CLUB PLANNING AND ORGANIZING GROUP - 2008

President: Ross Kendall 07 3378 1187

Vice President: John Moss 07 3245 2997

Treasurer: Rob MacSloy 07 3824 4348

Secretary: Peter Hendry 07 3206 0048

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

Librarian: Janet Willoughby 07 3343 3949

Publicity: Lois Hughes 07 3206 6229

Excursion Convenor: Alisha Steward 07 3275 1186

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION MEETINGS

A quarterly meeting 1s scheduled in order to plan club activities and the newsletter.

See BOIC Programme.

CONTACT ADDRESS AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

PO Box 2113, Runcorn, Queensland 4113

Membership fees are $20.00 for individuals and $25 for 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;

To promote the conservation of the invertebrate habitat;

To promote the keeping of invertebrates as alternative pets;

To promote research into invertebrates;

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

NEWSLETTER DEADLINES

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

March issue — February 21° June issue — May 21°

September issue — August 21° December issue — November 21°

COVER

Parnkalla muelleri (Distant), Grass Faerie - Painting by Lois Hughes. Prints of this

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Recently, I received notification from Brisbane City Council that our application for a

further grant to help meet the extra cost of printing our Magazine in colour was

successful. I wish to thank Jane Prentice, Councillor for Walter Taylor Ward and

Michael Thorley, Catchment Coordinator Inner West Catchments for their warm

support of our application. Thanks again to the Brisbane City Council for their grant

of $1600.00.

The annual cost of printing and mailing four 36-page colour editions of the Magazine

to members is currently $25.50. Some copies are exchanged with other organisations

while others are sent to libraries or are archived. The Club has significant other costs

such as insurance premiums. The increased printing costs have exerted some pressure

on our finances and while the generosity of the Brisbane City Council has somewhat

eased that pressure, I will, at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM), be proposing

that the annual membership fee be increased by $5.00 to $25.00.

You will find an insert about the AGM accompanying this edition and I urge you to

attend if you are able to do so. The “Swap Meet” to follow the meeting should be

interesting!

Each year at the Indigi Expo in June and at the Society for Growing Australian Plants

big sale in September, we find there 1s quite a demand for butterfly host plants. The

funds we raise from the sale of plants are a great help to the Club and we could really

raise more funds 1f we had a greater supply of plants. You can assist by donating

plants. Please contact Daphne or myself 1f you are able to help.

Thanks again to all the contributors to this our latest edition. Best wishes Ross

Grass Faerie (Parnkalla Mueller i) .....ccccccccccccsscccccescccccsseccccnsecccsececaueccceseceseuecceueeceeeunes +

The Katydid Ectopistidectes Viridlis RONtZ ..........ccccccssscccccssecccessecceeecccaesecesaeecceseeceeaeees 5

A Splendid Ghost Moth from Iron Range, North Queensland .............seeeeeeeeeeeeees 5

Saltbush Blue and Samphire Blue butterflies at Boondall Wetlands........... eee 8

Cruria donawani (Boisduval, 1832) Noctuidae, Agaristinae.............ccccceecccseseceeeeeeeeeees 9

Giant Mosquito (TOXOrYNCHiItes SPCCIOSUS) ...csscccsssecccneeccccansccecasecccanececaecceueneceeaeeeeeaes 13

(Wares Sikes Pes a) ee iy oa Pe Pa en a PP ee Pe cen eee 14

VEAL EMA SGT ors enc AEs, cote ini tea etek Nata Aas tera intel a Stee a tach tern k erin ete el 17

Under the Microscope - Description of the egg of Jalmenus iInOUS INOUS...........666.005 18

At the Light Trap - Gems of the North... ecccccsssccccesececeeeececeeneceeeeeceeeeeceeeeees 19

Excursion Reports - Ian Ferrier's Garden, Mitchelton -19"" October 2008...........000+. 21

Rainforest Liqueurs, Conondale - 29" November 2008............. 23

A Pictorial Story - The Lite Cycle of a Common Crow (Euploed COre).......cccseccceeeeee 25

2 Book Reviews - Moths of Victoria & Butterflies and Moths:A Wild Aust.Guide... 30

Letters, You Asked, What Insect is that?, Other Groups' Activities, BOIC Programme from. 31

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 “ Page 3

CREATURE FEATURE

Grass Faerie (Parnkalla muelleri) (Distant)

(Alternative common name: Yellow Sugarcane Cicada)

Except for a species from Western Australia (known only from a single male) the

Grass Faerie 1s the only member of this genus. The genus is very closely allied to

Tamasa and shares with it distinctive features including widely spaced eyes and long

antennae.

It has, in the past, been considered to be a pest of sugarcane (hence its alternative

common name).

The species emerges from October to March and 1s found from Coen (Northern

Queensland) south to Kyogle (Northern New South Wales) and west to Mt. Garnett

and Carnarvon Gorge (Central Queensland).

Large emergences follow heavy rain

and it can be abundant in grassy

areas. The nymphal food plants

include several members of the

Poaceae family [including Blady

Grass (Imperata cylindrica), Guinea

Grass (Panicum maximum) and, of

course, Sugarcane (Saccharum

officinarum)|.

The song (or call) is a harsh grating

buzz containing both continuous and

pulsating components. The song 1s

nearly inaudible to the human ear

Parnkalla muelleri — showing size relative to an ay

adult’s finger. | Photo Rob Macsloy although I can recall driving (in the

rain) near Gatton with the window

only partially down and Lindsay Popple hearing the call some 30-40 metres away —

the benefits of youthful ears!!

Eggs are laid in the stems and leaves (usually dead) of its host plants and under

normal conditions the nymphs develop to adult stage within a year though some do

not emerge until the next season. Rob Macsloy

References:

Moulds M.S. (1990) .Australian Cicadas. Pub.: New South Wales University Press.

Popple L. Website: Australian Cicadas, the Cicadas of Central Eastern Australia.

http://bacs-s02.bacs.ug.edu.au/sib/ins-info/

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 4

ITEMS OF INTEREST

The Katydid Ectopistidectes viridis Rentz

I found this katydid at the Bunya Mountains in early Autumn 2008. They were

common in Acacia spp. and stunted Bursaria spinosa and Alyxia ruscifolia bushes in

a tall open eucalypt forest with grassy understorey. They were close to a cliff line and

confined to an area of probably only a few hundred square metres. They were making

quite a “ruckus”, each calling in a manner similar to the territorial "scolding" made by

the scrub wren. In fact I thought the noise was coming from birds nesting in the trees,

until closer inspection revealed a

katydid was responsible! Two

workmen were brush cutting the

paths nearby and I could still

hear the incessant chirping of

the katydids above the drone of

the engines! As soon as the

brush cutters stopped the

true volume of the katydids’

clamour became apparent. They

were the dominant sound in the

area, even drowning out the

cicadas.

David Rentz identified the

species from photographs

as Ectopistidectes viridis Rentz.

He says it is known from localities around the Blackdown Tableland. There is one

other known species, E. daptes, from up Maryborough way. It is smaller and more

robust. Both probably are predators. The find at the Bunya Mountains represents a

significant range extension for E. viridis.

Ectopistidectes viridis Rentz

Photo Ian Menkins

Incidentally, I found a small colony of the elusive mountain katydid (Acripeza

reticulata) at this same location. There were many other unusual insects as well.

Tan Menkins

ae se se se se ie se se sk se se se see see

A Splendid Ghost Moth from Iron Range, North Queensland

Within Australia the moth family Hepialidae is especially rich 1n species and is often

referred to as Ghost Moths, or Swift Moths. The genus Aenetus Herrich-Schatfer

presently contains fifteen described species from Australia, and 1s represented from

all mainland Australian states and territories. A single species 1s known from New

Zealand, and at least one species 1s shared with Indonesia.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 5

Moths from the genus Aenetus are amongst our most beautiful insects, but

Surprisingly are not often encountered. They are sometimes referred to as Splendid

Ghost Moths. Their habitats include rainforest, wet sclerophyll and eucalypt forest,

and range in altitude from sea level to above 2000m. Many of the adult moths either

aren’t, or are rarely attracted to light — explaining their infrequent observation.

Resting during the day, either on vegetation foliage, or sapling trunks, adults are

extremely cryptic, with their wing shape and colouration blending perfectly with their

natural background.

The very early larval instars of some, and possibly all species, 1s spent in an

environment living under logs, for an uncertain timeframe, and possibly feeding on

algae growth, or decaying wood. Later instar larvae tunnel into the trunks and stems

of living trees or shrubs, firstly by tunnelling horizontally, then vertically downwards.

The entrance to the tunnel is covered with a webbing membrane comprised of silk

and finely chewed wood particles. Larvae feed on bark regrowth and sap flow from

around the tunnel entrance, and this feeding pattern creates a distinctive vestibule —

sometimes characteristic for an individual species. Final instar larvae pupate 1n the

vertical tunnel, and the webbing membrane covering the vestibule may be either

broken, or left intact, depending on the individual species, with the pupa pushing out

and extruding from the tunnel, allowing the newly emerged moth to crawl partway up

the tree trunk, and find a foothold to expand and dry its wings. Emergence of the

adult moths usually occurs late in the afternoon, often around dusk, or shortly

thereafter.

The distributions and biologies of most of our Aenetus species are very poorly

understood. One particular species, Aenetus tegulatus (Pagenstecher) has been

recorded from the Cairns district, particularly from the Atherton Tableland, from

Townsville, and also Darwin, from quite a wide range of rainforest or open forest tree

types. On the Atherton Tablelands, larvae regularly utilise Glochidion sp.

(Euphorbiaceae), as well as Casuarina sp. (Casuarinaceae), particularly in wet

sclerophyll areas. Recently I was fortunate to rear a number of specimens from Iron

Range, where the larvae had been feeding within a species of Glochidion, as well as a

Commersonia sp. (Sterculiaceae). Up until now, 1n Queensland, Aenetus species have

not been recorded from north of Cooktown (Common 1990), but this reflects purely

on a lack of collecting or observations by naturalists. The adult female occurs in two

distinct colour morphs — a brown morph, and a green morph (Figs. 1 and 2). The male

occurs 1n an aqua green colour morph (Fig. 3). All forms are figured here, together

with an image of the silk and wood fragment webbing covering the vestibule (on

Commersonia sp.) (Fig. 4), as well as an image of the pupal exuviae extruding from

the tunnel through the unbroken webbing (on Glochidion sp.) (Fig. 5). Females

average 7 — 10 cm 1n wingspan, males average 6 — 7 cm.

David Lane

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 “ Page 6

Photos David Lane

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 7

Saltbush Blue and Samphire Blue butterflies at Boondall Wetlands

The Saltbush (or Chequered) Blue butterfly, Theclinesthes serpentata, can be seen at

Brisbane’s Boondall Wetlands, during most months of the year, in the saltmarsh and

surrounding area. It is often seen flying in company with the similar looking

Samphire (or Saltpan) Blue butterfly, 7. su/pitius, which 1s itself restricted to the

saltmarsh. Because of this similarity the two species are difficult to tell apart, and

almost impossible whilst on the wing.

Male Saltbush Blue upperside

Male Saltbush Blue — lateral view

They are both small greyish butterflies, less than 2cm across outspread wings. The

Saltbush Blue has the terminal edges of its wings “chequer-boarded” 1n alternating

white and grey with patchy areas of white on the underside. It also has more blue

basal areas on the upperside compared with the plainer looking Samphire Blue.

The larval foodplants for the Saltbush Blue at Boondall are the saltbushes Einadia

hastata and E. nutans which grow both in and around the edges of the saltmarsh. The

hostplants for the Samphire Blue are, as its name suggests, the local samphires

(“Bead-weeds”’) Halosarcia indica and Sarcocornia quinqueflora, although other

species of samphires and seablites, as listed in Moss (2005), may be utilised. There

are good images of these plants in the popular publications “Mangroves to

Mountains” and “Wild Plants of Greater Brisbane’’.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 8

Samphire Blue (Theclinesthes sulpitius)

on Sesuvium

Samphire Blue (Theclinesthes sulpitius)

on Halosarcia

Photos Russel Denton Russel Denton and John T. Moss

Reference:

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

South Wales. Second (revised) edition. Pub.: BOIC Inc.

KREEKEKEKERRRRKRRKRKRKKEEEESE

Cruria donowani (Boisduval, 1832) Noctuidae, Agaristinae

With my family, I spent several days between Christmas and New Year at Upper

Thane Creek west of Warwick, Qld. There had been good rain in the previous

months and the vegetation was growing well. Each day I saw several specimens of a

black and white moth with a wingspan of about 5 cm. Reference to the literature and,

later, the Internet confirmed that the moth was Cruria donowani.

In mid afternoon on December 31%, we

noticed a female moth laying eggs ona

prostrate herb growing in sandy gravel on

Byron’s Gully, a tributary of Upper

Thane Creek (28° 14’ S, 151° 41’ E).

Closer examination led to the discovery

of larvae in three different instars. |

collected the last instar larva and some

host plant.

Two days later that larva darkened in

colour and became very restive. Being

uncertain of the moth’s pupation habits, I

placed crumpled tissue, leaf litter, grass clippings, damp soil, a tube of paper and a

tube of corrugated cardboard in a container. After several hours of ceaseless

UG OG OG OG OG OS OS OG OG OG OG DG OG DS DG Dg wha hw Mg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 9

Cruria donowani - Adult

exploration, it was clear that the caterpillar was not happy with these offerings. I then

added a small roll of eucalypt bark to the equation! Within minutes the seeker had

disappeared.

On examination two days later, a cleverly constructed cocoon approximately 17 mm

long was found in the roll of bark with a coating of chewed bark as camouflage. The

adult moth emerged fourteen days later.

The host plant was identified by Glenn Leiper as Tarvine (Boerhavia species St

George) — Family: Nyctaginaceae. Common, 1990, in “Moths of Australia” lists

Alocasia macrorrhizos (Araceae), Hibbertia (Dilleniaceae), Cissus antarctica

(Vitaceae) and Boerhavia diffusa as hosts of C. donowani. It is probable that these

plants are also the hosts of the related species C. synopla which occurs in wetter

forests “on the Atherton Tableland and from southern Queensland to central New

South Wales” (Common, 1990).

The Queensland Plant Census (2007) shows that Alocasia macrorrhizos has been split

into two species with A. brisbanensis the most widespread from north Queensland to

New South Wales whilst 4. macrorrhizos 1s restricted to far north Queensland. There

are about 75 Hibbertia species listed. Since Common ’s listing, Boerhavia diffusa has

been split into 12 species, some coastal, some inland and others both. B. dominii 1s

common “on heavy soils” (Leiper et al) but the specimen illustrated more fits the

description and location of Boerhavia. sp. St George.

Plate 32.11 of Common (1990) has a colour photograph of a “C. donowani larva”

with black segmental bands broken by white circular lines. This does not quite match

the images of the larvae of C. donowani accompanying this article that show

uninterrupted black bands. Perhaps there are variations between larvae.

It would valuable to learn of further observations of both C. donowani and C.

synopla.

References:

Common, I.F.B., 1990. Moths of Australia. Melbourne University Press.

Leiper, G., Glazebrook, J., Cox, D., Rathie, K. 2008. Mangroves to Mountains

(Revised Edition). Society for Growing Australian Plants (QLD Region) Inc.

Logan River Branch.

Bostock, P.D.& Holland, A.E. 2007. Census of the Queensland Flora 2007.

Queensland Herbarium, Environmental Protection Agency, Queensland

Government.

Acknowledgements:

Mrs Jill Common for permission to reproduce a photograph from “Moths of

Australia,” Glenn Leiper for plant identification, John Moss for plant information and

Ted Edwards for the following (edited) comments.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 “ Page 10

“The record of Cissus antarctica for C. donowani comes from Scott (Scott, A.W.

1891. Australian Lepidoptera and their transformations. 2. pp. 16-17, pl. 15.

Australian Museum, Sydney.) who illustrated both foodplant and adult moth.

The record of Alocasia macrorrhizos 1s from David Mc Alpine (McAlpine, D.K.

1981. Food plant record for Cruria donowani (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Agaristinae).

Aust. ent. Mag. 7 (6): 84.)

This record is confirmed by Brian Cantrell (Cantrell, B.K. 1984. Insects associated

with Alocasia macrorrhiza (L.) G. Don. (Araceae) 1n Queensland. Aust. ent. Mag. 10

(6): 85-88.)

The record of Hibbertia is lan Common's own record. It is certainly C. donowani. In

his publications he does not mention Hibbertia scandens and if, as I suspect, the

record 1s from the Canberra area it would be another species of Hibbertia but it could

have come from the south coast of NSW where H. scandens occurs.”

Ross Kendall

Cruria donowani larva —2"™ instar

Photos Ross Kendall

C. donowani larva — final instar

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 11

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 12

Giant Mosquito: Toxorynchites speciosus (Diptera : Culicidae)

When my wife asked me to investigate

the buzzing sound she had heard 1n the

dining room over the past couple of

days, I was surprised to find a giant

mosquito. This fellow was huge, 2 to

3 times the size of other mosquitoes

found here. What diseases did it carry,

Ross River Fever, Malaria, Dengue

Fever or some flesh eating parasite’?

I consulted the trusty Wildlife of

Greater Brisbane, published by the

Queensland Museum and there it was,

on page 134 of the new edition. Giant

Mosquito, Toxorynchites speciosus; the article states it has a length of 12-l16mm and

has a metallic purple and blue body with silver markings. Its distribution is northern

NT and eastern Australia from Cape York, QLD to Sydney NSW.

Toxorynchites speciosus - Photo Peter & Bev Hendry

The notes on its feeding

habits, state that both

sexes feed on nectar, not

blood and the larvae

feed on other mosquito

larvae.

Ho, ho, ho, on the good

list (well it was

Christmas day). The big

fellow was released into

: : the backyard to carry on

Toxorynchites speciosus larva - Photo Peter Hendry its good deeds. I had

always assumed that all

mosquitoes were blood-suckers, but as it turns out this is an exceptional case.

Coincidentally John Moss drew my attention to a larva of this mosquito which had

taken up residence 1n an aquarium where he had native fish fry. Although he had not

seen any actual predation, the fish numbers were steadily dropping while the larva

had increased in size!

Peter Hendry

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 452 — - Page if

The Circle of Life

It was late afternoon, the April sun lit up the tree and there she was within reach, just

above head height. Why we hadn’t noticed her before made me think I must have been

very unobservant, but I know I don’t miss much!. Chewed leaves are always

investigated, rolled up ones peered down to check for inhabitants, but gingerly so in case

a spider suddenly jumped out and ran up my arm as one did once, scaring me. I had

looked frequently in this guava tree, after finding the previous one here in 2007. Once

again, her camouflage colours of green and yellow blended perfectly with leaf and

branch, protecting her from prying eyes of both friend or foe. Fully grown, with front

legs extended (measuring 29 cm) hung this splendid female Goliath Stick Insect.

In contrast to the former female we

had found on the same tree (which

became the Creature Feature in Issue

45 of our June 2007 Newsletter) she

didn’t fuss too much when I re-

located her, with guava branches for

food and support, into a coolite box,

one of the same large boxes, with

mesh lids, in which I hand rear

caterpillars. Quickly settling into her

new surroundings, she contentedly

chewed her way through a continuous

supply of guava leaves and only

occasionally chose Black Wattle or

eucalypt for variety. From April 19",

2008, she continued to lay 3 or 4 eggs

daily.

I soon learned her fearsome appearance was for show only.

She had a sweet and trusting demeanour and so began one of

the most rewarding and enjoyable relationships I have had with

any creature.

In early May, I found another stick insect, about 10 cm. long,

not beautifully coloured, just shades of mottled grey like a dead

stick, also well camouflaged, on another guava tree. I brought

it in to see 1f Mrs. Sticky, as she became affectionately known,

“Mrs. Sticky” —a painting = would enjoy the company. Not knowing the species or gender

Be LO Ean of this one, he was simply called Little Sticky. I was fascinated

to see it shed its skin one evening as its growth to maturity

continued.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 14

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Learning to read their

body language told me

when they wanted a drink or were ready to eat. She, particularly, responded by extending

her palps, the small segmented “feelers” situated above and below each side of her mouth.

If thirsty she dropped her head, exploring the surface beneath her for droplets, when I

sprayed her with water and would variously drink from a teaspoon or even a saucer. If

hungry, the proffered leaves were eagerly grabbed, held and devoured in a roughly

circular movement. Little Sticky consumed much less and would go for several days

without eating, only drinking. I suspect he may have been preparing to shed his skin as

he would do a weird dance, tail curled, scorpion-like over his back, sometimes

disappearing behind a curtain or chair, then appearing again to resume eating.

During the June 2008 Redlands IndigiScapes weekend B.O.I.C. attended, I took my cage

and stickies, much to the enjoyment of children and adults alike many requesting photos

holding them. One young man, Ben Jacobs, shared his considerable knowledge with me

and promised to build me a proper cage, explaining mine wasn’t deep enough to allow

Little Sticky to shed his skin properly.

Thereafter they were given their freedom from the cage and contentedly hung from the

fly-screens or the curtains to which I pegged their food branches. I lost sight of Little

Sticky a few times but when I called him he trotted out from behind the curtains or chair.

But things were a-changing, beneath the mottled brown Little Sticky had a tinge of green

and some pinkish spines faintly visible and once more he hadn’t eaten for several days.

Next morning Little Sticky had gone, replaced by Boy Sticky resplendent in his new suit

of clothes of green and yellow, with a white stripe down his now full length wings. On

the curtain above him, hung his shed skin which he devoured over several hours.

My once placid little fellow had grown up. He was a “big boy” now, with an attitude to

match. No longer wanting my company, he had other things on his mind. He courted

Mrs. Sticky and was soon mating with her and then began exploring. No longer content to

just stay on the fly screens, he began trying out his new wings while we were sleeping.

After one such adventure, I discovered him at the other end of the house, on the floor

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 15

behind the toilet bowl, covered in cobwebs and very pleased to see me as he was really

hungry. It was fortunate the lid was closed overnight or his adventure may have ended in

disaster! So began night curfew, back in the box!

Being Spring, I soon discovered two other

males on the guava tree and brought them

inside where they also competed for Mrs.

Sticky’s favour. Boy Sticky really intimidated

them, swishing his long antennae back, he

would glare at them and if they dared to move

an he would charge menacingly towards them.

r. v2). Seine? Retreating, they would sit quietly for a more

ae te | ; Opportune moment before creeping back. For

— “s § the sake of peace, I removed one to the guava

tree where he sat for several days, the other

taking himself off in search of his own mate.

So life continued.

IE.

e ee, ~~

Close-up of head and thorax — Photo Peter Hendry

Mrs. Sticky fell a couple of times and I began to wonder if all was well. Ben delivered

my large wooden cage which he and Zac had thoughtfully covered in fly screen to stop

the eggs being flung out through the wire and it was a God-send. Boy Sticky was free to

roam and I didn’t have to wonder if he’d come to a “sticky” end in an inappropriate place.

Mrs. Sticky also thoroughly enjoyed her new home for several weeks but still wanted to

be handled and talked to.

Sadly though, she was nearing her end, becoming lethargic, hardly eating and losing body

weight. She passed away quietly after a very productive and protected life on Dec. 12"

2008. I will miss her. She was such good company.

Boy Sticky also got weaker and was falling. Maybe he missed his mate too as they were

inseparable and constant companions. Apparently males only live for 8 or 9 months

compared with the female’s life span of 18 months or so. Sadly Boy Sticky has also died.

But happily, life goes on. Mrs. Sticky’s offspring have begun emerging, the first on Dec.

22" and have continued emerging ever since, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time — thirty four so

far — mostly doing so overnight. Full of life and very adventurous, it’s challenging

transferring them from the small container to their new cage as they scurry everywhere.

They soon settle into a favourite spot and after a drink, begin eating. I offer them a

variety of small leaved plants initially- one of their favourites being Kunzea flavescens —

basically plants of the Myrtaceae family which includes eucalypts and guava but they will

also eat the young leaves from the Banksia Rose and some wattles. I use small potted

plants of guava which 1s their favourite, as well as the freshly gathered new growth tips of

the other plants, poked through alfoil into florists foam, 1n containers of water. I spray

the leaves and walls of the box frequently, especially during the very hot days we’ve been

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 16

having, to prevent dehydration. At the time of writing, Jan. 23", the earliest nymphs are

one month old and have grown to 5cm long, tripling their size.

I have much to learn from these creatures as the journey continues, completing the circle

of life.

Lots Hughes

P.S. Guava trees have established themselves along the roadsides and in properties in

areas of Mt. Cotton and the fruits are eagerly sought after, although checking for fruit fly

larvae is essential unless one doesn’t mind some added protein!

Guavas, Psidium guajava, of the Myrtaceae family, are large shrubs or small trees, 3 to 8

metres high, with large leaves 7 to 15cm long.

KHER KKEKEKE

What Fly is that?

Martin Bennett, a friend to some

members of BOIC, sent me an image

of a “bug” he had taken in his garden

at Mindin west of Ipswich SE Qld,

requesting information about what it

was. At the time my only answer was

that it was a fly of some sort. Some

weeks later I photographed the same

species at a light trap near Deepwater

south of Tenterfield northern NSW. I

continued research into what it could

be, but to no avail. I approached John

Moss with the query. After searching

through all the insect related books in

his library we found it in Insects of

Australia by George Hangay and

Pavel German.

Comptosia sp. - Photo Martin Bennett

The information gleaned includes the

following. The fly is a Comptosia

species, in the family Bombyliudae

(Bee Flies). They feed on nectar and

are often seen hovering near flowers, as per Martin’s image. The genus contains some

of Australia’s largest flies, having wingspans of 70mm. In the Bombyliudae family,

some females flick their eggs into the nests of bees and social wasps. The larvae are

parasites of these and other insects. In general the family inhabits arid and semiarid

regions.

Comptosia sp. - Photo Peter Hendry

Peter Hendry

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 17

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Description of the egg of Jalmenus inous inous (Hewitson)

(lepidoptera: lycaenidae)

A friend of mine made a trip to Western Australia late in 2008 to take photographs of

any butterflies that were on the wing. During the trip he noticed a female Jalmenus

inous inous Ovipositing on a low growing Acacia. Knowing that I am trying to

photograph as many butterfly eggs as possible, he collected some of the eggs and sent

them to me in Cairns. When they arrived, I noticed that the eggs have not been

described in any books, so I compiled the following text.

Egg: Diameter 0.50 mm; Bluish white; Mandarin shaped with a course reticulated

pattern of mostly square ridges; single spines arise from where these ridges intersect;

the spines around the sunken micropyle face inwards; eggs are laid in clusters in

crevices and against irregularities on the foodplant. Bob Miller

Egg side view

Photos Bob

Miller using

the club’s

microscope/

camera

Cluster of eggs

VIPTPT PART DIPS DIPS PIP PAP Pag Pah Pa Pg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 18

AT THE LIGHT TRAP

Gems of the North:

On a trip to Cairns late last year I had the opportunity to set up the light trap

at various places along the way

and many gems of the north

presented themselves on the light

sheet. One such moth 1s Milionia

queenslandica, Jordan &

Rothschild 1895, having an

iridescent blue body, brown—

black wings with red and yellow

markings; it surely is a gem

amongst lepidoptera in general.

M. queenslandica 1s a member of

the family Geometridae and 1s

placed in the subfamily

Ennominae. Its larva and

hostplant are unknown and

Common (1990) gives its distribution as occurring from Cooktown south to Innisfail,

but I had two specimens appear further south, 28k NW of Ingham, on the 20"

October 2008. The famous Butterfly Man of Kuranda, F.P. Dodd sent specimens of

M. queenslandica and the skipper Chaetocneme porphyropis (known then as

Phoenicops porphyropis) to the Australian Museum in 1908. At the time the museum

entomologist was W. J. Rainbow. After examining the two specimens, he was

prompted to write the following. “Although obviously distinct from one another, it

would nevertheless be an exceedingly difficult matter to differentiate between the two

when on the wing and in flight. Our Australian Lepidoptera, although presenting

numerous instances of protective colouration, affords very little in the way of true

mimicry. For this reason such an

instance as the one referred to

above is decidedly interesting.”

(Records of the Australian

Museum. No. 2. Published 1| 1th

September, 1908)

: ~K 7

Milionia queenslandica

One family of moths that are true os)”

mimics 1s Sesiidae; these clear- = a. r yw

winged moths are diurnal and — =

take on the appearance of wasps

and bees. I had my first encounter

with this family, on the night of

ee of 7.

- +

a = 7 a

=. 5 hes |

a a) it i

i < q , . F = ‘ ie. ss

, | r ;

, is bas “ - ~~

¢ - ‘ ‘ - o

Lawes (@ des w . =e

Melittia doddi showing the hind leg scale tufts

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 19

the 22" October 2008, some 18km S.E. Millaa Millaa. It was in the form of Melittia

doddi, Le Cerf 1916, a member of the subfamily Sesiinae. One of the distinguishing

features of the genus Melittia are the scale tufts on the hind leg. These scale tufts are

said to simulate the pollen gathering devices of certain bees (Duckworth and Eichlin,

1974). M. doddi occurs from the top of Cape York to at least as far south as my

record. Accounts of the closely related Indian M. amboinensis have the larvae feeding

on Snake Gourd vine. They bore into the main stem of the vine causing an elongated

gall to form. The mature larva leaves the gall to pupate in the soil in a specially

prepared earthen cocoon (Duckworth and Eichlin, 1974).

A rather beautiful moth that came to light 28km NW of Ingham was Agrotera pictalis

(Warren, 1896) a member of the family Crambidae in the subfamily Pyraustinae. Like

so many of our moths little 1s known of its biology. Another member of the same

subfamily to make an appearance that night was Talanga sabacusalis (Walker,

1859). Again little or nothing is known of its biology. A third member of this

Agrotera pictalis Talanga sabacusalis Glyphodes multilinealis

subfamily to come to light that night was, Glyphodes multilinealis Kenrick, 1907. G.

multilinealis 1s found in Japan, Fiji, Niue, Cook Islands, Society Islands and

Australia. On the Cook Islands where it is known as the Fig Tiger-moth, the larvae

feed on Ficus prolixa.

Also making an appearance that night

was Problepsis apollinaria (Gueneée,

1857), a member of the family

Geometridae, subfamily Sterrhinae. This

exquisite creature has raised scales of

silver circling the eye spots on the fore-

wing and running down across the hind-

wing. It is as 1f the maker had dripped

silver over its wings. P. apollinaria

occurs in the Indian Subregion, Borneo, Problepsis apollinaria

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 20

New Guinea and Northern Queensland.

Further north at the time and location of the

Sesiidae above, Aglaopus gemmulosa

(Whalley, 1976) made an appearance. I was

surprised to find such a large and beautiful

moth was only described in 1976, from

material collected by Common and Upton in

1964 and Dobson in 1967 (Whalley, 1976). A.

gemmulosa 1s a member of the family

Thyrididae, subfamily Striglininae and another

of our moths that has an unknown biology.

Aglaopus gemmulosa

Still further north, west of Babinda on the night

of the 23 of October 2008, the small but

beautiful, Anticrates metreta (Turner, 1903)

came to light. A. metreta is a member of the

family Lacturidae and occurs in rainforest from

Cape York to Hinchinbrook (Common, 1990).

Many thanks to Ted Edwards for identifying

Melittia doddi and Axel Kallies for providing

an updated checklist of the Sesiidae.

Anticrates metreta

Photos Peter Hendry Peter Hendry

References:

Common, I.F.B. 1990. Moths of Australia. Melbourne University Press

Duckworth, W.D. and Eichlin, T.D. 1974. Clearwing Moths of Australia and New

Zealand (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) Smithsonian Institution Press Washington DC

Whalley, P.E.S. 1976. Tropical Leaf Moths, A monograph of the subfamily

Striglininae (Lepidoptera : Thyrididae) The Gresham Press England.

EXCURSION REPORTS

Visit to lan Ferrier’s Garden, Mitchelton

Sunday 19™ October 2008

Ian’s garden was an inspiration to all who attended this excursion. Established in the

early 1990s, the 1200 m* block consisted of an impressive range of native rainforest

trees. Ian and his wife Judy are fortunate in having such a large suburban block in

which to plant some of the larger rainforest species. There was so much to see - we

started the day at 10am and didn’t leave until 3pm!

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 21

Something that caught my eye

in the garden was a large

Native Finger Lime tree (Citrus

australasica) bearing many

edible fruits. Each fruit

consists of many small, juicy

pearls. The Native Finger Lime

is a host plant for the Orchard,

Dainty, and Fuscous

Swallowtail butterflies. Other

butterfly host plants in Ian’s

garden included Brachychiton

acerifolia, Cryptocarya

erythroxylon, Cryptocarya

triplinervis, Drypetes

deplanchei, Eupomatia laurina,

Lomandra sp., Melodorum leichhardtii, Pipturus

argenteus, and Scolopia braunii, to name a few.

Ian had labeled many of these species for ease.

Despite the abundance of native host plants in the

garden, we encountered an Orchard Swallowtail

larva on an exotic Cumquat Tree, and we witnessed

a Tailed Emperor laying eggs on the new growth of

a Poinciana! In addition to these butterflies, we

also spotted a Pale Triangle, Blue Triangle,

Common Crow, Hairy Line-blue, Common Pencil-

blue, Lemon Migrant, Cabbage White and possibly

a Dingy Grass-skipper. For a moment we

witnessed a battle taking place between the skipper

and a flower spider. The skipper continually landed

in the same resting place, on a leaf very close to the

spider. The small crowd watched tentatively as the Hemipterans on Hoya

spider lashed out and attempted to capture the

skipper on several occasions. I believe the skipper eventually caught on to this game

and started to land on a different leaf.

Some club members who visited Ian and Judy’s garden

“> y A

- g

Other interesting invertebrates of note included some brightly-coloured Hemipterans

congregating on both the native Hoya macgillivrayi and exotic Hoya flowers. Ian

also showed us an impressive red-triangle slug, Triboniophorus graeffei.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 22

Equally impressive was the butterfly

and moth collection of Ian’s

erandtather. He was an avid collector

of moths in particular, and could

possibly have the largest private

collection of Aenetus moths known!

The collection also housed a number

of brilliantly-coloured butterflies such

as Trogonoptera brookiana collected

from Malaysia in the 1970s. Ian’s

erandfather also put together a

stunning bird collection which we

were fortunate enough to see.

i ~ ~> ) -

= y | ei

, _

™ iy . - ; |

e ve “ os

Many thanks to Ian and Judy Ferrier

for welcoming BOIC members into

their home, and for providing us with

a lovely cuppa and nibblies on their

deck. A very pleasant day was had by

all.

Alisha Steward

KHRAEAARARARRRERRRKRREKREERE

Rainforest Liqueurs, Conondale - Saturday, 29" November 2009

In the week leading up to this excursion, some doubts were in mind about whether we

would actually go through with it. Storms and localised flooding had hit the area, and

we were wondering 1f we would end

up trapped at John and Mary King’s

rainforest liqueurs property if another

storm hit!

Luckily for us, the weather was kind.

Our meeting place was the Barung

Landcare Nursery at Maleny. The

nursery was low with stock at that

time, as they are 1n the process of

moving to new premises. A few of us

made purchases of butterfly host

plants, and then we headed off for

John and Mary King’s property in

— Conondale.

A selection of liqueurs available from John and Mary

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[ DY 7d Og . . $i OG og { * Og sid , | v4 R ied , q aed Cg 13 é Gj oe | * ’ * ]

into of the Butterfly and Other lrivertebrates Club 45 2- Page ov

John and Mary were extremely welcoming. Food, coffee and tea were plentiful. We

started with some native nibblies, including kangaroo mince pizza and Lemon Aspen

butter with muffins. John talked us through each of the plant species used in the

liqueur-making process. Leaves, fruits or flowers are used, depending on the species.

All material is harvested sustainably from trees on the property. The discussion was

followed by liqueur tasting. My personal favourites were the Wild Mint (Mentha

diamenica) and Anisata (Backhousia anisata) liqueurs. Butterfly host plants made

into liqueurs included Acacia macradenia (flowers), Citrus glauca (fruits),

Eupomatia laurina (fruits) and Ficus coronata (fruits).

After the liqueur tasting we

walked through John and

Mary’s property, situated within

the headwaters of the Mary

River catchment. The

freshwater ecologists amongst

us were head-down-bum-up 1n

the creek looking for aquatic

invertebrates. We walked past a

stand of tall, majestic flooded

gums and through some

beautiful, steamy rainforest.

The rainforest was impenetrable

in some places, and we arrived

Group in rainforest on property at a few “dead ends’ here and

there. John led us to a large,

impressive Richmond Birdwing vine. A highlight of the walk for me was the

discovery of a brilliantly-coloured, shiny beetle, identification unknown. Towards

the end of the walk I had an unpleasant encounter with a colony of bulldog ants

amongst the stand of Bunya Pines. That’s what happens when you unknowingly step

onto their nest. They are sure good at inflicting pain! Some of the world’s most

venomous ants are bulldog ants.

We passed a number of Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoos just before arriving back at

John and Mary’s house. We all had a very enjoyable day (despite my bulldog ant

attack!). A big thank you to John and Mary for looking after us, and for providing

the liqueurs for tasting.

Alisha Steward

Ed. You will find enclosed with the magazine, a flyer advertising liqueurs available from John

and Mary King.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 24

A PICTORIAL STORY

The Life Cycle of a Common Crow: Euploea core (Cramer, [1780])

A picture story by Hongming Kan

Og OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG Oo OG OG Oo OG to OG UG

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 25

OG OS OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG OG Oo OG OG bo OG OG

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 26

BOOK REVIEWS

Moths of Victoria. Part 1 Silk Moths and Allies: BOMBYCOIDEA

by Peter Marriott, ‘aris aie by the Entomological Society of Victoria

This fascinating booklet published late last year,

illustrates with colour images all of the Bombycoidea

that occur in Victoria. This superfamily includes, Snout

Moths (Lasiocampidae), Anthelids (Anthelidae), Bag

Moths (Eupterotidae), Silk Worms (Bombycidae),

Emperor Moths (Saturnidae) and Hawk Moths

(Sphingidae). These are among our largest and most

beautiful moths. Also included are images of some

eggs, larvae and pupae and to top it off, a CD that

provides an additional 130 pages of images and

information, is also included.

The booklet 1s well laid out with colour tabs on the

margins for each family. Many of the moths have more

than one image, especially when one includes the CD. There are notes on the identity

of families and some specific differences between species and the CD contains

distributional data.

This is the first part in a series, which is attempting to image all of the 2000 odd

species that occur in Victoria. With many of these moths having a distribution well

beyond Victoria, this booklet is a must for anyone interested in Lepidoptera

especially moths.

Congratulations to Peter Marriott and his team at the Entomological Society of

Victoria. Peter Hendry

KREKEKEAEKEREKREREE

‘Butterflies and Moths”: A Wild Australia Guide.

Author: Patrick Honan. Publisher: Steve Parish

Publishing, 2008

This recently published 96 page paperback in the Steve

Parish Publishing Wild Australia Guide series of (currently)

20 books provides an introduction to our butterfly and moth

fauna that would be useful both for beginners and visitors

to Australia. Because of the publisher’s limitations it only

treats 25 of our 400 butterfly species and 28 of several

thousand known moth species.

The introductory chapters cover life cycle, growth and

metamorphosis, reproduction, wing colour, finding food,

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 27

natural enemies and defensive strategies. There 1s also a small section on

conservation. Each species treated has short entries on description, life history,

behaviour, size, habitat and distribution.

The full colour images include many larvae and refreshingly all adults are of live

specimens, photographed either in natural bushland or in the Melbourne Zoo

invertebrate enclosures.

There is a useful 2 page glossary and adequate index, followed by a ‘Links and

Further Reading’ section which lists several books both current and historical and

websites of organizations throughout Australia (sadly not including that of our own

club). A major oversight was the lack of any reference to the amateur clubs and

societies that study insects Australia-wide, which would have been handy for any

budding enthusiasts to make contact with like-minded individuals.

It is unfortunate that several significant errors have appeared that otherwise spoil this

small book. Some of the major ones are listed herein.

General and sweeping statements:

e.g. Skippers do not feed on a “wide range of foodplants” — their host plant range is

quite narrow, mainly grasses and sedges.

Pierids do not feed on a “vast array of foodplants from many different plant families”

— their range is limited e.g. Mistletoes, Capparis, Cassia and Senna.

“most Birdwing species live in New Guinea”. Not true — Indonesia and the

Philippines both have at least as many species.

Caterpillars “moult 5 times” — should be moult 4 times between 5 instars.

Caterpillars “have rather large eyes, but poor eyesight” — not true, they only have

small eyelike structures mostly capable of telling light from dark and some

movements.

And I’m not sure that comparing the shape of larvae to “sausages” 1s appropriate for

any other than hawk moth larvae!

Nomenclatural errors:

The Cairns Birdwing 1s Ornithoptera euphorion not O. priamus which 1s the Cape

York and P.N.G. birdwing. (This was correct on p.21, but not on p.28!)

Some old historical names, now inappropriate, have been used e.g. “Imperial White”’

for our magnificent Imperial Jezebel and “Imperial Blue” for the more appropriate

Imperial Hairstreak.

On page 68 under the chapter heading of ““Anthelid Moths” 1s a photograph of the

Saturnid moth Syntherata janetta!

There are also several minor errors of hostplant and distributional data (mostly

outdated information).

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 28

As there are no acknowledgements, I have been unable to ascertain whether the

author had his manuscript checked by a colleague. Had this been done many of these

errors could have been avoided.

Notwithstanding the above critical comments, these errors do not detract from the

overall impact of the book, and the author has been able to achieve a useful, easily

readable and quite cheap alternative to the now out of print 1992 “Flying Colours” of

Pat and Mike Coupar.

The book is available from the club for $12 plus $3 P&H (members price) and may

be available from some newsagents and post offices.

John Moss

LETTERS

Recently one of my Richmond Birdwing larvae left

the vine to find a place to pupate. I saw it first on the

wall and soon afterwards found it writhing around on

the ground covered in ants which were bent on killing

it. I took the larva away and removed all the ants with

a small soft paint brush. The obviously distressed

larva was placed in a styrofoam box where it pupated

the next day. A month later a male butterfly emerged.

It was removed from the box and allowed to hang

while its wings

expanded and

hardened. When

it was ready it

Enlarged view showing brown flew away.

pilitorm scales of male Richmond

Birdwing (wing on left, abdomen A number of

on right)

photos were

taken, one showing the piliform (hairlike) wing

scales which are situated on the dorsal edge of the

rear wing between the base and the tornus. When

I saw the way the piliform scales were arranged |

doubted if the butterfly would be able to fly

properly. Although not the function, the

aerodynamic effect of these scales would be like

air brakes. Big jets use them as do gliders, but

these flaps are generally on the upper-surface of

the wings near the area of maximum curvature.

Air brakes or no, this Birdwing flew as well as Newly emerged male Birdwing

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 29

any other Birdwing I have seen flying.

Handling the larva was done under an endorsement to the permit issued to D.S. Sands

(Permit No. WISP00582002). However, even without that permit I would have saved

the larva, who wouldn't? I have no permit to handle the butterfly, but the

circumstances were such that not doing so would have resulted in the loss of the

Birdwing butterfly. Seeing and photographing the piliform scales was an unexpected

bonus.

I thought that such interesting photos should be shared with other members of the

Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club.

Photos Hilton Selvey Hilton Selvey

Comment: Hilton’s comments about the legal aspects of handling Birdwing larvae

and adults (or other protected species for that matter) warrant a comment. It is hard

to fathom why in the supposedly enlightened year of 2009, politico-legal correctness

should deter one from undertaking commonsense activities which enhance, rather

than obstruct, the livelihood of our native insects. John Moss

KREEEREKERREREREREREKREREEE

Herewith is a photo of a mating

pair of Theclinesthes onycha, taken

in our garden at Gumdale on 13

Nov. 2008 at 0930.

There were around 40 larvae on

one Cycad plant in late Oct. It was

only approx. 60cm high. It copped

a good munching. I did not count

the larvae on the other plants.

The adults have been here in a fair

number (around 6 to 8 at any one

time) for the last couple of months.

Still 3 or 4 here today (30.11.08).

Theclinesthes onycha mating pair

Photo Jak Guyomar

Jak Guyomar

Ed.: John Moss is preparing an article on this butterfly and its (so far) inadequately

explained abundance in South-east Qld in recent years, which has resulted in serious

damage to cultivated cycads, in particular the popular Japanese Cycas revoluta.

There are several theories doing the rounds as to the reason for this phenomenon.

John would be grateful for any comments, which will be duly acknowledged.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 30

YOU ASKED

Attached are 2 photos of green cicadas I

took last week (Ed.: Email dated

23.11.2008) on an afternoon just before

one of those storms when the humidity

was high and there was lightning and

thunder around.

The big green cicada was calling loudly,

and was one of many in our yard, the

first time I’ve heard them here in

Beenleigh in 30 years.

While I was photographing it, another

smaller cicada came down and landed

within 30 cm of it. I guess it was

attracted to the call and was probably a

female.

Are they Bladder Cicadas? And I| gather

the smaller one 1s a female’?

Glenn Leiper

Photos Glenn Leiper

Glenn, the cicada depicted in your

wonderful photos is the Large Bottle

Cicada (currently Glaucopsaltria viridis) although there 1s some conjecture about its

taxonomic status — Lindsay Popple (pers.comm.). It 1s readily distinguished from the

Bladder Cicada by the wings which are clear rather than opaque. The call is also

quite different, with the Bladder Cicada making a frog-like sound and the Large

Bottle Cicada a more whistling call, both calling mainly at dusk. Both these calls

(and many others) can be heard on Lindsay Popple’s excellent website: Australian

Cicadas: the cicadas of central eastern Australia.

In addition, the Large Bottle Cicada also makes a quite different call during the day

which has been likened to the tapping on a closed empty tin can.

And yes Glenn, the smaller one is the female.

Rob MacSloy

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club 452 — Page 31

On 2 November I went for a walk in Raven

Street Reserve, Chermside West. On the

boardwalk there was a puddle and I noticed

moisture dripping onto the boards from an

overhanging shrub. Close inspection

revealed the source of the drips was a group

of insects in the shrub excreting a foamy

mucous like substance. Can someone please

identify these insects? Are they a larval

phase of a fly? The amount of moisture they

were producing was quite amazing.

Michael Hutchison

Photos Michael Hutchison

In answer to Michael’s query about the

: ———_ “mucous producing bugs’, I should initially

Mucous puddle refer our readership to the article I wrote on

“Spittle Bugs” in the September 2000 (issue

No. 18) BOIC Newsletter. As reported in that paper I had noticed, in October and

November 1999, colonies of the insects on Angophora woodsiana 1n my Capalaba

garden. I had also found them on the dry scrub tree Bridelia exaltata at Mt. Cotton

and on stems of Blood Vine (Austrosteenisia blackii) at Cameron Scrub Reserve near

Ipswich. Others had discovered them on Cheese Trees (Glochidion ferdinand) at

Carindale and Rochedale at about the same time — the late Spring of 1999, following

two successive years of good winter rains.

It is apparent that the same

seasonal conditions have recurred

(after an interval of 9 years) with

colonies being reported (early

November 2008) at Brisbane’s

The Gap and Indooroopilly and at

Closeburn in the Samford Valley

on Native Wisteria vines

(Callerya megasperma — was

Millettia megasperma). This

story was recently broadcast on

Channel Ten’s “Totally Wild”

program and presented at the

Entomological Society of

VIP PS PA PTT DIPS PT Pa PT PF Pe PT PTT PT Pe ae bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 32

Mucous producing bugs

Queensland’s “Notes and Exhibits” meeting on 8 December 2008 by Queensland

Museum entomologist Christine Lambkin.

Just as in 1999, these latest occurrences have been identified as being caused by large

numbers of clustered nymphs of the spittlebug Amarusa australis (Jacobi) — was

Eoptyelus australis — a member of the small cercopid family Aphrophoridae

(belonging to the large bug order Hemiptera) and “cousins” of our familiar cicadas.

As in cicadas these spittlebugs have a sucking proboscis (or rostrum) which they use

to penetrate the bark and tap into the plant’s vascular system. The nymphs form a

protective foam or froth around themselves by expelling air through their liquid body

excretions. The froth breaks down to droplets and falls from the vegetation like

localised rain — thus the coined term “raining trees”!

As large volumes of sap are used, the plants could be severely stressed. However,

leaf droop 1s rarely observed — the vascular system must be very efficient at replacing

the water and solutes from root access to adequate substrate water sources, which

probably includes recycling of part of the dripping secretions.

Since I wrote the above, Lois Hughes informs me that the “raining tree” phenomenon

occurred on her property last October/November, the plant being the Cheese Tree

(Glochidion sp.) which incidentally is the plant from which the type specimens were

originally collected. Michael, I

would be interested to know the

identity of the plant your spittlebugs

were utilising.

The accompanying photo (with

thanks to Peter Hendry) is of an adult

I collected in my garden in late

October 1999.

Adult spittlebug, Amarusa australis (Jordan) John Moss

Photo Peter Hendry

ERRORS

In Metamorphosis Australia No. 51

Page 3 - In this issue — “Emperor Gum Moth” should read “Emperor Mistletoe Moth”

Page 8 - The correct family name is “Flacourtiaceae” not “Salicaceae”’

Page 29 - “Hyrsinacea” should read ““Mysinaceae”’

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 33

WHAT INSECT IS THIS?

We will have the

answer in the June

Magazine.

Photo John Moss

OTHER GROUPS’ ACTIVITIES

The Society for Growing Australian Plants (Qld Region) Inc. will hold their

Autumn Sale of Australian Native Plants on Saturday 9th May 2009 from 9 am to 3

pm at the Grovely TAFE. A wide range of Native Plants will be on sale - Rare - Old

Favourites - Grafted - Unusual - Drought Tolerant - Bird, Frog or Insect Friendly.

The prices are friendly too. Admission FREE. For more information - call 3870 8517

or 3202 5008 or visit SGAP Qld Region 'on line'- www.sgapqld.org.au.

Indigi Day Out — 6" and 7" June, 2009 — Discover the wonders of IndigiScapes on

this fun-filled family weekend. There will also be many wildlife displays and mini

workshops plus a music festival.

NEW BOOK RELEASE

The Complete Field Guide to Stick and Leaf Insects of Australia — This is the first

book on Australian phasmids for nearly 200 years and covers all known stick and leaf

insects. It includes photographs of all species, notes on their ecology and biology as

well as identification keys suitable for novices and professionals. We will have a

review of this book in the June Magazine.

The book is available from the club for $40 plus $5 P&H or from club displays.

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 34

BOIC SWAP MEET!

When and where: At IndigiScapes, to follow the AGM, 4th April 2009.

What: The idea of a swap meet 1s to trade or give away your unwanted items that

others may find useful. For the BOIC swap meet please bring along any items that

might come in handy for potting up host plants, butterfly gardening,

invertebrate collecting, etc. Please limit the swap meet items to ones relevant to the

club - no car parts please!! Examples include empty tubes and pots (always needed! ),

plant tags, host plants, host plant seeds, old invertebrate books, newsletters and other

publications, invertebrate collecting equipment such as nets... Also note that

IndigiScapes may have host plants for purchase at their monthly plant sale from 9am

until 12pm on the same day as the AGM.

BUTTERFLY AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES CLUB PROGRAMME

Annual General Meeting

What: Our Annual General Meeting and election of Office Bearers. This

will be followed by a Swap Meet. IndigiScapes Tea Gardens cater

for delicious morning teas, lunches, and afternoon teas at a very

reasonable cost if you wish to partake before or after the meeting.

The AGM will be followed by a Swap Meet (See previous notice).

When: Saturday 4" April, 2009 from 10am for the AGM

Where: Redlands IndigiScapes Centre, 17 Runnymede Road, Capalaba

Contact: Daphne 3396 6334 or email daphne.bowden! @bigpond.com to

RSVP or for more details

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, 16 May, 2009 from 1.30 pm

Where: Peter Hendry’s home at Sheldon — address supplied on RSVP

R.S.V.P.: Peter on 3206 0048 or Daphne 3396 6334

Indigi Day Out (see Other Groups’ Activities for details)

What: We will be holding a display with mini workshops on butterflies

and native bees. We will have all of our merchandise for sale.

When: 6" & 7" June, 2009 from 9am to 4 pm

Where: Redlands IndigiScapes Native Botanic Gardens, 17 Runnymede

Road, Capalaba

Contact: Daphne 3396 6334 or email daphne.bowdenl@bigpond.com for

more details or IndigiScapes on 3824 8611

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 35

DISCLAIMER

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

observations expressed are those of the authors. The Newsletter is a platform for people to

express their views and observations. These are not necessarily those of the BOIC. 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 newsletter is 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, Lindsay Popple and Paul Brock for scientific referencing and proof reading of

various articles in this issue of the newsletter

e Printing of this publication is proudly supported by

Brisbane City Council

We would like to thank all these people for their ran Illi T

contribution. BRISBANE CITY

Dedicated to a better Brishane

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 $20.00 for

individuals and $25.00 for 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 — Annual General Meeting - Saturday 4" April, 2009 from 10am (see

Programme for details)

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #52 — Page 36