G.B. and Wood, G.A. 1987. Endospermum, ants and uranid moths in

Australia. Queensland Naturalist 28 (1-4): 35-41.

Pearson, S. and Pearson, A. 1992. Rainforest Plants of Eastern Australia. 224p.

Kangaroo Press.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR AGM — 17°" APRIL 2010

Another year has hurried by and I thank committee members for their contributions

during the past year.

Peter Hendry will be unable to take on the role of Club secretary this year but will

continue to be actively involved writing articles and applying technical expertise to

images for the magazine. He has taken the microscope assembly “under his wing”

and, combined with the recently acquired Helicon Focus software, this will result in

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 9

some very interesting images. I encourage members with an interest in using the

microscope to contact Peter.

Daphne Bowden has been the steady rock around which numerous articles for the

magazine have swirled, been plucked from the stream, referred to numerous

specialists and proofreaders, blended into an excellent format, then printed and

dispatched to our readers. She continues to field numerous enquiries from a wide

geographical range and is a wonderful ambassador for the Club. Together with our

efficient treasurer, Rob, Daphne unravels the complex membership status of “paid

up’, “pending” and “overdue/lapsed” members. Lois continues to paint beautiful

covers for the magazine, field phone enquires and pursue her love of stick insects.

John has worked as our scientific ambassador over the year conducting talks and

tours, reviewing as well as writing articles for the magazine. Alisha’s expeditions

have been most enjoyable and informative.

Thank you to the many members who have contributed to “Metamorphosis Australia

in the last year. These contributions ensure that the magazine, which is our main

contact with our far-flung membership, caters for a range of interests in invertebrates.

We have again benefitted from grants by the Brisbane City Council. $1000 was

received to help with printing costs of our magazine and $350 purchased the 3D

software Helicon Focus. Membership fees and sales of books etc now cover the cost

of printing and postage.

Throughout the year we have enjoyed a good working relationship in a number of

activities with the Entomological Society of Queensland, the Queensland Museum,

Brisbane City Council, Redlands City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and

the Society for Growing Australian Plants.

In the coming year, I would like to see the BOIC website come to realise its potential.

We really need a member with computer expertise and enthusiasm to take on this

task.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Anyone for Slugs? - Densey Clyne

No, thank you very much, you will be thinking. Slimy pests with no redeeming

features at all - away with them! Well yes, some of them, but others deserve a closer

look. If I had not become so thoroughly captivated by six-legged and eight-legged

arthropods so early in my life I believe 1t would have been the slugs and snails that

took my fancy. There is something so elegant about a snail gliding along, rather like

a ship on a calm sea, and the courtship and mating habits of slugs can be spectacular.

But one particular kind of slug has always intrigued me.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 7 Page 10

Over the summer months one of the

smooth-barked gumtrees in my

Wauchope garden acquires an artistic

pattern of meandering squiggles. One

rainy night I went out after dark and

there was the artist, moving very

slowly high up on a branch - my old

friend first met in Sydney, the Red

Triangle slug, Triboniophorus

graeffei. It was my first sighting of

the slug in my new garden though I

had recognised its squiggles on the

gumtree. This year I’ve Be

been excited to find them

for the first time on my

crepe myrtle trees, planted

5 years ago.

I first got to know these

slugs years ago in an

overgrown Sydney

suburban garden where

giant bluegums grew on

rich soil and it rained a lot.

The slugs had taken a

liking to a mature crepe |

myrtle tree, adding an extra f

touch to its beautifully T. graeffei on witeenk Myrtle

patterned trunk. As well as

being much bigger - up to

140mm - these slugs were different

from any other slugs I knew. Ona

smooth, cream-coloured body a red

line formed a distinctive triangle

around the breathing hole and also

outlined the edge of the ‘foot’, the

body part a slug glides on.

Later in another Sydney suburb I

came across a slightly different Red

Triangle slug. Glancing casually at

fallen leaves on a flat sandstone

rock I did a double take - one of the

Close-up of feeding tracks on

Crepe Myrtle

T. graeffei on fallen gum leaves on sandstone rock

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 — Page 11]

leaves was moving! This slug was greyish in colour with a bubbly textured skin and

leaf-like ‘veins’ on its back - and the markings that clearly identified it were orange

rather than red. Subsequently I always found this variety of Triboniophorous feeding

on leaf litter or rock surfaces and never on tree-trunks.

Red Triangle slugs are quite common in east coast gardens from Queensland to

southern NSW, but though large they’re mainly nocturnal and moisture-dependent so

we don’t often come across them. The slugs feed on micro flora, the fungal growths

that form a thin skin on the smooth bark of some trees. We’re only aware of these

minute fungi when they’re partially removed. It is this ‘paper trail’ on a tree trunk

that tells us the big slugs are around.

A close look at the neat rows of squiggles shows they’re semicircular or horse-shoe

shaped. These are the feeding tracks made by the slug’s radula, a straplike ‘tongue’

covered with rows of teeth. As the slug feeds the radula moves forward like a

conveyor belt, discarding worn teeth at the front and replacing them from behind with

new ones. Carnivorous snails have big sharp teeth; garden pests have teeth suitable

for chomping holes 1n leaves. Red Triangles have tiny rasp-like teeth for scraping off

their food.

Although it is common to all slugs and snails, this amazing piece of apparatus is

otherwise unique in the animal kingdom - for which we should give our little

‘enemies’ due acclaim. But the Red Triangles themselves, which are found only in

Australia and New Zealand, have further claims to distinction. They have only one

pair of tentacles or eye-stalks where other gastropods have two pairs - a quick aid to

their identification. Although they have lungs like other molluscs these breathe

through a system of tubes more like the tracheae of insects.

None of our terrestrial slugs can compare with their gloriously coloured marine

relatives the sea slugs but some forms of 7riboniophorus graeffei have a good try.

On location in northeastern NSW

many years ago, cinematographer Jim

Frazier and I came across what must

be the most spectacular slug on dry

land. It was in wet forest on the slope

of Mt.Kaputar and it was blood red

from head to tail! On another

location, among the antarctic beeches

of New England National Park, I

photographed the beautiful yellow

variety with its scarlet markings. I

believe there is a pink one somewhere T. eraeffei —red form

in North Queensland!

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 12

Back to my Wauchope garden. Ona

wet morning recently I noticed a

small, slender slug gliding on a leaf.

Grey with longitudinal stripes it

looked at first glance like one of the

pest kinds and my instinct was to

reach for the snail bait. But a close

look with a magnifying glass showed

me ared triangle and only two

eyestalks — instant reprieve! However

the stripes bothered me so I made a T. graeffei - juvenile

phone call to an expert... and yes,

stripes are a normal pattern for juvenile Red Triangles.

So I put little slug back on its leaf and wished it well as a future artist of my garden

tree-trunks.

Photos Densey Clyne

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Imperial Hairstreak butterfly (Jalmenus evagoras)

(also known as Common Imperial Blue Butterfly) - Linda Rogan

In recent years, I have been captivated by butterflies in the Melbourne area. I have

been photographing any that will stay still long enough, from the large (for southern

butterflies) and showy Dainty (or Dingy) Swallowtail to the tiny Two-spotted Line-

blue butterfly. One in particular has been accommodating enough to allow me to

observe and even photograph all stages of its life cycle. That butterfly, with a 32-

37mm wingspan, is the Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras). I first had a good

look at this jaunty butterfly in 2008 and I couldn’t believe that I had been walking

Imperial Hairstreak butterfly (/Jalmenus evagoras) - male

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 13

past it each summer for the past 25 years without taking any notice. The orange spots

and dainty tails are quite dramatic, but its life cycle is even more remarkable.

This creature lives out its whole life

on one of a few acacia species and the

colony may persist in the same group

of acacias. Near Melbourne they are

usually Silver Wattles and Black

Wattles but they utilise at least 35

species of acacia over their range.

Often first to be seen 1s the adult

Most of the butterflies in this cluster have already butterfly. To the casual observer it

eclosed, ants attend those yet to come. may appear as just a pale butterfly

noticeably smaller than the Cabbage White that we southerners all know so well, but

clearly larger than the Eltham Copper Butterfly. [fit alights and opens its wings to

warm in the sun, the pale to bright blue upper wings shine out. When the bush where

it alights is one of the above mentioned wattles, it 1s very likely that pupae,

caterpillars and attendant ants will also be found there.

The caterpillars tend to aggregate together, especially in the evening when they

cluster together near the ends of branches for the night. They often pupate in large

eroups as well. I have counted more then 50 but not all eclosed at the same time.

The attendant ants are a species of /ridomyrmex ant that help to protect the eggs,

caterpillars and pupae from other aggressive ants, wasps and other predators. In

return the ants receive rewards of sugars and amino acids secreted from special

glands on the caterpillars’ back. Even the pupae have glands that secrete rewards for

the ants (p.285 Pierce and Nash). Although I am unable to hear it, both the

caterpillars (p.284 Pierce and Nash) and the pupae also stridulate (some say sing) in a

way that attracts these ants.

Despite the guarding by the

ants, some predators are

successful but when ants are

present survival of the

caterpillars increases many

fold and 1n fact the ants “are

essential to the butterflies”

(p. 294 Pierce and Nash).

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From the first split of the pupal case to eclosed took 5 minutes

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 14

However, there is one wasp, the Apanteles wasp,

which uses the presence of ants to help it locate these

caterpillars. This wasp lays its eggs into the living

caterpillar where they hatch and feed on the non-

essential organs of the caterpillar, emerging to pupate

under the carcass of the caterpillar at the fourth instar

stage. Normally the caterpillar passes through five

instar stages, before it pupates.

Recently I‘ve had the exciting experience of watching

an adult butterfly emerge from its pupal case (this took

five minutes), and climb up a twig to inflate its wings

(this took over an hour).

The hardest stages to

observe, unless you

This newly eclosed female is being have very sharp eyes,

mated before her wings are fully spread. are the eggs and the

newly hatched

caterpillar. When viewed up close, these eggs are

exquisitely formed but only about 0.6mm in diameter.

This butterfly overwinters in the egg stage to hatch out

as first instar caterpillars next spring.

I have included this information and more in the

audiovisual DVD “/4e Tenperial Glue utterly,

Eggs are .6 mm in diameter

References:

Braby, Michael F. 2000 Butterflies of Australia Their Identification, Biology and

Distribution (Vol I & IL). Collingwood, Vic CSIRO Publishing

Pierce, N.E. and Nash, D.R. (1999). The Imperial Blue, Jalmenus evagoras

(Lycaenidae), In: Kitching R, E Sheermeyer, R Jones and NE Pierce (eds.). The

Biology of Australian Butterflies (Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera Vol.

6). CSIRO Press, Sydney, pp. 277-316 [PDF]

Photos Linda Rogan

Life history notes on the Wide-brand Grass-dart, Suniana sunias

rectivitta (C.Felder,1860) Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae -Wesley

Jenkinson

This small butterfly previously known as the Orange Dart occurs along much of the

wetter coastal regions of Queensland into New South Wales. I have found the adults

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 15

can be very numerous during the late wet season along grassy rainforest margins in

North Queensland. The adults occasionally visit my garden in Beaudesert in

Southeast Queensland after substantial rain during the summer and autumn months.

I think of the adults as being a ‘cheerful’ species, with the orange upperside markings

being brighter in comparison with other species of grass-darts in the two genera

Taractrocera and Ocybadistes. The orange upperside markings are much more

extensive than the related Dark Grass-dart (Suniana lascivia lascivia) and tt 1s

marginally larger than the Greenish Grass-dart (Ocybadistes walkeri), the male of

which also has a ‘wide’ sex brand. Within Queensland, individual specimens vary

minimally in the extent and intensity of the orange markings.

Wingspans for the pictured adult specimens are males 19mm and females 21mm.

Suniana sunias rectivitta (Wide-brand Grass-dart)

Images right to left: male, female, male underside, female underside

Adults have the typical erratic rapid ‘skipper’ flight and frequently settle on grass or

low-lying vegetation to bask in sunshine. The males are very territorial and are often

observed in pairs flying approximately 100-150mm apart engaged in swift chases,

often returning to settle on the same perches. (Similarly observed by P. Valentine

1988; M.Parsons 1991).

The adults of both sexes are readily attracted to a wide range of small flowers.

I observed a female fluttering slowly amongst a known host grass Green Panic

(Megathyrus maximus) 1n my backyard. She then settled on the upperside of a leaf

and curled the abdomen onto the underside of the leaf and laid a single egg. After

flying short distances, the process was repeated again on other leaves. The wings

remain closed while ovipositing. Several eggs were collected and raised to adults.

The eggs are dome shaped, approximately 0.6 mm

wide x 0.8mm high, smooth and cream when laid.

After two days they developed a pinkish-red lateral

band and apical spot similar to O. walkeri.

Freshly laid egg (left) and a 4 day old Th captivity during January, the larvae hatched

ege (right) between 6.00 am and 7.00 am and consumed the

eggshells shortly afterwards. A first instar larva

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 16

created a shelter about 20mm long towards the apex of the host leaf. A small cut was

made approximately one quarter of the way across the leaf. The section towards the

leaf apex was then curled over and stitched with silk to create the shelter. The shelter

was later lined with silk. The larvae fed at dusk and chewed from the outer edge of

the leaf stopping at the midrib, allowing the shelter to hang. (Feeding habit similarly

described by M. Braby 2000.) The larger instar larvae stitched two adjacent leaves

together to create their shelter. Several shelters were created throughout the larval

duration.

All of the larvae completed five instars and attained an approximate length of 26mm.

1“ instar larva

5" instar larva - NB The fifth instar larva pictured has two (only one visible in

image) creamish yellow oval shaped gonads on the dorsal side indicating it is a male.

Pupal shelter

The final shelters were stitched closed with a small opening remaining at the anterior

end (the adult emergence hole).

Pupa lateral view with discarded head capsule Pupa ventral view also showing head capsule

The pupae measuring 16mm in length, were located in the final shelter and were

covered in a white waxy powder. (Similarly described by M. Braby 2000.)

Eggs laid on 2°" January 2009 hatched in 6 days, the larval duration 32 days and

pupal duration 10 days, with adults emerging in February, 48 days since oviposition.

Within the new boundary of the Scenic Rim Regional Shire south of Brisbane, I have

records of the adults from December to April, however they are possibly present

during spring in the wetter locations of this region.

So next time you are in the garden, spend some time looking for this fine species as it

may be present!

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 17

References:

Braby, M.F., 2000. Butterflies of Australia — Their Identification,

Biology and Distribution. vol 1. CSIRO Publishing.

Common, I.F.B. & Waterhouse, D.F., 1981. Butterflies of Australia (revised edition).

Angus & Robertson Publishing.

Moss J.T. 2005 Butterfly Host Plants of south-east Queensland and northern New

South Wales. 2™ rev. edition, BOIC.

Photos Wesley Jenkinson

IS FS FS OS SIS FS OK OS FS OS OS SIS FS OK OS IS OK OK

Life history notes on the Silky Jewel Hypochrysops digglesii

(Hewitson, 1874) Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae —- Todd Burrows

On the afternoon of the 26" of March 2010 I discovered larvae of the Silky Jewel

(Hypochrysops digglesii) feeding on the mature leaves of Apostle Mistletoe

(Dendrophthoe vitellina) along the western shoreline of South Stradbroke Island

QLD. The mistletoe was growing on a Pink Bloodwood tree (Corymbia intermedia)

and was literally overhanging the water at high tide. The Apostle mistletoe was itself

being parasitised by Golden Mistletoe (Notothixos subaureus).

The first larva observed was close to

maturity and was being attended by a

number of small black ants. As soon as I

disturbed the larva it retreated to a curled

leaf shelter. The majority of the leaf was

curled and dead however the top third

attached to the stem was living. I opened the

shelter to photograph the larva and within a

short period the number of attendant ants

increased dramatically, seemingly in defence

of the larva. A further inspection of the plant Late instar larva with attendant ant

revealed a number of the leaf shelters, most

of which had a single larva of varying size

inside. I also located a larva of Margarita’s

Blue (Candalides margarita) feeding on the

new growth of the plant; it was basically

ignored by the ants, except for a short

inspection on their way past.

A late and early instar larva of A. digglesii

were collected to be raised. The larger of the

larvae pupated four days after collection (on

30/3/10) attached to the surface of one of the Early instar larva

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 18

mistletoe leaves. A male emerged thirteen days later (on 12/4/10) and was

photographed indoors. Upon release the specimen sat on a fern 1n the sunlight and

posed with wings open before taking to the air in a rapid flight.

Hypochrysops digglesii male Hypochrysops digglesii male

Adults are very inconspicuous and rarely seen. Males have a wingspan of

approximately 29mm with females slightly larger at 31mm. Larvae feed on a variety

of mistletoe species and of these Bloodwood Mistletoe (Amyema bifurcata), Bronze

Mistletoe (Amyema miquelii), Apostle Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe vitellina) and

Banksia Mistletoe (Muellerina celastroides) have been recorded on South Stradbroke

Island. Larval attendant ants are from the Crematogaster genus commonly referred to

as Acrobat Ants. The Silky Jewel occurs in coastal and sub-coastal areas of Australia

from northeastern NSW to the northern tip of Queensland. (Braby, 2005)

References:

Braby, M (2005). The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia

CSIRO Publishing, Victoria

Photos Todd Burrows

Winter butterfly observations near the Melbourne CBD —

Kelvyn L Dunn

Summary

This paper explores a puzzling occurrence of flight activity in the Saltbush Blue

Butterfly, Theclinesthes serpentata (Herrich-Schaffer), at Footscray during the winter

of 2009. Astonishingly, there appear to be no previous records of this butterfly flying

in winter (June, July or August) in metropolitan Melbourne. Indeed, for southern

Victoria, the literature provides just one winter record for the whole of the 20"

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 19

century! A number of explanations are examined, including a link to global warming

or climate change as one possibility.

Introduction

The Victorian butterflies are well documented for the inner Melbourne area, so one

might question if there could be anything new (of importance) to report. This paper

does not document records of various resident species to add to Braby (1987).

Instead, it deals with one species only, namely the Saltbush Blue, 7heclinesthes

serpentata (Herrich-Schaftfer) — a locally common lycaenid linked to saltbush habitat

in shore scrubs and estuaries. (Vouchers for this study are now in the Museum of

Victoria, Melbourne (MV) and the ANIC, Canberra).

For the region of Howe 1n southern Victoria, Dunn and Dunn (1991) charted the

flight period of this butterfly as from September to April, with a singleton for July

(p.154). The Otway region was charted similarly from October to April, but with

singletons for each of the months of May, August and September (p.151) suggestive

of irregularity at such times. Braby (2000) later generalised the flight season for all of

Victoria as from August to May inclusive, based on these and other sources.

However, his approach seriously marginalised the Riverina. In the northwest, the

winter climate is warmer than southern Victoria and the seasonal appearance of the

butterfly is variably more expansive. For example, near Mildura, it flies throughout

winter based on regular observations over a 12-month period by Plant (1951).

Elsewhere in northwestern Victoria, there is a sprinkling of August records too. These

late winter records sweep southeasterly to Hepburn Springs, where I found adults

flying commonly back in 1977 in the early days of my record keeping — but none near

Melbourne in August. Seasonal regularity in this species 1s historically well known,

and has long been part of the field experience of local butterfly observers who have

resided in Victoria. It agrees with my own field experience here too, spanning many

years. Indeed, over 250 Victorian records of this butterfly — extracted from many

scattered sources and now centralised in the butterfly database (Dunn 2009a) — are

supportive. Nonetheless, exceptions such as rare events can (and will) occur when

records accumulate over decades or centuries.

In this new millennium and with popular media voicing concerns about projected

global warming, it 1s important to look for change 1f (and when) evidence appears to

show. As a number of species of butterfly appear in some years 1n early or midwinter

in inner Melbourne (and further south), this adds a layer of complicity when seeking

evidence of change. For some obvious examples, Zizina labradus 1s occasional

(Braby 1987) and the odd solitary adult of Vanessa itea, which may over-winter

locally as adults (semi-hibernate), will make appearance on sunny days. Candalides

acasta and Nacaduba biocellata often join the winter fliers too — both have been

reported historically and recently in the database. In addition, on two occasions (but

not more), I have seen singletons of Pieris rapae flying in the southeastern suburbs 1n

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 7 Page 20

July, and Braby (1987) reported a July encounter in a northern suburb. In midwinter,

it is uncommon to see any adults of these species and when present they are normally

solitary. Delias harpalyce 1s the exception; it can have the occasional winter

emergence in southern Victoria and becomes locally conspicuous when this occurs,

linked to synchronised brood emergence. In my experience near Melbourne,

butterflies are virtually unseen after the second week of June or before the second

week of August. From mid August a number of other species appear, especially by

the end of the month as spring approaches.

Observations

An old report of a winter encounter with 7. serpentata on Philip Island (Quick 1973),

prompted me to investigate for adult activity in winter at a metropolitan site where I

knew the species could be seen with regularity. Newells Paddock Wetlands Park 1s an

area of habitat conservation within view of the Melbourne CBD. Here adults bask on

herbs on a north-facing slope of the pedestrian bridge over the Maribyrnong River,

near Ballarat Road in Footscray. The butterfly’s presence in this habitat remnant is

historic on supposition, and it 1s still prolific at times during the main flight season

(spring to autumn). Remarkably, early workers appear to have overlooked its close

presence to Melbourne, following its recognition as a new species in 1869. I know of

no dated records between the 1870s and 1910s from what is now the inner city, save

an early museum specimen labelled “North Melbourne’ and taken in 1907 (ANIC).

Anderson and Spry (1894: 89) listed “Brighton’’, and described the species as

“somewhat rare in Victoria” probably linked to their unfamiliarity with its specialised

habitat requirements. Although sections of its formerly extensive coastal habitat has

been fragmented or lost to housing over the many decades since, the butterfly still

makes regular appearances in parks and gardens in the inner suburbs. I have chanced

upon adults in December 2004 and March 2007 along the railway line at Flemington,

for example, where they perched and patrolled near some food plants that then

remained (but since removed). Nonetheless, adults are more often sporadic in

Roosting males of 7. serpentata during overcast period at Newells Paddock Wetlands Park on 15

May 2010 1550-555h AEST. Photos Kelvyn Dunn

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 ee Page 21

woodlands and suburban areas away from shore habitats where they breed, doubtless

leading to such a view of scarcity 1n that early era of entomological exploration.

I twice visited the wetlands breeding site in Footscray just after the anticipated close

of the species’ flight period. A few adults were still active during sunny weather on 5

June (at c.1500h AEST) and again on 11 June 2009 (at c.1245h AEST). On both

visits (of 15 minutes each), adult numbers were low as expected at the close of the

flight season. I saw just three on the 5" (temp.: 16°C) and only two on the 11" (temp.:

11°C). All were 1n moderate condition, probably having been on the wing for a week

or more at that time. I retained a male voucher (now in ANIC) for the seasonal record

of the 11"; the species being

historically unrecorded near

Melbourne in June. At that time, I

reasoned that adult presence in the

second week of June would likely

occur about two or so times a

decade at most. I also presumed

that other workers had overlooked

such previous happenings when

~~ suitable late autumn conditions

. SN could promote brief extensions of

a flight activity into early winter.

I then revisited the site in mid

winter curious to see whether I

could find a late straggler flying.

Initially all was still on 17 July 2009. Then the sun came out from behind clouds.

Amazingly, several were seen flying, others perching and basking near the saltbushes.

A few males inspected other flying males, and at times up to five butterflies were

visible on the wing in a single glance — far more than 1n early June! During brief

sunny periods between 1300-1320h AEST, and with a temperature of about 12-13°C,

a number of adults fed at the flowers of two herbs, probably introduced weeds,

erowing profusely along the riverside. Linked to the cool temperature, butterfly

activity ceased immediately the sun overshadowed again. At this time two vouchers

(a male and female; placed in MV) were hand-collected whilst they roosted; the

remainder reluctant or unable to fly until warmth from sunshine permitted activity

again. Although the wing condition of most ranged from moderately to very worn, a

small number appeared to be freshly emerged! Apparently the population was no

longer 1n seasonal decline but now presented as a small midwinter generation. |

looked for Cabbage Butterflies (P. rapae) too, expecting these to be active

companions in what might be an unusually warm winter. P. rapae had been present in

low numbers on both visits in June, as occurs in some years near Melbourne, but

typically the last late adults are gone by mid June. Absence of Cabbage Butterflies in

T. serpentata male photographed at Boondall Wetlands,

Brisbane. Photo Russel Denton

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 22

July, as per normal, did not suggest an unusual season that could explain this bizarre

abundance of lycaenids (although see Explanation 5). Given a small emergence in

early July, I would expect that flight activity continued thereafter through to August

and into September, but no opportunities to visit later in July or periodically during

August arose to confirm this.

Discussion: Possible explanations and related factors

This unusual midwinter record raises questions as to why. Each of the following six

factors need thoughtful consideration to help answer this:

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 7 Page 23

An extensive spatial and temporal baseline of evidence is available. The

Dunn & Dunn database has centralised 23,700 butterfly records from Victoria

(Dunn 2009b). These have accumulated from collecting, literature sources and

field observations by many experts over several generations (Dunn 2009a). This

quantity can accurately predict the seasonal appearance of adults, and provides a

snapshot of species’ distribution (temporal and spatial) at the close of the 20"

Century (Dunn 2010). Moreover, collectors’ focus on areas close to their

residencies (Dunn 2009b) has enhanced this (already solid) knowledge of

butterfly temporality in the Melbourne region. Between 1870 and 2008 there

have been no winter records of this butterfly from greater Melbourne — a period

of nearly 140 years — enough time to suggest its absence. Hence, this recent

discovery seems astonishing!

There has been a lack of interest in sampling in winter. In cool temperate

climates, butterfly collectors tend to survey in particular seasons — usually late

spring to early autumn — to gain specimens suitably conditioned for the cabinet

(Dunn 2009b). As Quick (1973: 4) once penned, “A midwinter’s day in southern

Victoria must rank as one of the most unlikely occasions for an outing.” This

collector-driven partiality has acted against random sampling of months (Dunn

2009b), and means that support for a winter absence remains circumstantial.

Compensatory to an extent, I have purposely carried out off-season observations

in parklands and in native habitat close to Melbourne over many years. This

purpose-driven approach has clarified the limits of adult activity of many of the

local species. In addition, Braby (1987) has shown interest in recording seasonal

timeliness, and probably other workers from time to time have acted similarly to

bridge this knowledge gap. This said, that apart from the event in 2009 in

Footscray, I had not personally sighted any adults of 7. serpentata after April in

southern Victoria since my regional observations on this particular butterfly

began in 1977. However, I suspect adults likely linger through to early May in

most years, and a record for May, of a male in moderate condition, was

confirmed in 2010 at the site (Figures 1-3).

Large populations may increase chances of winter broods. Over the decades,

anomalies such as midwinter adults of various species will accumulate as part of

genetic variation and chance happenings. A seasonal extension may result from

natural selection to maximise use of available resources and to optimise

populations to fit their local climate. A propensity towards faster larval and pupal

development under cool conditions in autumn would underlie as mutations in

some individuals. In order to record this species 1n winter then, as Quick (1973)

inferred as a reasonable possibility, observations by determined searching in the

breeding areas would be essential. The wetlands at Footscray support a sizeable

population that would increase the probability of detection of any off-season

adults. Away from strongholds, even if untimely adults were present, their

numbers would likely remain too low to detect.

4. Some regions may permit broader flight periods linked to unusual

topographies or microclimates. The database up to 2008 held but a single

midwinter record of this species from southern Victoria (as charted in Dunn and

Dunn (1991) for the region of Howe). On 15 July 1973, Tony Bishop captured

one adult on Philip Island (Quick 1973), at °‘l1km N of Swan Lake’ as per the

Quick database (in Dunn & Dunn database). Described as “a surprise”, Quick

reasoned that the species may have “sufficient tolerance to cold to be on the

wing, if unobserved, throughout the year” (p. 5). However, this adult was flying

at the winter breeding colony of Danaus plexippus (Quick 1973), situated on a

northern dune between Swan Lake and the sea. Perhaps some unusual factors

that permit a continuous adult presence of the Monarch butterfly at this southern

latitude in Australia may act similarly on 7. serpentata, expanding its flight

period. As the facts stand, there was just the one adult that time (not a brood),

and on the second excursion on 16 July 1978, which I attended, we did not see

any adults of T. serpentata (Carwardine 1978). The limited evidence suggests a

rare event on Philip Island — albeit that no further data on butterfly activity are

available from this site since then, as the area may now be off-limits to visitors.

The Footscray site is also close to ‘

sea level. Its near coastal

providence would temper its

winter climate, perhaps increasing

the chance of occasional late

adults. Yet, proneness of low

coastal heath and herb-lands to

frosts (in the absence of any

canopy vegetation) and frequent

wind chill (in the absence of ish

woodland or forest windbreaks) "mi ay

” oa i ‘

might counter any seasonal x

extensions. The heat sink of the T. serpentata male photographed at Boondall

Melbourne CBD, located only 4. Wetlands, Brisbane. Photo Russel Denton

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 24

S5km away, may uniquely temper the climate at the wetlands, perhaps aiding the

extension of this species’ historic flight season.

5. Rare seasonal events happen at random across species’ ranges. A likely

explanation 1s that rare seasonal events, such as warmer-than-usual winters,

might enable an extra generation. Supportively, a Bureau of Meteorology media

release announced that 2009 recorded ‘the warmest winter on record’ (BoM

2009a). Over that three month period, its winter ‘maximum and minimum

anomaly’ range-fill maps indicated 0-1 degree above average mean winter

temperatures for Victoria (BoM 2009b).

6. Is this an early effect of imposed climate change? With global warming or

anthropogenic climate change, one might initially expect stragglers to extend into

the cooler interim of mid winter, as part of a temporal edge creep. A gradual

increase 1n adult abundance of some butterfly species during early and late winter

would follow. Near Melbourne, those species that regularly fly from late August

(or early spring) through to late autumn (or early winter) would be likely

candidates to monitor for these predicted changes. Continuity of breeding

through winter may then become the norm for some butterflies that presently

struggle to bridge the gap. Apart from 7° serpentata, these might include Delias

aganippe, D. harpalyce, Pieris rapae, Vanessa kershawi, V. itea, Junonia villida,

Candalides acasta, C. hyacinthina, Nacaduba biocellata, and Zizina labradus to

list an obvious few.

Conclusion

An overwhelming amount of evidence for this species suggests an absence of

butterfly flight activity during midwinter (July) in suburban Melbourne. However,

this evidence is not impartial but biased by collectors’ interests — most enthusiasts do

not seek butterflies in winter in Victoria. It is unclear why the adults of 7. serpentata

were common in mid July last year and seemingly for the first time ever. It may have

been just a rare event, and perhaps one that has occurred previously at this site (but

never documented, or even noticed), adaptively linked to warmer-than-usual winters

— but today there is another issue at hand. Could the beginnings of climate change be

partly responsible for this flight extension in 2009? At this stage, further observations

will help determine the regularity of their midwinter appearance at coastal sites where

the species is common, but may not answer the question. Regardless, 1t seems

amazing to me that over the last 140 years since butterfly record keeping began, there

have been no other reports of this species’ flight activity in June, July or August (the

latter month by inference) in suburban Melbourne before 2009!

References

Anderson E. & Spry, F.P. 1894. Victorian Butterflies and How to Collect Them. Part 2.

Melbourne: H. Hearne & Co.

Braby, M.F. 1987. Winter appearances of some Victorian butterflies. Victorian

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 7 Page 25

Entomologist 17(5): 83-84.

Braby, M.F. 2000. Butterflies of Australia: Their identification, biology and

distribution. (Vol. I & Il). Collingwood Vic.: CSIRO Publishing.

Bureau of Meterology, Australian Government (BoM) 2009a. Media Release, 1

September 2009: Climate Records Broken. Commonwealth of Australia. Online

at: http://reg.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_ releases/ho/20090901.shtml

Bureau of Meterology, Australian Government (BoM) 2009b. Australian

Temperature Maps: 3-monthly mean minimum temperature anomaly for

Victoria. Commonwealth of Australia. Online at: http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-

bin/silo/temp maps.cgi?variable=minanom&area=nat&period=3month&time

Carwardine, P. 1978. Report on excursion to Phillip Island. Victorian Entomologist

8(5): 49.

Dunn, K.L. 2009a. Overview of the butterfly database: Part 1 — Project history and

inception. Victorian Entomologist 39(4): 73-79.

Dunn, K.L. 2009b. Overview of the butterfly database: Part 2 — Current composition,

imbalances and factors of influence. Victorian Entomologist 39(5): 89-100.

Dunn, K.L. 2010. Overview of the butterfly database: Part 3 — Quality assurance.

Victorian Entomologist 40(1): 5-13.

Dunn, K.L. & Dunn, L.E. 1991. Review of Australian Butterflies: distribution, life

history and taxonomy. Parts 1-4. Melbourne: Published by the authors.

Plant, J.B. 1951. Occurrence of butterflies in the Mildura area, Victoria during the

period from February 1950 to January 1951. Australasian Entomologist 1(3).:

34-36.

Quick, W.N.B. 1973. Excursion to Phillip Island, 15" July, 1973. Victorian

Entomologist 3(4): 4-5.

AUSTRALIAN NATIVE BEES #16

Some FAQs About Stingless Bees — John Klumpp

Yes, I’ve finally succumbed to the “ e

allure of the acronym, so common |

now in the age of the computer and

mobile phone. That’s a big step for

someone who, until very recently,

had no idea what B.L.T meant on a

café menu. I can only assume from

the number of websites and

advisory publications which now

include a list of Frequently Asked

Questions that many people find

reading the inquiries of others (and

the responses they receive) both

It is quite common to see Apis bees and Stingless bees

foraging on the same flowers.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 26

helpful and informative. With this in mind I’ve decided to include in this issue some

of the FAQs about Australian Stingless Bees.

Q. Can you keep a hive of honeybees and a colony of stingless bees in the same

suburban back yard’

A. Yes, but firstly I should mention that the introduced European Bees (Apis

mellifera) and Australian Stingless Bees (7rigona and Austroplebiea spp.) are,

technically speaking, both ‘honey bees’ in that they collect nectar which they convert

into honey. In doing so they rarely come into conflict and it is quite common to see

Apis bees and stingless bees foraging for nectar and pollen from the same flowers. It

is also not uncommon to find stingless bees and feral Apis bees nesting 1n the same

hollow tree with little more than a layer of cerumen or propolis separating the

colonies. Many commercial apiarists have a hive or two of Australian Stingless Bees

as a curlosity and some take more than a passing interest in them. The Apis bees will

out compete our stingless bees for nectar and pollen when times are tough (especially

during the cooler months), but 1n my experience our little native social bees manage

to get by and often flourish despite the greater foraging efficiency of their nearby

European immigrant neighbours.

Q. What types of plants are best for Australian

Stingless Bees, natives or exotics?

A. All sorts that produce nectar and pollen.

Unlike some specially adapted bees (and other

insects) that are dependent on specific flower

types, our native stingless bees have evolved as

generalists and will utilize native and

introduced flowering plants without

discrimination. Flowers with heavy pollen

yields are particularly attractive to them. I find

that the inflorescences of palms are a drawcard

as are the fresh flower spikes on Grass Trees

(Xanthorroea spp.). In February, following the

rain around SE Qld, my bees were hungrily |

gathering the copious amounts of pollen Trigona bees compete successfully for

produced by the flowering Crocus, which the pollen yield of my Basil's flowers

flourish in the garden beneath my hives.

They are also attracted to the flowers on the nearby Basil where they compete with

the native Blue Banded Bees (Amegilla spp.) for the red coloured pollen. I will

digress for a moment to mention that Blue Banded Bees are just one of the many

types of solitary bees we have in Australia and they are always welcome in my

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 27

garden. In fact I have provided them with a nesting site in a quiet, sheltered area in

the form of a stack of dried mud blocks into which they dig their nesting tunnels.

Q. What happens when the stingless beehive becomes full up, do you have to extract

the honey or split the hive’?

A. No, not if you don’t want to. Having your own stingless beehive does not mean

burdening yourself with another chore like milking the cow or collecting the eggs.

Stingless bees can be enjoyed just for their presence in the garden or appreciated for

their pollination of some of your plants. You do not have to manage the bees by

periodically robbing their excess honey or dividing the hive. A stingless bee colony in

a log or artificial hive will get along quite well without any interference at all from us.

You may have to accept that every year or two your mature hive may attempt to set

up a daughter colony in a natural or artificial cavity somewhere nearby, but where 1s

the harm in that? Unlike European honeybees the old queen in your hive will not

attempt to leave (she can no longer fly) so the establishment of an offspring colony

somewhere should not threaten the sustainability of your hive.

Q. Do stingless bees produce much honey?

A. This 1s, of course, the most

frequently asked question of all.

Perhaps the answer should be that

it’s all relative. Taking into

account the size of these bees, the

population of their colonies and

their limited foraging range, yes,

they produce a lot of honey.

However, compared to the

commercial yields obtained from

well managed hives of European

honeybees it is minuscule. - ‘ ;'

A comparison often touted is that

where a large hive of Apis bees

may produce 75kgs of excess

honey in a good season a stingless bee colony under the same conditions might

produce lkg. I don’t know if these figures have been ascertained under strict

scientific scrutiny or not, but my guess 1s the comparison 1s somewhere near the

mark. One kilogram of honey in a whole year 1s not a lot to spread on your toast

every morning, but tangy stingless bee honey is to be savoured, not simply devoured.

Keep if for special occasions. A teaspoonful drizzled on vanilla ice cream is a real

treat. And of course we haven’t touched on the medicinal benefits that our aboriginal

Tangy stingless bee honey needs to be savoured — not

simply devoured.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 28

people believed sugarbag provided and which modern medicine 1s now confirming.

We will have to leave that for another list of FAQs.

Photos John Klumpp

EXCURSION REPORT

Ray and Delphine Archer’s Property — Peace Garden and Little

Bird Heaven, Coominya - Saturday 6" and Sunday 7 February

2010 - Alisha Steward

If there was a prize for the most relaxing BOIC

excursion we have ever had, then this one

surely wins hands down! We spent the

weekend leisurely strolling along hundreds of

metres of paths within Ray and Delphine

Archer’s property, swimming in their beautiful

“billabong”, enjoying their homemade delights

and sipping chilled homemade watermelon

juice on their beautiful deck overlooking the

garden while butterflies danced in the sky, Eade ee

frogs called and small birds sang. And all of this without a a ciatitus to he

seen. Bliss!

Y mm ute now ehleiins

THE PEACE GARDEN & |

LITTLE BIRD HEAVE_;

Ray and Delphine’s garden was unlike anything I had ever seen. I was overwhelmed

with excitement as I drove up to the entrance — it looked like an official botanical

garden! In only 3 years they have transformed their land in Coominya into a butterfly

and bird haven, by carefully selecting appropriate native and exotic plant species for

nectar, bird nesting sites, and butterfly host plants. The tallest plants stand only a few

metres high, which is the key to their success in attracting small birds — the short

BUSHY plants provide a safe habitat for birds, and it certainly works. The garden was

5 : alive with the gentle tweeting of small

birds such as brown honeyeaters.

I had been told by Ray and Delphine that

we should bring our togs for swimming 1n

the billabong. Now I’ve seen many a

billabong on my field trips, and they are

often mucky and brown, so I was a little

sceptical when | heard this! However, to

my surprise, the billabong was as clear as

a swimming pool, and all without the use

of chlorine! The water circulates through

the billabong and along a man-made, but

The billabong

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 29

natural-looking, stream, while nature takes care of the rest. It was home to tadpoles

and aquatic invertebrates, including some rather large dragonfly nymphs. Everyone

was overwhelmed by the beauty of the billabong. It was fringed by attractive

plantings of small grasses, herbs and shrubs.

Ray invited us into his butterfly enclosure, which contains host plants, nectar plants

and butterflies on the wing. An aviary, home to finches and quail, ran alongside the

butterfly enclosure.

At night we set up a light trap

and observed the critters that

were attracted to it. Light

trapping was highly successful;

probably because the light

emitted from the trap was the

only obvious light visible for

kilometres. The light trap

attracted a multitude of moths,

beetles, cicadas and other insect

eroups. The insects were in fact

SO numerous in the air that we

accidentally inhaled some!

Peter Hendry is pictured here

Peter — the great white hunter! DR OI Ata pitis HUES See

moths. You can appreciate

how numerous the insects are 1n this photo (note the Rhinoceros Beetle on his

shoulder). Rhinoceros Beetles seemed to be the most obvious invertebrate attracted

to the light — or perhaps it was only because we “felt” them more than any other

invertebrate! They slammed into our backs while on route from the black night sky

to the light. It was much like having a cricket ball thrown at you. I had never seen so

many of these beetles in the one place before.

This was a very enjoyable excursion. BOIC cannot thank Ray and Delphine enough

for inviting us to their amazing garden, and for their wonderful hospitality. Thank

you!

Photos Alisha Steward

AT THE LIGHT TRAP

A Night at Ray’s — Peter Hendry

When Ray Archer invited the BOIC to his "Peace Garden and Little Bird Heaven", I

just had to be there. Ray’s enthusiasm was evident when we first met. When he first

visited my place, it was with a battered copy of the club’s butterfly host plant booklet

in hand, looking for more host plants. Following this, during a phone conversation, I

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 30

relayed I could no longer walk the path to my old chook house, because of all the

Pentas that had overgrown the path. Nectar plants! Just what Ray wanted! He was

down the following weekend and within a short time I had a clear path and Ray was

off with about 5 large garbage bags of cutting material. So knowing of all the work he

had put into his garden I could hardly wait to see it.

No one who went on the excursion was disappointed. The gardens were wonderful,

the extra large rock pool was well used and the purpose built house really achieves

Ray’s lifestyle aspirations. While walking in the gardens, many butterfly species were

seen flying and from every disturbed bush moths abounded. While enjoying my

ramblings in the garden I could hardly wait for nightfall.

With the light up and running it was not long before we were inundated. Besides the

moths there were a large number of Rhinoceros Beetles (Xylotrupes gideon). It was a

case of holding one’s breath when close to the light sheet (see photo in excursion

report, this issue). The numbers were smothering, 80% to 90% of the moths were the

Euproctis lutea

Nyctemera secundiana Oenochroma pallida

same species, Casbia rectaria, Walker 1866, a member of the Geometridae family,

subfamily Ennominae. It has a range from Cape York to northern New South Wales. I

was delighted to see a couple of new (for me) species; the small but colourful

Crambidae, Diathrausta ochreipennis (Butler, 1886) from the subfamily Pyraustinae

and the hawk moth Acosmeryx anceus. A. anceus ranges from India through South-

East Asia and eastern Australia from Cape York to Sydney. Another hawk moth to

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 31

appear was Theretra latreillii. While ranging widely in the Orient, in Australia it

occurs in north-western Australia, the Northern Territory and eastern Australia a far

south as Sydney. Other members of the Crambidae subfamily Pyraustinae to make an

appearance were, Agrotera amathealis (Walker, 1859), Notarcha aurolinealis

(Walker, 1859) and Sceliodes cordalis (Doubleday, 1843). The Magpie Moth,

Nyctemera secundiana T.P. Lucas, 1891 Arctiidae Arctiinae, was flying in numbers

during the day but only one came to light.

ea ote

> .

: ‘

“a &

Notarcha aurolinealis Sceliodes cordalis Agrotera amathealis

Theretra latreillii

Rusicada revocans Acosmeryx anceus

Other notable species were Euproctis lutea (Fabricius, 1775) Lymantridae

Notodontinae s.lat, Oenochroma pallida Warren, 1898 Geometridae Oenochrominae

and Rusicada revocans (Walker, [1858]) Noctuidae Catocalinae. Others not imaged

include an Amata sp. Arctiidae Ctenuchinae, from the subfamily Catocalinae of the

Noctuidae, Buzara latizona (Butler, 1874), 1858, Donuca orbigera (Guenée, 1852),

D. castalia (Fabricius, 1775), Grammodes justa Walker and Ophiusa parcemacula

(T.P. Lucas, 1891). The Noctuidae subfamily Acronictinae/Amphipyrinae was

represented by Cosmodes elegans (Donovan, 1805) and a Thalatha sp. Cernia

amyclaria Walker, 1860 represented the Geometridae Oenochrominae.

On closing I must thank Ray and Delphine for their warm welcome and hospitality.

Photos Peter Hendry

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 32

DVD REVIEW

The Imperial Blue Butterfly by Linda Rogan 2009 — reviewed by

Martyn Robinson

This DVD, although not a polished production and containing no video clips,

nevertheless provides a very good photographic summary of the life history and

biology of the Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras) in the author’s area of

Victoria. As most of you know, this is one of the Lycaenid butterflies which are

attended by ants — in this species by the small black /ridomyrmex species. The DVD

has photos of the eggs, larvae, pupae and adults of the butterfly, as well as the

associated ants tending these stages, the food plants observed by the author of the

DVD, and some of the other insects involved in the cycle - such as two species of

parasitic wasp and the green tree hoppers which seem to also be found on the same

plants and attended by the same ants. Interestingly, Linda was unable to find any first

instar larvae although she noted that the literature mentions the ants ignore them, but I

have found that in the absence of larger larvae the hatchings tend to associate with

these tree hoppers which are being attended by the ants and thus gain some protection

— interestingly when the larvae are larger the reverse situation occurs with the tree

hoppers seeking out and associating with the larval clusters instead!

She also mentions the three types of glands the larvae possess and with arrow

overlays indicating their presence on the larvae. There are also various shots showing

courting behaviour and egg laying.

This fifteen minute DVD would make a nice addition to any field study centre,

school, or natural history library which has an interest in symbiosis, insects,

butterflies or natural history in general.

The DVD 1s available from the Friends of Warrandyte State Park, PO Box 220,

Warrandyte Vic 3113 for $8 plus $1.50 postage. An order form can be found at

www.fowsp.org.au

YOU ASKED

What butterfly is this? 0

I photographed a butterfly today i. Fans

(one of around 20 buzzing our ata

Buddleja) and | can't find it in

"Butterflies of Australia". The

closest I can get 1s Sabera caesina AB

albifascia, but it's not right. I have a.

attached a couple of photos in the f

hope you would be good enough to

identify it for me. I thought it

‘ i

| ( )

7 "s 4 rs \

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 — Page 33 |

interesting that the lines on the upper body are repeated on the wings. Also 1s the

orange colour on the legs pollen or part of its colour scheme? Mare Newman

When Daphne forwarded this Email to me she added, “Something about it reminds

me of a Joseph’s Coat moth”. Daphne was on target it was indeed a moth and not a

butterfly. Like the Joseph’s Coat moth (Agarista agricola) this moth 1s also a member

of the Noctuidae subfamily Agaristinae.

The moth 1s Phalaenoides glycinae, Lewin, 1805 (Noctuidae: Agaristinae) It 1s a pest

of cultivated grape vines as well as feeding on Hibbertia, Oenothera and Epilobium.

Its distribution 1s from southern QLD to Vic, SA and TAS. The orange colour on the

legs is all part of the colour scheme and not pollen.

This begs the question, what 1s the difference between a Butterfly and a Moth? The

real answer is “not much”. They are both part of the insect order Lepidoptera. Derived

from the Greek words for scale, lepis and pteron meaning wings, the Lepidoptera

have scaly wings. This separation of butterfly and moths 1s more man-made than

anything from nature. In Australia the Lepidoptera comprises 89 families, of which

just 5 contain butterflies, Hesperiidae, Lycaenidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae and

Pieridae.

There are several differences put forward to separate butterflies from moths but all

have exceptions:

e Butterflies fly by day, moths at night. There are several species of moths

that fly during the day and some species of butterflies that fly late in the evening and at

dawn.

6 Moths rest with their wings out flat or against their bodies while

butterflies hold their wings upright. Most butterflies will hold their wings flat at

certain times, often on cloudy days to absorb heat and some species of moths in the

Geometridae family that I have attracted to light will hold their wings upright. Some

butterflies in the Hesperiidae family have an each way bet, with their forewing held

upright and the hind wing out flat!

® Moths have a coupling device that hooks their wings together in flight,

butterflies do not. Not all moths do, for example the Saturniidae lack any coupling

devices while the male of the Regent Skipper butterfly has such a device.

® Butterflies have clubbed antennae. Moth antennae are feathered or

filiform. This is true except of the moth family Castniidae which happen to be daytime

flying moths with clubbed antennae.

In spite of the exceptions, the best guide would be to see if the antennae are clubbed. If

they are not, you have a moth, if they are you have a butterfly or a moth in the

Castniidae family. The Castniidae are not often encountered, 1n general they have a

erey or brownish forewing and the hind wing is often yellow or red with black

markings. There are about forty species with about 7 occurring 1n Queensland.

Peter Hendry

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 7 Page 34

NEW HOST PLANT

A new host plant for the Scarlet or Northern Jezebel butterfly

(Delias argenthona) - Ross Kendall

In April this year, at Upper Thane Creek west of Warwick, Queensland, I observed

several Delias argenthona butterflies flying near mistletoes. These were the Bronze

or Box Mistletoe (Amyema miquelii), a form of the Drooping Mistletoe (Amyema

pendula subsp longifolia) and the Fleshy Mistletoe (Amyema miraculosa), which was

parasitising the Drooping Mistletoe.

I found a small cluster

of eggs on young

erowth of the A.

miquelii then some

final instar larvae of

D. argenthona on

older growth of the

same host plant. Soon

after this I located a

A typical egg cluster Delias Third and fourth instar

argenthona on Amyema miraculosa larvae of Delias argenthona

pupa of D. argenthona

attached to a leaf of A.

miraculosa on a nearby

tree. Further investigation

led to the discovery of an

egg cluster on that same

mistletoe.

The eggs were collected

and raised through to adult

D. argenthona on A. Pupa and underside of adult male Delias argenthona

miraculosa, which can

now be recorded as a host for the Scarlet Jezebel.

Photos Ross Kendall and Peter Hendry (butterfly)

LETTERS

From Jak Guyomar

We have growing at Gumdale, a couple of grafted West Australian Eucalypts (£.

ficifolia). Recently when I brushed past one I received a wakeup sting. At first I

looked for the wasp’s nest, but found a number of weird looking caterpillars I did not

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 35

recognise. I quickly assumed that they were Emperor Gum Moth larvae. I collected 8

of them and transferred them to a cage with some leaves.

Every day when I checked them there were progressively less numbers. I assumed

that they were cannibals! Strange behaviour for moth caterpillars, I vaguely thought.

Also I had not read that Emperor Gum caterpillars stung.

On the twigs of foodplant I had put into the cage were what I again vaguely thought

were wasp galls. I decided that I would let them hatch out to see what they were.

IT ALL BECAME CLEAR when one morning there were a number of small fat

moths in the cage! Cup moths! The galls were pupae. The caterpillars were NOT

eating each other. They were pupating and adding to the “gall” numbers.

Goes to show how vague a long time amateur can be when casually observing the

goings on in one’s garden.

They preferred the W.A. Eucalypts and were on both the pink and red flowering

forms. There was no sign on any of the local Eucalypt species.

The stings from the caterpillars were similar to stinging nettles. Quite an attention

getter!

Ed. note- Jak, Peter has identified your moth as a Mottled Cup Moth (Doratifera

vulnerans) (Lewin, 1805) Family: Limacodidae. Photos Jak Guyomar

a 7 =r * 7 A: ? rie

7 * 6 4 . ‘ = a , 7 al ?

cs _* * f ‘ + + . 4

‘ 1 7 + a4

Larva with stingers withdrawn Emerged pupal case

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 36

From June Wimberley

13 or 14 years ago I bought a Cape Plum (Flacourtia) from Fairhill Nursery as a host

plant for the Australian Rustic butterfly (Cupha prosope). The tree, which has grown

to 15 feet (normal size), has thrived under my red cedar tree. It has always had light

plum coloured leaves at the ends of the branches and is a most attractive tree to have

in my garden. This year, for the first time, 1t has produced white to pale cream

clusters of flowers along its stems and, wonder of wonders, it has attracted the

Australian Rustic butterfly for the first time! I am thrilled as I have been fortunate

enough to see a pair mating and I have observed at least five at a time flitting around

the tree. So far I have not seen a caterpillar or pupa but I will keep looking. I have

had a great number of wonders 1n my garden this season, but so far no birdwings

although I have an abundance of new leaf on the vines and I have had a good number

of seed pods which I pass on to Ray Seddon for propagation.

Photos June Wimberley

Australian or Bordered Rustic (Cupha prosope) on Flacourtia Rustic pupa

I i i ee ie i i i

From Hilton Selvey

The recent very dry and hot spell (Ed. This letter was

written in January 2010) has wrecked havoc with trees,

bushes and Birdwing Vines. Our birdbath attracted

many birds, four new species were observed, as they

splashed around cooling off. Amongst the birds

enjoying the water were Mud Dauber Wasps

(Trypoxylon politum ) drinking. At times there was

more than one wasp. When there was some rain the

wasps disappeared from the birdbath.

A number of nests were opened and a newly laid egg

was found attached to a paralyzed spider. An attempt Wasp drinking at birdbath

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 457 — Page 37

was made to raise it through but it became dehydrated. A larva around 155mm long

was discovered in another nest. It was unlike any other larva as it had no anus that

could be seen and no frass could be found.

Ed note: | forwarded an image of the larva to the Queensland Museum Enquiry

Centre and the reply was - “The larva will almost

certainly be a wasp larva, hatched from an egg

deposited on the paralysed spider when it was

| | stashed into a

holding cell. A

number of wasp

species do this — we

cannot identify it

from the larva but a

picture of the wasp

nest would certainly

Egg, approx. 3mm long, deposited Wasp larva i

on paralysed spider help.

Photos Hilton Selvey

BUTTERFLY LARVAE IMAGES

. : , ~

\' <9

7 N Sa y

7 - i ‘ 7

a . *

» |

)

Lurcher (Yoma sabina)

Blue-banded Eggfly (Hypolimnas alimena)

Yellow Migrant (Catopsilia gorgophone)

Photos Ross Kendall

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 38

BOIC ON FACEBOOK

BOIC is now on facebook!

Type http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall& gid=187619097411 into your

browser. View details of upcoming excursions, read posts on invertebrate

discussions, share invertebrate information, and more!

OTHER GROUPS’ ACTIVITIES

Sunday August 29™ — 11am till 3pm - Lowlands Festival - “The Free Family Fun

Festival” - Osprey House Environment Centre - Dohles Rocks Road, Griffin.

Want a day that keeps everyone in your family happy? Then get out and enjoy

“Living with Our Environment” at the Lowlands Festival on Sunday August 29"

from 11am till 3pm. It’s the place to be 1f you’re looking to discover loads of free

family fun. The kids will get their faces painted, enjoy fun tattoos, make crazy

candles, be entertained by local entertainers and the jumping castle will be great for

the little ones. The Radical Reptiles and other Wildlife Shows will entertain all

visitors with native wildlife species.

BUTTERFLY AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES CLUB PROGRAMME

Planning and Management Meeting

What: Our planning meetings are informative and interesting. As well as

planning our activities we share lots of information. All members are

welcome as this activity is also a general meeting of members.

When: Saturday, 14™ August, 2010 from 1.30 pm

Where: Ross Kendall’s home, 17 Eldon Street, Indooroopilly

RSVP: Ross on 07 3378 1187 or Daphne on 07 3396 6334

Lowlands Festival, Moreton Bay Regional Council

What: We will be holding a display at this event

When: 29" August, 2010 from 11am to 3pm

Where: Osprey House, Dohles Rocks Rd., Griffin

SGAP Spring Flower Show and Plant Sale

What: We will be holding a display at this event. Members looking for

butterfly/moth hostplants may find something interesting amongst

the plants for sale.

When: 20" and 21“ September, 2008

Where: The Auditorium, Mt. Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 39

DISCLAIMER

The magazine seeks to be as scientifically accurate as possible but the views, opinions and

observations expressed are those of the authors. The magazine is a platform for people, both

amateur and professional, to express their views and observations about invertebrates. These

are not necessarily those of the BOIC. The manuscripts are submitted for comment to

entomologists or people working in the area of the topic being discussed. If inaccuracies have

inadvertently occurred and are brought to our attention we will seek to correct them in future

editions. The Editor reserves the right to refuse to print any matter which is unsuitable,

inappropriate or objectionable and to make nomenclature changes as appropriate.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Producing this magazine 1s done with the efforts of:

e Those members who have sent in letters and articles

e Lois Hughes who provides illustrations including the cover

e Daphne Bowden who works on layout, production and distribution

e John Moss and Tim Heard for scientific referencing and proof reading of various articles

in this issue of the magazine )

e Printing of this publication is proudly supported by

Brisbane City Council

i TL lim ii

We would like to thank all these people for their | BRISBANE CITY

contribution.

Dedicated to a better Brisbane

ARE YOU A MEMBER

Please check your mailing label for the date your membership is due for renewal. If your

membership is due, please renew as soon as possible. Membership fees are $25.00 for

individuals, schools and organizations. If you wish to pay electronically, the following

information will assist you: BSB: 484-799, Account No: 001227191, Account name: BOIC,

Bank: Suncorp, Reference: your membership no. and surname e.g. 234 Roberts.

Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc.

PO Box 2113

RUNCORN Q. 4113

Next event — Planning and Management Meeting - Saturday, 14 August,

2010 from 1.30 pm

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #57 — Page 40