PLANNING AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 2014

President:

Vice President:

Treasurer:

Secretary:

Magazine:

Publicity and Library:

Excursion Convenor:

Committee Members:

Ross Kendall 07 3378 1187

John Moss 07 3245 2997

Rob MacSloy 07 3824 4348

Richard Zietek 07 3390 1950

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

Lois Hughes 07 3206 6229

Alisha Steward 07 3275 1186

Marie-Louise Johnson 0422 970 184

Jill Fechner 0417 793 659

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION MEETINGS

A quarterly meeting is scheduled 1n 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 $30 for individuals, schools and organizations.

AIMS OF ORGANIZATION

To establish a network of people growing butterfly host plants;

e To hold information meetings about invertebrates;

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 research into invertebrates;

e To promote the keeping of invertebrates as alternative pets;

To encourage the construction of invertebrate friendly habitats 1n urban areas.

MAGAZINE DEADLINES

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

March issue — February Ist June issue — May Ist

September issue — August Ist December issue — November |st

Blue Tiger (Tirumala hamata hamata) — Painting by Elaine Allison - prints are

available direct from the artist; contact via email at elaineallisonart@gmail.com

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The proliferation of insects as a result of recent favourable weather conditions has

certainly attracted the attention of a large number of people and of the media. This

has provided an opportunity to inform a wider audience of the world of invertebrates.

As the Blue Tiger butterfly has been the main focus of public attention, this insect

features in our cover story and elsewhere. We thank Wesley Jenkinson and John Moss

who have combined to flesh out the knowledge of the readers of our magazine.

Elaine Allison’s painting is her first to be published here and I am sure you will

admire and appreciate the result of her artistic efforts.

Many thanks are owed to the various other contributors whose articles have made this

edition of the magazine an interesting and informative read. In particular, I thank

Kelvin Dunn who has taken the time to travel extensively, make meticulous

observations and produce detailed reports to share his discoveries with us.

All members in the Brisbane area are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of

the Club at IndigiScapes, Capalaba on April 18'" next to be followed by a guided walk

through the gardens and bush area of this attractive and interesting facility. As I will

be retiring from all management committee activities at that time, your presence will

assist in the election of, and welcome to, a new BOIC president.

Best wishes Ross

Life history notes on the Blue Tiger, Tirumala hamata hamata

(W.S. Macleay, 1826) Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae ...4

Moths of Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park 2.0.0.0... eeccccsseccceseceeeeeeeeeeeeeees 8

A Summer of Butterflies 2014/2015 (aka the Year of the Tiger) .......... eee ceeeeeee eee es 14

Peacock or Green Carpenter (Xy/ocopa, formerly 1n genus LeSTIS) .........ccseecccseseeeeeeees 16

New Distribution Records for Nymphalid Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

in Queensland .............. 18

Brown Stag Beetle (Rhyssonotus nebulosuS) 1N Brisbane .............ccccccesscceeeseceeeneceeeeees 34

A Problem with Identifying Moths ........... ccc ccesscccesseccceneccceessccceesceceeesceseescceenecesenees 36

Unusual butterfly life history aberrations .............. cc ceccccssseccceececeeneccceeecceeeeecceeeneceeeeees 37

DEAT STS alee eTevads a voneclbe elevadsa oy dethetahedsnrarnOebhenedelsiterniebherabelseeesethenenedsattek «puedes te read ve Bene dle: 40

Articles from past issues - The Caper White Migration ...............cccccccsssccccesecceeseeeeeeees 40

OMSL GIrOUp Ss: ACTIVI SS 8 Sede cyto devetevleysteraslovreerd sardines sev aeerdscv dee aatidy te beesny need taboos 43

BOG EPG Cranes, cccvscdet iphone tiv aelsindtnes dvanerl edie albrreredbadn acide bended tebe’ 43

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 3

CREATURE FEATURE

Life history notes on the Blue Tiger, 7irumala hamata hamata

(W.S. Macleay, 1826) Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae - Wesley Jenkinson

This well-known butterfly species 1s

frequently encountered along much of

eastern Queensland. The adults are

migratory and can number in their tens

of thousands when this occurs. They

frequent a wide range of habitats from

rainforest to wide open woodlands and

erasslands, particularly during

migrations. It also penetrates inland

west of the Great Dividing Range into

the drier regions.

Valentine (1988) noted that “although a

specimen of the Blue Tiger was not

included in the Banks' collection, there

is a description in his journal of a vast

ageregation of butterflies which appear

to have been Blue Tigers”. He further

states that “on 29" of May 1770, when

Blue Tiger (Zirumala hamata hamata) the Endeavour was about halfway

PRO -TRGn JR SOR between (the latitudes of what

eventually became) Rockhampton and

Mackay, Banks recorded seeing ‘acres’ of them”.

The main breeding habitats are dry vine forest and littoral rainforest where the host

plants (vines in the family Asclepiadaceae) are growing. In South-east Queensland the

main hostplant 1s Secamone elliptica (or Corky Milk Vine) and although Cynanchum

carnosum (Mangrove Milk Vine) has been we, ©

listed in the past, it appears to be rarely used

(see J.T.StL. Moss comment in Braby, 2000).

In central coastal Queensland the adults

ageregate during the winter months in large

numbers in moist gullies 1n littoral rainforest

(Moss, 1995; Valentine, 1988). Here they perch ;

on dead sticks or branches and can be found in

company with other nymphalids including

Euploea sylvester, E. core and E. tulliolus.

*—t*,

Aggregation at Shoalwater July 2010

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 4

The adults fly in sunny weather and often in warm cloudy conditions and are capable

of rapid flight when disturbed. Both sexes are readily attracted to a wide range of

small native and introduced flowers and can also be observed imbibing moisture from

the ground during hot weather.

Within Queensland, individual specimens show slight variation

in the size and shape of the blue wing markings. To determine

the sexes, males have a clearly visible small protruding pouch on

the hindwing underside and a corresponding patch of grey sex

scales on the hindwing upperside.

r 4

Wingspans for the pictured adult specimens are: male 75mm and females 70mm.

= i s i - ees

;

Ovipositing females flutter slowly around the host plants and settle, laying the eggs

singly, chiefly on the upperside of fresh young leaves and shoots. The wings often

remain slightly open while ovipositing occurs. Females will oviposit within

centimetres of ground level if suitable fresh leaves are available.

se !

”

G/ \ ‘ ff

‘s -

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Tirumala hamata hamata (Blue Tiger)

Images left to right: male, female

In January 2007, an egg was collected from near Beaudesert and

raised through to an adult on Corky Milk Vine (S. e/liptica). This

egg was barrel shaped, approximately 0.7 mm wide x 1.3 mm high,

cream with approx 21 coarse vertical ribs with very fine horizontal

lines

Freshly laid ego

In captivity the larva consumed most of the eggshell soon after hatching and fed from

the edges of soft, fresh leaves during daylight hours. It completed five instars and

attained a length of 40mm.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 5

3 instar larva 4" instar larva

5" instar larva

The pupa, measuring 21mm in length, was located below a stem of the host plant. It

was attached with silk only by the cremaster. Under natural conditions the larvae

usually leave the host vine and pupate below a leaf on a nearby shrub or tree.

Pupa lateral view Pupa ventral view _ Pupa pre-emergence

TASATACACACASACACACACATASACALA CALA CAG

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 6

The total time from egg to adult was almost one month, with egg duration 4 days,

larval duration 13 days while pupal duration was 10 days.

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

records of adults from late October through to July. In this location they are more

numerous from late spring until late summer, with these broods generally flying in a

southerly direction. However, this largely relates to the timing of local rainfall

triggering fresh growth of the host plants.

Numbers of migratory butterflies in this region appeared to be declining in recent

years, probably due to habitat damage especially land clearing. Nonetheless, an

enormous sich has been occurring in South-east Queensland, starting from early

a November 2014, and which is still current in

early February 2015 (when this article was

written). This has caused much public

wonderment and comment leading to local

media coverage.

In addition a recent visit to Mt French

National Park, in the shire near Boonah, 1n

company with John Moss, resulted in the

finding of many larvae of this butterfly on

Secamone elliptica, which was 1n

abundance. We felt that this localised

breeding aggregation would have

contributed 1n part to the current general

migration.

Mating pair, male at top Acknowledgement: I wish to thank John

Moss for reviewing and amending the

manuscript to account for historical and host plant information.

Photos (except first image) Wesley Jenkinson

References:

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

vol 2. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Moss, J.T.St L., 1995. Butterfly records from Scawfell Island, Queensland, with a note on the

local form of Hesperilla malindeva Lower (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). The

Queensland Naturalist 33: (124-130).

Valentine, P., 1988. Australian Tropical Butterflies. Frith & Frith Books, Malanda, Qld.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 7

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Moths of Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park -

Graham J. McDonald

Introduction

Iron Range is located on the eastern side of Cape York Peninsula, a little more than

halfway between Cooktown and Cape York, near the settlement of Lockhart River. It

contains the largest area of tropical rainforest on Cape York Peninsula. This is due

largely to the presence of a high mountain range very close to the coast. The

prevailing winds from the south-east are forced to move up the slopes causing cooling

and consequent condensation of the moisture. The soils are also quite deep and

friable, formed from metamorphic rocks rich in iron.

All of the photos were taken between June 29 and July 5, 2014. Most were taken of

moths resting on a light sheet. Light traps were set up in a different location in the

Iron Range area on seven nights, which even in “winter” never really drops below

~ Tere ew ee See eres el et atest ete ;

ec erens

sesacets ee

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eens we @e

Fig. |

FAMILY ARCTHDAE, S/F: LITHOSITINAE

Gymnasura flavia

Cook’s Hut Campground, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°42°36.6” S, 143°17°33.09” E.

Arctid moths are small to medium, usually with yellow, red, black and white colours.

Most are considered poisonous or distasteful to predators.

There are believed to be about 280 species in Australia.

Fig. 2

F: URANIIDAE, S/F: EPIPLEMINAE

Phazaca interrupta

Cook’s Hut Campground, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°42’36.6” S, 143°17°33.09” E.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 8

The Uraniidae family of moths are large to medium, mostly confined to rainforest

habitats in the north of Australia. This species is unusual in that 1t occurs 1n arid zones

as well.

This species has the unusual resting pose of rolling its forewings. The moth in the

photo also had this pose when it landed on the sheet, but then unrolled the forewings

into a normal (flattened) position.

Fig. 3

F: ARCTHDAE, S/F: LITHOSHNAE

Heterallactis phlogozona

Old Coen Walk, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°44°14.43” S, 143°15’42.87” E.

This genus of arctid moths is tropical and subtropical in distribution. Most have a

yellow background wing colour traversed by red or brown bands or broad areas.

They are all small to medium in size.

Fig. 4

F: CRAMBIDAE, S/F: ACENTROPHINAE

Theila triplaga

Old Coen Walk, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°44714.43” S, 143°15’42.87” E.

This colourful small moth belongs to a group of moths that have aquatic larvae.

The larvae have up to four different methods of breathing under water where they

feed on aquatic plants.

Acentrophinae are generally small to medium moths with orange, yellow, black and

white dots and bands, but some such as the common and widespread Hygraula nitens

are dull coloured.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 9

Se Fe

sate *

Fig. 5

F: CRAMBIDAE, S/F: ACENTROPHINAE

Parapoynx polydectalis

Old Coen Walk, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°44714.43” S, 143°15’42.87” E.

This species of aquatic moth seems to have a broad distribution. I have photographed

it on several occasions at Mudgeeraba in S.E. Queensland.

Fig. 6

F: LIMACODIDAE (Cup Moths)

Hydroclada kenricki

Old Coen Walk, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°44°14.43” S, 143°15’42.87” E.

Cup moths are medium to large moths with wings held steeply roof-wise at rest. The

antennal pectinations 1n the male shorten rapidly towards the tip as seen 1n the photo.

Larvae, of this group, are well known for their bright colours, slug-like shape and the

ability to sting.

Fig. 7

F: LACTURIDAE

Anticrates metreta

Iron Range Road

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 10

G.P.S. 12°44’20.86”"S, 143 °14’40.26”E.

These moths are small to medium with antennae held out in front of the head at 45”.

They have bright colours of red, orange, yellow and black.

They are mainly found inhabiting tropical and sub-tropical rainforest areas.

Fig. 8

F: SATURNIDAE

Neodipthera sulphurea

Iron Range Road

G.P.S. 12°44’20.86”S, 143 °14’40.26”E.

This family contains some of the world’s largest and most popular moths. The species

illustrated is not as large as the similar and well-known gum emperor moths and the

hercules moths.

Larvae are large and colourful with sparse hairs and fleshy turrets.

Fig. 9

F: CRAMBIDAE, S/F: SPILOMELINAE

Glyphodes actorionalis

Iron Range Road

G.P.S. 12°44’20.86”S, 143 °14’40.26”E.

The Glyphodes moths generally have transparent to translucent wing panels that

reflect a bluish or violet light.

There are about twenty recorded Australian species, many of which occur in northern

Queensland.

Fig. 10

F: GEOMETRIDAE, S/F: STERRHINAE

Antitrygodes parvimacula

Iron Range Road

G.P.S. 12°44’20.86”S, 143 °14’40.26”E.

This 1s a large species of moth found on Cape York but its range extends from New

Guinea to Babinda in Queensland.

The larvae are ‘loopers’ and probably feed on plants of the Rubiaceae family.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 11

Fig.11

F: NOCTUIDAE, S/F: CATOCALINAE

Erebus crepuscularis

Gordon Creek, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park.

G.P.S. 12°42754.49” S, 143°18°5.19” E.

This very large moth occurs in northern Queensland from Thursday Island to Paluma.

The similar Erebus terminitincta 1s found from Eungella to Woolgoolga, N.S.W. It

differs from Erebus crepuscularis in having a white patch on the costa of the

hindwing.

Fig.12

F: ARCTITDAE, S/F: LITHOSHUNAE

Heliosa sp.

Gordon Creek, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°42754.49” S, 143°1875.19” E.

Fig.13

F: CRAMBIDAE, S/F: SPILOMELINAE

Didymostoma aurotinctalis

Portland Roads Road, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°42758.74” S, 143°18735.49” E.

This is a medium sized moth and occurs 1n rainforest from Iron Range to the Cairns

area. The transparent wing panels are believed to aid in its protection from predators

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 12

by breaking up the shape of the moth, due to green leaf colours passing through the

wings.

Fig.14

F: ARCTIIDAE, S/F: ARCTIUINAE

Amerila nigropunctata

Portland Roads Road, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

G.P.S. 12°42’58.74” S, 143°18’35.49” E.

There are about six species of Amerila, mainly in tropical Australia, although one,

Amerila crokeri comes into northern N.S.W.

They all exude a strong-smelling acrid yellow froth, from glands near the wing bases,

if they are disturbed. This adaptation would offer protection from predators.

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Fig.15

F: CRAMBIDAE, S/F: SPILOMELINAE

Desmia discrepans

Gordon Creek, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park.

G.P.S. 12°42’54.49” S, 143°18’5.19” E.

Fig.16

F: OECOPHORIDAE, S/F:0ECOPHORINAE

Piloprepes aemulella

Portland Roads Road, Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park

This 1s a small to medium brightly coloured moth that comes from a very large family

of usually drab moths

It was finally photographed after a long chase through heath and open savannah

woodland.

Photos Graham McDonald

References:

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

Richardson, B. (2008) Mothology: Discover the Magic LeapfrogOz

Zborowski, P. and Edwards, E. D. (2007) A Guide to Australian Moths CSIRO Publishing

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 13

A Summer of Butterflies 2014/2015 (aka the Year of the Tiger) -

Peter Hendry

While it does not fit with the Chinese calendar, this summer, in S. E. Queensland,

could be described as the Year of the Blue Tiger (7irumala hamata hamata).

Everyone I know has noticed them this summer. Our own president, Ross, has been

on the TV news reporting on them and Robert Ashdown has just posted on the club’s

Facebook page, images of numbers of Blue Tigers nectaring on his Ivory Curl Tree

(Buckinghamia celcissima). My brother, Quentin, rang last Saturday, 31/01/2015,

reporting he could not count fast enough to keep up the number of Blue Tigers flying

through his property, just south of Childers. Good rain has produced lots of fresh new

erowth for the larvae to feed on and has increased the numbers of butterflies across

the range. But why so many Blue Tigers’?

Fig.1 Blue Tigers aggregating

Photo Pam Thompson

Blue Tigers are known to aggregate

overwinter with the females dispersing in

spring. Evidence of such aggregations was

provided to me by Pam Thompson, a friend

of my brother, in an image, (Fig. 1), taken

on the Bargara/Mon Repos trail on 7th July

2014. While I have no information on the

numbers present, based on the image they

must have been in their hundreds. Also

present in the image is the odd Common

Crow (Euploea core). It is the females

from such overwintering sites combined

with lots of rain-driven fresh new growth

on their host plants, mainly Corky Milk

Vine (Secamone elliptica), that has

provided us with such a spectacle of Blue

Tigers over this summer.

Blue Tigers are not the only butterfly to

benefit from this season’s summer rains.

A phone call from club member Richard

Zietek, informing me he had seen a Four-

barred Swordtail (Protographium leosthenes) 1n his yard at Capalaba, sparked my

interest. I live in the adjoining suburb of Sheldon and had only once seen a Four-

barred Swordtail here and as I was planning a trip to my bush block, west of

Bundaberg, where I had seen Swordtails in numbers once before, things were looking

good. The following week a Swordtail made an appearance here at Sheldon and over

the summer | have had two other visitors.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 14

The trip to my bush block proved eventful. Accompanied by my brother, skirting

around the northern side of Good Night Scrub, expecting, as on previous occasions, to

see a few butterflies mud puddling, we were stopped in our tracks. Hundreds 1f not

thousands of Yellow Albatrosses (Appias paulina) were mud puddling along the side

of the road (Fig. 2). From there until we reached our block, on the Perry River,

-- - —

~ _ al

> «+ , |

> -_ ~~ ~ —

Fig. 2 Yellow Albatrosses (Appias paulina) mud puddling along the side of the road

Photo Peter Hendry

everywhere there was a puddle there were Yellow Albatrosses. Noticeably 99% of

them were males (Fig. 3) with only the occasional female. As for Four-barred

Swordtail, on the whole of the trip including the return trip the total numbered was

seven, six on the block and one coming home. Yellow Albatrosses were dominate,

for every Blue Tiger, a hundred Yellow Albatrosses, for every common Crow a

hundred Yellow Albatrosses. They were even mud puddling on the edge of the Perry

River at the bottom of our block. Ona

walk down to the River we were amazed

at the number of larvae, mostly moth

larvae, feeding on all the trees. I

collected some Opodiphthera astrophela

larvae feeding on both Crows Ash

(Flindersia Australis) and Red Ash

(Alphitonia excelsa), a moth I had not

recorded from the block before.

ea || Meanwhile back at Sheldon the Blue

| ‘. | Tigers while not in large numbers are

PEE ae SOM: RUS more numerous than any other year I can

Photo Peter Hendry

remember. Unfortunately there is no

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 15

evidence that they have found my Secamone elliptica, which remains uneaten.

Yellow Albatrosses are also present and have taken up residence in the back yard

where they enjoy hiding amongst the trees. While they have been here in the past I do

not see them every year. I have three specimens of their host plant Drypetes

deplanchei but for some inexplicable reason none have produced new growth this

summer and I have found no evidence of the Yellow Albatross breading.

The Common Crow is here as usual but not in any increased numbers. One has just

laid an egg on my wife’s new Dwarf Frangipani (Plumeria pudica) - best I not tell her

- interesting to see if it goes through. The Plumbago Blue (Leptotes plinius) has

increased in numbers, hundreds of them, with their exotic host plant, Plumbago

auriculata, now covering about 10m? and the native Plumbago zeylanica running riot

along the ground, they have plenty to feed on.

Other butterflies I have seen here in increased numbers this summer are the Blue

Triangle (Graphium sarpedon) and the Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus), though

mostly males. It 1s hard to say 1f the Lemon Migrant (Catopsilia pomona) 1s in

increased numbers but there are plenty here. In lesser numbers have been the Pale

Triangle (Graphium eurypylus), though I have seen a yellow morph and the Purple

Crow (Euploea tulliolus), of which I only ever have a few but to date only two.

oe Se ee

Peacock or Green Carpenter (Xylocopa, formerly in genus Lestis) -

Erica Siegel

Xylocopa bombylans is found along the coast from Sydney to Cape York and

X. aeratus 1s found around Sydney, on the Dividing Range up to approximately the

Stanthorpe area.

The female of these spectacular bees is a

glossy metallic blue with purple tints

and the male a metallic green with

yellow tints. Peacock/Green Carpenter

bees are 13 to 20mm long.

The face of the female Xylocopa

bombylans has green and white hairs.

Males of X. bombylans have white

markings while males of X. aeratus

have yellow face markings.

With their mandibles Peacock Carpenter

bees cut 7 to 10mm wide nest burrows

in the flower stalks of grass trees

(Xanthorrhoea) or in the soft pithy dead Female Xylocopa bombylans

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 16

timber of Banksia, Tristania, Acacia, Leptospermum and Casuarina. The Peacock

Carpenter bees remove excavated wood from the nest by sticking the end of their

abdomen out of the entrance hole and then, with their legs, throwing out the wood

particles.

They make rounded cells for their eggs. Each cell 1s stocked with pollen and nectar

formed into “bee bread” before the female lays a large egg on top. She then closes the

cell with a plug of chewed wood particles.

According to Dr.Katja Hogendoorn ( University of Adelaide) the emerged young bees

are fed in the nest and take quite some time before venturing out of the nest. I have

observed them placing their abdomen into the entrance hole to excrete digested meals

to the outside so not to soil the nest.

The nest burrow may be shared by males and females to help guard the nest.

Peacock Carpenter bees are buzz pollinators and “buzz pollinate” by grasping the

flower and vigorously vibrating their flight muscles, thus sonicating the flower. This

1s important for flowers where the pollen 1s trapped in narrow tubes. Peacock

Carpenter bees are attracted to flowers needing “buzz pollination” such as Hibbertia

scandens, Melastoma affine and Solanum jasminoides. They also forage in Pea

flowers like native Pultanea sp., Gompholobium sp.,and other natives such as

Eriostemon australasius, ( Pink Wax Flower) Leptospermum, Macadamia, native

Wisteria, Senna sp., Leucopogon as well as exotic Cuphea among others.

Nectar-foraging Peacock Carpenter bees often pierce the corollas of long-tubed

flowers, and thereby reach the nectar without contacting the anthers. Such “nectar

stealing” has been observed for_X. bombylans feeding on Cuphea sp.. This would lead

to a reduction in pollination.

When foraging among flowers the Peacock Carpenter bees emit a deep droning sound

and are therefore easily located.

Land clearing has caused the loss of these stunning bees from Victoria and mainland

areas of South Australia although they can still be found on Kangaroo Island in South

Australia.

Photos Erica Siegel

References:

Dollin A. Australian Native Bee Research Centre www.aussiebee.com.au

Dollin, A., Batley, M., Robinson, M. & Faulkner B. Native Bees of the Sydney region, a field

guide — Australian Native Bee Research Centre.

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/katja.hogendoorn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylocopa bombylans

http://www.padil.gov.au/pollinators/

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Peacock-Carpenter-Bee

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| BS iP”

Figs.1 and 3 Peacock Carpenter bee (Xylocopa bombylans) female

Fig. 2 Peacock Carpenter bee male Fig.4 Ejyecting wood particles

oe i

New Distribution Records for Nymphalid Butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Nymphalidae) in Queensland - Kelvyn L. Dunn

Summary

This paper documents 53 new locations in inland, outback and central Queensland,

Australia, for 17 species of nymphalid butterflies. Each record is from a location that

falls outside the boundaries of the species’ distributions, as indicated on the range-

filled maps provided by Braby (2000). The report also discusses relevant new

locations discovered by others since 2000, namely those that lie close to any listed in

this paper, but in doing so it does not reiterate historic distributions that underpin

Braby (2000). The many new locations for the species tabled provide ongoing

evidence that there remains much to learn about butterfly species’ distributions,

especially in western Queensland.

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Introduction

Those insect enthusiasts who occasionally visit remote areas of Queensland may pay

little attention to the nymphalid butterflies a group comprising a number of

subfamilies whose members are usually very conspicuous on the wing. The casual

naturalist, familiar with butterflies and when equipped with a suitable field guide, can

readily identify most of those seen at close to moderate range, as many of the species

have striking differences. Others, so inclined, with a growing field expertise can

effortlessly photograph the adults and easily identify them by this means, or may

choose to seek assistance to that end from those with more experience. Photography is

easiest when adult butterflies pause to feed at flowers or when they roost on low

foliage in the evenings or, at other times, during unsuitable weather for sustained

flight. Both means of data gathering will provide quality records for the species that

occur 1n Queensland, save some from a few complex groups like the Crow butterflies

where specimens may be required, particularly in the far north of the state, to

eliminate doubt that may arise at times.

Regular observations by casual observers have built up a substantial knowledge of the

distributions of nymphalid butterflies because their members, like those of the

Swallowtails (Papilionidae) and Whites and Yellows (Pieridae) (see Dunn 2013a, &

2014 for complementary pieces on these groups), are conspicuous 1n areas where they

occur. Despite their moderate size and visibility, the known distributions for some of

the more widespread and common species are still patchy, fragmentary, and likely

under-representative beyond the coastal and sub-coastal regions where most butterfly

fieldwork is repeatedly done (Dunn 2010). That paucity of knowledge applies

especially to species that periodically disperse inland along major river systems (from

moister upland regions of the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in eastern

Australia), or from floristically richer regions nearer the eastern coast after traversing

the range. It 1s possible that Yoma sabina (the Lurcher) 1s one of those species that

expands inland along river systems (to a limited extent) during the wet season (or

farther afield in those more favourable years) where at other times it 1s less likely to

be found, or is not present. At such times, it may breed seasonally or opportunistically

on plants belonging to the family Acanthaceae to create meta-populations. The

surprising record of this species in the Chillagoe area, notably distant from other

eastern locations, would support this suggestion, but adults have been seen only at

limited times of the year, albeit often commonly. Garry Sankowsky (p.c. 2014) who

knows the area informed me that, ““The main host plant there 1s Dipteracanthus

australasia and it is quite abundant in most of the vine thickets on the bluffs all

around Chillagoe. They also use Brunoniella australis which grows outside of the

vine thickets, but Yoma does not venture too far from the vine thickets/rainforest.”’

Methods

During several lengthy field trips through inland and northern Queensland (see Dunn

2013b for map of sites visited in 2011 & 2012), I pragmatically recorded Nymphalids

(and all other butterflies) 1n order to help alleviate the knowledge imbalances that

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exist for the inland of northeastern Australia (Dunn 2009, 2010). I utilised a roadside

explorative approach that involved examination of numerous sites along major inland

highways and byroads, on route to and from the Gulf Country in 2011-12 and to and

from southern Cape York Peninsula, along the coastal route, in 2001-02. I chose sites

according to the various types of habitat available and where these habitats showed

less human disturbance, 1n order to maximise the number of species seen. The

procedure involved slowly walking through each site visited (often involving a 15-30

minute inspection), and in process listing all species encountered that could be

positively identified by various means (netting, photography and close visual

observations) on all four trips. Most inspections occurred between 0900 and 1730h

(AEST) each day for the entirety of each trip, usually irrespective of the weather (if

only marginally unsuitable) as adults might still be found by disturbing them from

roosting sites, but with an obvious focus on sunnier periods to maximise encounter

rates with adults (the main life stage sought).

I identified many of the adults seen without the requirement of handling; least

interference has been the option aimed for over the years, where the record was

thought (at the time) to be mundane. Those forty (40) encounters (65.6%) recorded by

‘observation-only’ are marked (Obs.). For 39 (97.5%) of these observations the

identifications were certain (Category 1). In each case, I recognised sufficient

characters to achieve that level of confidence. Only one observation was to a level of

‘almost certain’ (Category 2) as the field circumstances did not permit sufficient time

and closeness to identify the species to a level beyond reasonable doubt on that

occasion (see Dunn 2011 for discussion of this category and other categories of record

acceptability). That particular record (which involved Junonia orithya) 1s marked

‘C2’ to distinguish it as less reliable as observations go; nonetheless the new

distribution it suggests is well supported by neighbouring records (see Table and a

relevant reference linked to the species concerned) so there seems little concern by its

inclusion.

I retained voucher specimens at times (where this was permissible and achievable),

and more often than not, these were taken from locations where the species concerned

were far beyond their known ranges. For that reason, the percentage of vouchers in

the Table (24.6%) is higher than the usual frequency for all records on the trips

concerned (because the table is selective data and lists only those records that

represent new locations). Sometimes vouchers ought to have been taken to help

improve the survey rigour, when in fact they were not; the main reason being was that

on many occasions I did not recognise that a particular location was evidence of new

distribution at the time of the field encounter. Occasionally too, a compromise was

struck, and some adults suspected of being from new or perhaps cusp locations were

caught and examined to confirm their identification (to strengthen a record that might

be challenged) and then released (Rel.) (4.9%). A very small portion of records was

photographed in the field (4.9%) where this was practicable; these serve as supportive

evidence that can be examined by others, should this be required (some are

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reproduced in this report to substantiate those encounters). At times too, I also

retained adults that had posed for video photography (the imagery means utilised), if

they lingered unduly (but oftentimes they would quickly depart on my closer

approach); these are included among those marked as vouchers, but each includes a

superscript-link to the photos (video frames) concerned. Records that standalone as

image-only (meaning the specimens were not retained as vouchers) are marked as

‘Photo’ (0.6%).

The method used to measure distances, and define locations to precision of within a

kilometre of the actual site, has been described previously (Dunn 2013c); extended

discussion and other recommendations to help describe locations effectively and, in

process, to avoid ambiguity are detailed elsewhere (Dunn 2013d) and not reiterated.

Results and Discussion

The table lists 61 records of 17 species from 53 new locations (arranged from north to

south), across Queensland; all sites fall outside the boundaries defined by Braby

(2000) for the species concerned and so are new on that criterion. References to

findings of other workers in the last decade or so are cross-linked where their

published new locations fall close to those listed. For Melanitis leda the new record

from the Gulf Country hinterland provides evidence of what may be a continuous

distribution through the coastal region of northern Australia. Similarly, the records of

Mycalesis perseus, Charaxes sempronius, Acraea andromacha, Junonia orithya, J.

hedonia, Danaus plexippus and D. affinis from the greater Normanton district add to

available knowledge and 1n doing so, each helps bridge the gap in the eastern Gulf

Country for these common and widespread species. The central Queensland record of

Pantoporia consimilis was a surprising southern encounter (in a region that has been

well examined previously), and one that seriously challenged my predatory stealth (in

absence of the proverbial net) as I homed in to photograph the single adult, which was

basking 1n a sunlit vine thicket. The dense tangle of vines which treading upon

immediately disturbed higher foliage in the vicinity, alerted it as to my approach each

time, and prompted a routine leisurely glide, with intermittent flutter, back and forth

in the small glade. It remained site tenacious and often chose to perch at a moderate

height, which when I was eventually close to it was just a little too high above my

head for a suitable view from below — a stepladder would have been handy!

For the other nymphalid species, some of the extensions recorded may be minor but

each provides evidence of a broader inland occurrence in the area concerned. Most of

these new records link in to an inadequate knowledge of species’ distributions — due

to a lack of regular exploration of the inland by insect enthusiasts (collectors and

photographers) — rather than because of unusual or localised climatic conditions that

were present in southeastern Australia for some of the years concerned. Each record

adds insight into the distribution of those species of butterfly in the inland,

particularly the Gulf Country where much effort focussed, and helps fill knowledge

gaps evident in their distributions (as based on the range-fill maps in Braby 2000).

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Acknowledgements

I sincerely thank Garry Sankowsky (Queensland) for detailed biological information

on Y. sabina in the Chillagoe area, and for permission to include his observations in

this report to supplement my own records. I also thank Dr Russell Best (Victoria

University, Vic.) for identifying (based on photos of flowers and foliage) the nectar

source of H. metirius at Carnarvon Gorge.

References:

Atkins, A.F., Edwards, E.D., Braby, M.F., Johnson, S.J. & Valentine, P.S. 2003. The butterflies of

White Mountains National Park, northern Queensland, and adjoining localities. /n

Comben, L., Westacott, T. & Berg, K. (eds). White Mountains Study Report. Geography

Monograph Series No. 9. (pp.7-10). The Royal Geographic Society of Queensland Inc.

Brisbane. 1v+146pp.

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

CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Vic.

Braby, M.F. 2014. Remarks on the spatial distribution of some butterflies and diurnal moths

(Lepidoptera) in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia. Northern Territory

Naturalist 25: 29-49.

Daniels, G. & Edwards, E.D. 1998. Butterflies from Lawn Hill National Park and Musselbrook

Reserve, Queensland. /n Comben, |., Long, S. & Berg, K. (eds.). Musselbrook Reserve

Scientific Study Report (pp.89-91). The Royal Geographic Society of Queensland,

Brisbane.

Dunn, K.L. 2009. 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 4 — Personal contributions (KLD).

Victorian Entomologist 40(5): 98-109.

Dunn, K.L. 2011. Overview of the butterfly database: Part 6 — The knowledge gap,

identification complexity and measures of record acceptability. Victorian

Entomologist 41(2): 30-38.

Dunn, K.L. 2013a. New distribution records for Swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Papilionidae) in eastern Australia. Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the

Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 70: 8-14.

Dunn, K.L. 2013b. Field Notes: Major extensions to the known distribution of the Bright Purple

Azure, Ogyris barnardi (Miskin 1890) in Queensland (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).

Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 68:

26-32.

Dunn, K.L. 2013c. Field Notes: Gulf Country extensions to the known distribution of the Long-

tailed Pea-blue, Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus 1767) in Queensland (Lepidoptera:

Lycaenidae). Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the Butterfly & Other

Invertebrates Club 69: 17-23.

Dunn, K.L. 2013d. Overview of the butterfly database: Part 7 — Descriptions of provenance and

promotion of new trends. Victorian Entomologist 43(1): 13-22.

Dunn, K.L. 2014. New distribution records for Sulphur and White butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Pieridae) in inland and outback Australia. Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the

Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 75: 14-25.

Dunn, K.L. & Dunn, L.E. 1991. Review of Australian butterflies: Distribution, life history and

taxonomy. Parts 1-4. Melbourne, Australia: Published by the authors.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 22

Franklin, D.C. 2007. Dry season observations of butterflies in the ‘Gulf country’ of the Northern

Territory and far north-west Queensland. Northern Territory Naturalist 19: 9-14.

Kendall, R. 2011. A new location for the Dusky Knight, Ypthima arctous (Fabricius, 1775)

(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae). Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the

Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 63: 33.

Monteith, G.B. 1971. Insect collecting at Iron Range. News Bulletin of the Entomological

Society of Queensland 78: 17-20.

Pierce, F. 2008. Range extension records for various butterflies throughout Australia. Victorian

Entomologist 38(1): 15-16.

Valentine, P.S. & Johnson, S.J. 2000. Butterflies of southwestern Queensland with life history

notes. Victorian Entomologist 30(5): 59-62.

Valentine, P.S. and Johnson, S.J. 2001. Observations of butterflies at the Carnarvon Range,

Queensland. Victorian Entomologist 31(1): 2-3.

Key to Table:

Note 1. A solitary adult of Melanitis leda, in fairly worn condition and closest in

fascies to the dry season form, was flushed from undergrowth in paperbark

gallery forest, between 1255-1335h AEST (the duration of survey). Once

startled, it flew rapidly but quickly sought shelter amongst leaf litter 1n an

area of deeper shade farther afield, whereafter 1t was not seen.

Note 2. During three differently timed visits (one in mid-late morning, one in mid-

afternoon and another in late afternoon), I walked extensively along the

northern riverbank in search of satyrine butterflies. A few aged females of

Mycalesis perseus were encountered in vine thickets in mid and late

afternoon, and another was seen in the morning the next day, which provided

evidence of at least one species hitherto unrecorded from the eastern Gulf

Country. However, I did not find evidence of M. terminus at this location, a

riparian site where I thought the species might occur if suitable larval food

plants are present. Braby (2000) expressed doubt concerning the authenticity

of the single male specimen of M. terminus from Normanton in the ANIC,

which Dunn and Dunn (1991) had included in the species’ distribution.

Braby (2000 p.477) reported that the specimen concerned was “collected by

J.C. Le Souef’. I had examined the specimen when it was held in the Le

Souef collection at Blairgowrie, and recorded that a certain ‘R. Howard’ (not

Le Souef) had collected 1t on 5 August 1958 (and, from memory, that it was

labelled in Le Souef’s handwriting). Data-matching (using Dunn & Dunn

database) suggests that R. Howard collected at Mount Isa on the two

previous days in August, but there 1s no evidence (from surviving specimen

labels) of his subsequent journey from the Gulf. If he had then travelled to

the eastern coast of Queensland this could explain its origin, assuming the

label data is mistaken. The M. terminus record does seem doubtful (there is

no other evidence of it from the Gulf area at this time), but there might be

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suitable habitat about greater Normanton where the species could exist;

hence Braby’s call for confirmation still stands.

Note 3. There were a few adult Ypthima arctoa flying 1n a vacant residential block in

the main street between 1255 and 1400h AEST, at 20°46°10”S,

145°01°16”"E; some were seen to feed at flowers of Tridax procumbens

(Asteraceae) growing near a water tank. I was a little surprised to see this

butterfly 1n the township (where it was locally common) as none had been

seen in the woodland areas inspected in the Prairie district to the west, nor

(later) in the woodland in the Burra Range area to the east. Nonetheless, the

species occurs in the nearby White Mountains National Park (Atkins et al.

2003), and within which the Burra Range is included, and it has, on one

occasion, been taken farther west at Koon Kool (station), 25km NE of

Hughenden (Kendall 2011).

Note 4. A male Hypocysta metirius was photographed feeding repeatedly at flowers

Note 5.

of Lobelia trigonocaulis (Campanulaceae), at 1540h AEST (Figure 2 & 3),

alongside feeding adults of H. pseudirius (Figure 4), a species very similar in

appearance. Both species were localised and co-occupied the same shady

areas 1n riparian grassy woodland where they perched on low foliage, but the

flight of H. metirius 1s switter, which drew my attention to it for a closer

inspection. H. metirius occurs elsewhere in the Carnarvon Range, “some

95km south of Rolleston, 75km north of Injune” at 25°14.6’°S, 148°37.6°E

(Valentine & Johnson 2001) but was hitherto unknown from the Carnarvon

Gorge.

In the Gulf Country of western Qld, Charaxes sempronius has been recorded

at Hedleys Gorge and Hells Gate Roadhouse (Franklin 2007); the new

encounter adds to these earlier reports and provides for a_ broader

distribution.

Note 6. A small male C. sempronius was seen to feed at sandy mud (near the water’s

edge) on a large sandbar in the Flinders River at 1325h AEST. I have not

seen this species seeking nutrients at mud before (that I can recall), but

because of the presence of large crocodile tracks which led directly to the

waters’ edge, near where the butterfly was, I did not linger unnecessarily in

the area for a timely photograph to capture this interesting behaviour.

Instead, I swiftly netted the adult (using a net with a long extendable handle)

and subsequently placed the butterfly on wet sand under artificial lighting

that evening; he commenced to feed again and so posed for the photograph

provided herein (Figure 6), suitably representative of the actual activity

observed in the field that day.

Note 7. This cusp record of Acraea andromacha 1s certainly not the first from the

Lawn Hill area but is additional evidence of the species’ presence at or near

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Note 8.

the western boundary of its irregular occurrence (as estimated from the

synoptic map presented by Braby (2000)). Daniels and Edwards (1998) listed

it from Lawn Hill National Park and Musselbrook Reserve, and more

recently, Franklin (2007) encountered it in the “Main Gorge area’ of Lawn

Hill N. P. The species may be regular (rather than irregular) 1n the Lawn Hill

region.

An adult of A. andromacha was seen roosting 1n shade on a small rocky knoll

in shrubby woodland, during very hot weather (between 1505 and 1525h

AEST), judged as “probably 40°C” according to my field note book; it

reached 39°C in Mt Isa that day.

Note 9. This encounter adds to the earlier report by Pierce (2008) who recorded the

Note 10.

species at Fullarton (as “Fullaton’) River, west of Julia Creek (township).

This record of A. andromacha 1s not the first from this area but is additional

evidence of its presence; Atkins et al. (2003) included the species in a list

from the Warang Homestead area and nearby gorges of the White Mountains

National Park, marginally to the east. Atkins’ personally surveyed during a

scientific expedition in April 2000 (and recorded the species on that

particular visit), but that paper included records of this species from other

visits (attributed to three other workers), which came from either the gorge

area or Burra Range, or both.

Note 11. Several adults were seen to feed at a large ‘cedar tree’ in parkland, near an

Note 12.

entrance to a caravan park, between 1215 and 1230h AEST. It is possible

that the ornamental garden tree in the camping area, which served as a nectar

source for this and other species, was a native; and if so, it may have been a

White Cedar, Melia azedarach (Meliaceae). Queenslanders might

generically call such a ‘cedar tree’ (the name provided locally), but I did not

take any photos of the flowers to enable a reliable identification by a

botanical expert. This encounter adds to the earlier report by Valentine and

Johnson (2000) who recorded the species on Baldy Top Lookout, 5km west

of Quilpie, a location that provided a considerable westward extension of

range (and 1s west of this record from the township of Charleville).

Two adults of Neptis praslini were seen on the summit (one was taken). This

encounter adds to the earlier report by Monteith (1971) who recorded the

species from Coen; Braby (2000) referred to that information informally (by

contributor name only). Mount White, which is situated to the southwest of

Coen, is a cusp location based on its meridian of longitude; 1t appears to be

just on the outer edge of the range-fill area, as estimated from the synoptic

map provided by Braby (2000) and is important in defining the western

limits (as known at this time) on Cape York Peninsula.

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Note 13. This is a cusp record, marginally outside the distribution figured by Braby

(2000), and 1s important in defining the western limits in Dawson region,

central Qld.

Note 14. This cusp location 1s just outside the range-fill area on the synoptic map

provided by Braby (2000) and is arguably new on that reasoning. Curiously,

I cannot find a record of Doleschallia bisaltide in my field notes from this

location (written on the day concerned), nor do I have a photo or video

footage of it, but it is included in the database and was presumably this

species. It may have been preserved in ethanol and could be in the VAIC,

Bundoora or ANIC, Canberra. As the larva was not reared, and a said,

‘voucher’ is currently unaccounted for (perhaps lost now), I call for visiting

enthusiasts to gather further evidence of the species at or near this location

and from elsewhere on western Cape York Peninsula to improve knowledge

of this species’ northern distribution.

Note 15. Three adults were seen in vine thicket on the southern side of the road, more

finely, ‘about 4.5km’ (measured by road) from Chillagoe. Details of the

underwing markings, which were not recorded in my field notes (and may

not have been seen), are unclear; it is likely they resembled those adults from

the Wet Tropics region, which are usually dark (unlike some I have seen in

the hinterland of Cape York Peninsula, which have a prominent pale band).

This report is not the only one I know of from the area; G. Sankowsky has

seen the species at a number of sites in the Chillagoe region, for example,

and recently provided evidence of an adult in a video of overwintering Crow

butterflies circulated among members of the BOIC. I contacted G.

Sankowsky and he kindly supplied information on the species regularity in

the area: “The Lurcher is quite common at Chillagoe in the wet season ...

(particularly) 1n the vine thickets on the limestone bluffs. In February they

can usually be seen at any bluff where the host plant grows.” He reported the

species occurs as far west as 3km SE of Mungana at 17°08.5’ 144°25.5’

(which extends the distribution farther west than does my record).

Note 16. Pierce (2008) earlier recorded Junonia orithya from Karumba. My records,

which include encounters at Walker Creek and near the Wondoola airstrip

(as per the table) collectively support that previously published location and

another from the Flinders River crossing, south of Normanton, reported in

the same paper.

Note 17. This western record of J. orithya, albeit well outside the distribution

indicated on the synoptic map presented by Braby (2000), is not the first

from the Lawn Hill area but is additional evidence of the species presence in

the eastern Gulf Country. Daniels and Edwards (1998) listed it from Lawn

Hill National Park and Musselbrook Reserve, and subsequently, Franklin

(2007) finely recorded it from the ‘Main Gorge area’ (Lawn Hill N. P.).

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Elsewhere in western Qld, Franklin (2007) listed it from the Nicholson

River, and more remotely to the south, along a tributary of the Thorntonia

River.

Note 18. Pierce (2008) recorded J/. orithya from the Burke & Wills Roadhouse; the

new records from this general area (Table 1) are supportive of his earlier

report and considerably expand upon it.

Note 19. One adult of Danaus affinis fed in company with a female of Ogyris

amaryllis (Lycaenidae) at a red flowering bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.

perhaps viminalis) in parkland/residential area, at 1150h (AEST).

Note 20. A single adult was seen at the ‘40km roadside marker’ (which, based on the

GPS reading to seconds, obtained at the site with a hand-held device

measured 39.6km by road on Google Earth (Google Inc.)). Since my

encounter in October 2012, which was the first for the Gulf Country of

northwestern Qld, Braby (2014, p.38) has recorded the species from six more

sites in the region, during May 2013, and remarked that, “at Karumba, QLD,

many adults were seen’. Current evidence suggests the species is vagrant to

the Gulf Country.

Note 21. Although Euploea corinna is a widespread species in the inland in western

Qld, this cusp record, which is marginally outside the distribution figured by

Braby (2000), importantly helps define the western limits at this latitude in

the Thomson region.

Note 22. This is a cusp record, marginally outside the distribution figured by Braby

(2000), and 1s important in defining the western limits in the Warrego region.

Table - 53 new locations for species of Nymphalidae from beyond their known

ranges in Australia

Species/Location State Geocode Date Format

Melanitis leda

Gregory River crossing, Qld 18°39’S, 139°15’E = 10 Oct 2012 Obs “fe!

at Gregory Downs

Mycalesis perseus

Walker Creek crossing, Qld 17°28’S, 141°11V7E 3=—- 13 Oct 2012 Voucher \°?

28km NNE of Normanton 14 Oct 2012 Obs

Ypthima arctoa

Torren Creek (township) Qld 20°46’S, 145°017E =. 28 Oct 2012 beens’

ote 3, Fig

Belyando Crossing Qld 21°32’S, 146°S517E =06Nov2011 Voucher

Hypocysta metirius

Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon Qld 25°03’S, 148°13"E 11 Nov 2011 — Photo

NP at 25°03’03’’ 148°13’00”’ Note 4, Fig 2&3

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Hypocysta pseudirius

Tambo, in hotel rear garden

Augathella, at Warrego River

ford at 25°47°43” 146°34’48”

Tregole NP, in car park

Charaxes semprontius

Lawn Hill NP, Constance

range at summit lookout

Flinders River, at 60km

SSW of Normanton

Wyandra (in hotel rear

garden off Warrego Street)

Ikm S of Cunnamulla

(at van park)

A, andromacha

Normanton, at drain near

Travers Street

Walker Creek crossing, 28km

NNE of Normanton

Lawn Hill Creek, Adels Grove

Lawn Hill NP, Constance

range at summit lookout

8km NW by N of Quamby

Hotel, on hill top

15 km W of Julia Creek

Cloncurry Apex Lookout, 2km

W of Cloncurry

Cloncurry River anabranch,

at [km W of Cloncurry

Bottle Tree Lookout, 58km

NE of Hughenden

Wyandra (in hotel rear

garden off Warrego Street)

Augathella, at highway junct.

1.6km NE by E of Charleville

Pantoporia consimilis

Hann River roadhouse, at

bridge

Olsens Cave, 3km ENE

of The Caves

Neptis praslini

Mount White, near Coen

Phaedyma shepherd

Palm Tree Creek, at 19km

N of Taroom

Comet, Leichhardt Tree Park

Qld

24°53’S, 146°15’E

25°48’S, 146°35’E

26°30°S, 147°08’E

18°42°S, 138°30°E

18°10°S, 140°5 VE

27°15’S, 145°59°E

28°05’S, 145°41VE

LT°41?S, 141°04°E

17°28°S, 141°1 VE

18°41°S, 138°32’°E

18°42°S, 138°30°E

20°19°S, 140°1S°E

20°40’S, 141°36’E

20°42’S, 140°29°E

20°42’S, 140°30°E

20°28°S, 144°24°E

27°15’S, 145°59°E

25°48’S, 146°36’E

26°24’S, 146°15°E

15°12°S, 143°52’°E

23°10°S, 150°29°E

13°58’S, 143°117E

25°30’S, 149°47°E

23°33’S, 148°32’E

26 Oct 2011

Ol Oct 2012

30 Sep 2012

25 Oct 2012

12 Oct 2012

27 Sep 2012

14 Oct 2012

23 Oct 2012

24 Oct 2012

25 Oct 2012

16 Oct 2012

22 Oct 2012

08 Oct 2012

22 Oct 2012

28 Oct 2011

27 Sep 2012

O01 Oct 2012

30 Sep 2012

11 Jan 2001

O05 Nov 2012

06 Jan 2002

14 Nov 2011

08 Nov 2011

Voucher “8°

Voucher

Obs

Ob S Note 5

Voucher

Note 6, Fig 6

Obs

Rel

Obs

Ob S Note 7

Obs

Obs Note 8

Obs Note 9

Obs

Voucher 4° 1°

Obs

Voucher *°t* !!

Obs

Voucher \°*

Obs

Voucher *°* !°

PEPE PE DS PF DE Pe PE DS De RE be Pe be pe Pe bd Pe bd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 28

Doleschallia bisaltide

Myall Creek crossing (Pax

Piel Bridge) 55km ESE of

Weipa

Yoma sabina

Little Laura River crossing,

12km WNW of Laura

Skm SE of Chillagoe

Junonia orithya

Brannigan Creek,

at 31km E of Karumba

Walker Creek crossing,

28km NNE of Normanton

Flinders River, 21km

W of Wondoola airstrip

Lawn Hill Creek, Adels Grove

Lawn Hill NP at

18°42’05” 138°29’°24”

Lawn Hill NP at

18°41759" 138°29’39”

Indarri Falls Lawn Hill NP

Lawn Hill NP at

18°43’04” 138° 2859”

5S5km NW by W of Burke

& Wills Roadhouse

38km WNW of Burke & Wills

Roadhouse

Burke & Wills Roadhouse

Dismal Creek crossing, 4km

ESE of Burke & Wills RH

Junonia hedonia

Walker Creek crossing, 28km

NNE of Normanton

Danaus affinis

Ikm NE by N of Karumba

Point boat ramp

Walker Creek crossing, 28km

NNE of Normanton

Normanton, in Simpson St

6km ENE of Burketown,

at creek

D. plexippus

40km NNE of Burke & Wills

Roadhouse

Qld

12°39°S, 142°10°E

15°32°S, 144°21°E

17°11°S, 144°33’E

17°27°S, 141°07’E

17°28’S, 141°1 VE

18°34°S, 140°43°E

18°41°S, 138°32’°E

18°42°S, 138°29"E

18°42°S, 138°30°E

18°43°S, 138°29°E

18°56°S, 139°58’°E

19°03’°S, 140°02’E

19°14°S, 140°21°E

19°1S°S, 140°22°E

17°28°S, 14°11 VE

17°27°S, 140°50°E

17°28°S, 141°1 VE

17°40°S, 141°05’E

L7T°44°S, 139°35°E

18°53°S, 140°28’°E

07 Jan 2002

11 Jan 2001

O9 Jan 2002

12 Jan 2002

13 Oct2012

12 Oct 2012

13 Oct 2012

14 Oct 2012

12 Oct 2012

24 Oct 2012

25 Oct 2012

24 Oct 2012

10 Oct 2012

23 Oct 2012

15 Oct 2012

Ol Nov 2011

12 Oct 2012

13 Oct 2012

14 Oct 2012

13 Oct 2012

14 Oct 2012

11 Oct 2012

12 Oct 2012

Voucher *°* !4

(as juvenile)

Voucher

Obs

Ob S Note 15

Obs-c2 Note 16

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Fig 7

Obs

Photo Note 17

Photo 2°

Obs

Obs Note 18, Fig 9

Rel

™

Voucher “2 1°

Obs

Rel

Obs Note 19

Obs

Voucher

Ob . Note 20

BEDS PE DS PF OE be PE DS De Pe be Pe be pe Pe bd be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 29

Euploea corinna

16km W by S of Blackall Qld 24°27°S, 145°20°E 03 Oct2012. Obs Ne?!

(along road to Isisford)

Tambo, in hotel rear garden Qld 24°53’S, 146°IS-E =—- 26 Oct 2011 Obs “ete?

Augathella, at Warrego River Qld 25°48’S, 146°3SV°E = 01 Oct 2012 = Obs

ford at 25°47°43” 146°34’48”

Photos Kelvyn Dunn

Fig.1. Y. arctoa male (ventral view) perched at Belyando Crossing; specimen deposited in ANIC, Canberra.

Fig.2. H. metirius male (dorsal view) feeding at Lobelia trigonocaulis (Campanulaceae) at Carnarvon Gorge,

Carnarvon National Park.

Fig.3. H. metirius male (ventral view) feeding at L. trigonocaulis at Carnarvon Gorge.

Fig.4. H. pseudirius aged male (ventral view) feeding at L. trigonocaulis at Carnarvon Gorge

BEDS PERE PS Pe RT be Pe DT be be De be Pe bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 30

Rig. 9 -%

. ™

- + b . a

« * :

Fig.5. H. pseudirius fresh conditioned male (ventral view) perched at Tambo, in hotel rear garden.

Fig.6. C. sempronius at Flinders River crossing, 60km SW of Normanton, feeding at mud (video recorded

in captivity; specimen deposited in ANIC, Canberra).

Fig.7. J. orithya male (dorsal view) basking at Walker Creek, 28km NNE of Normanton.

Fig.8. J. orithya battle scarred male with severed forewing (ventral view) perched at Lawn Hill National Park.

Fig.9. J. orithya aged female (dorsal view) perched at Dismal Creek crossing, 4km ESE of Burke & Wills

Roadhouse.

Fig.10. J. hedonia male (ventral view) roosting at Walker Creek, 28km NNE of Normanton;

specimen deposited in ANIC, Canberra.

TAA ASA A CASATACALASATASASAL ASA CATA

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 31

OMISSION

New Distribution Records for Sulphur and White Butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Pieridae) in inland and outback Australia — Kelvyn L. Dunn, December 2014 issue

of Metamorphosis Australia, #75. The column “Format” in the Table was

inadvertently omitted from the article when transferring it to the magazine which

meant that the numbered biological notes could not be cross-referenced to the

particular records they concerned. The replacement Table is reproduced below.

Table - Forty-nine new locations for species of Pieridae from beyond their

known ranges in Australia

Species/Location State Geocode Date Format

Catopsilia pyranthe

Bladensburg historic homestead, Old 22°30’S, 143°02’E 06 Oct 2012 Obs

at woolshed

1.6km NE by E of Charleville Qld 26°24’S, 146°1IS’°E =. 28 Sep 2012 Obs

30 Sep 2012 voucher \°t*!

Bogan River bridge, at 1.3km NSW ss 331°33’S, 147°1VE — 16 Dec 2013 Obs

NW by W of Nyngan

95km N by W of Condobolin NSW = 32°19’S, 146°S8’E —- 16 Dec 2013 Obs-C2

C. pomona

Muttaburra Qld 22°36’S, 144°33°E =—- 04 Oct 2012 Obs

Aramac, N of Barcaldine Qld 22°58’S, 145°IVE = 04 Oct 2012 Obs

lkm S of Barcaldine Qld 23°34’°8, 145°17E 04 Oct 2012 Obs

Isisford Qld 24°16’S, 144°26’°E =: 03: Oct 2002 Obs

Blackall Qld 24°26’S, 145°28’E =: 02: Oct 2012 Rel

16km W by S of Blackall Qld 24°27°S, 145°20’E 03 Oct2012 Obs"?

(along road to Isisford)

24km NW by rd of Tambo Qld 24°45’S, 146°00’E —s_. 26 Oct 2011 voucher

Tambo Qld 24°53’S, 146°IS’°E =: 02: Oct 2012 Obs

18km N of Augathella Qld 25°39°S, 146°36°E = 01 Oct 2012 Rel

41km NNE of Charleville Qld 26°06’S, 146°25’E = 01 Oct 2012 Obs

1.6km NE by E of Charleville Qld 26°24’S, 146°1IS°E =30 Sep 2012 Obs

l1km S by W of Charleville Qld 26°29’S, 146°13’°E —-. 25 Oct 2011 Obs

12km S by W of Charleville Qld 26°30’S, 146°12’E =. 25 Oct 2011 Obs

25km S by W of Charleville Qld 26°37°S, 146°10E 25 Oct 2011 Obs

(at 4km N of Angellala Creek)

Eurema laeta

Walker Creek, at 28km by Qld 17°28’S, 141°1VE 12 Oct 2012 voucher

road NNE of Normanton 13 Oct 2012 voucher

14 Oct 2012 Rel

Normanton, at drain near Qld 17°41’°S, 141°04’7E—s- 12 Oct 2012 voucher ‘8!

Travers Street 14 Oct 2012 Rel

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DS De RE be Pe be pe Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 32

E. herla

Craggs grave, 27km SSW

by road of Winton

Surprise Creek, at Top

Crossing, at southern boundary

of Bladensburg National Park

E. smilax

27km E of Norseman

13km N of Scaddan (at Truslove

Road junction)

E. hecabe

1.6km NE by E of Charleville

post office (at van park)

Elodina parthia

Bottle Tree Lookout, 58km NE of

Hughenden

18km SE by E of Winton, in cleft

on mesa

24km NW by rd of Tambo

25km SE of Tambo, at highest

point on road

Tara River, at Hebel

El. walkeri

Chillagoe

Skm SE of Chillagoe

Cepora perimale

ll1km N by E of Roma

10km SE by S of Hebel

Deltas argenthona

Walker Creek, at 28km NNE of

Normanton

lkm S of Barcaldine

Barcoo River bridge, Isisford

Barcoo River at 42km ESE of

Blackall

25km NW by rd of Tambo

Tambo

29km NNE of Charleville

1.6km NE by E of Charleville

Wyandra (in hotel rear garden off

Warrego Street)

lkm S of Cunnamulla (at van

park)

Darling River at Bourke, near

Short St (close to Rotary Park)

Qld

NSW

Qld

NSW

22°34’S, 142°57°E

22°34’S, 142°58°E

32°05’S, 122°OVE

33°19'S, 121°42°E

26°24°S, 146°1S’E

20°28’S, 144°24°E

20°29°S, 143°11’E

24°45’S, 146°06’E

25°O1’S, 146°26°E

28°58’S, 147°48°E

17°09S, 144°31’E

17°11°S, 144°33’E

26°28’S, 148°48°E

29°02’S, 147°52°E

17°28°S, 141° VE

23°34’S, 145°17°E

24°16°S, 144°27°E

24°35’S, 145°49°E

24°45’S, 146°06’E

24°53’S, 146°15°E

26°11°S, 146°22°E

26°24’S, 146°15°E

27°15°S, 145°59°E

28°0S’S, 145°41°E

30°0S’S, 145°57°E

06 Oct 2012

10 Oct 2008

15 Oct 2008

30 Sep 2012

28 Oct 2011

O05 Oct 2012

26 Oct 2011

O02 Oct 2012

17 Nov 2011

12 Jan 2002

14 Nov 2011

17 Nov 2011

14 Oct 2012

04 Oct 2012

03 Oct 2012

02 Oct 2012

01 Oct 2012

30 Sep 2012

27 Sep 2012

26 Sep 2012

Obs

Photo

Note 3, Fig 2

Voucher

Obs

voucher *°** 4

Voucher ‘°*>

Voucher ‘°°

Fig 3

Fig 4

Voucher

voucher

Note 7, Fig 5

Voucher

Photo "2°

Fig 7

Note 8

voucher

Obs

Voucher

Note 9, Fig. 9

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Photo Fig!

Fig.10

Rel

voucher ‘° 1°

BEDS REDS PF OE Pe PE DS Pe Pe be Pe be pe Pe bd be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 33

D. aganippe

39km E of Isisford Qld 24°16’S, 144°48°E 03 Oct 2002. Obs “°**"!

16km W by S of Blackall Qld 24°27’S, 145°20’E —- 03 Oct 2012 Rel

24km NW by rd of Tambo, at Qld 24°45’S, 146°06’E 02 Oct2012 ~~ voucher \°*””

picnic area

Beacon Hill Lookout, 1.6km Eof WA 32°12’S, 121°49E = 10 Oct 2008 Obs

Norseman 13 Oct 2008 Obs

OK FS FS FS 6 OK OK 2S 2S OK

Brown Stag Beetle (RKhyssonotus nebulosus) in Brisbane —

Hongming Kan

One day 1n late 2008 in Yugarapul park, I accidently stepped on a rotten tree trunk

lying in the bush and snapped it while chasing a beautiful butterfly near the Bulimba

creek. I found a pair of Brown Stag beetles inside the broken tree trunk. That was the

first time I had a close encounter with the amazing beetles and learnt the existence of

such creature. However, after that day and until a few days ago (15 Dec, 2014), I

never had another chance to see them again despite the fact they are common in

Queensland.

I am a big fan of beetles and the

desire to get my hands on the brown

stag beetles again gnawed at me.

With a few weeks’ holidays to spend

on my hobbies at the end of the year,

my hands were becoming itchy and I

felt 1t was the right time to try my

luck again. Before I started, I did

some goolging on the Brown Stag

Beetle. From the information

gleaned, I learnt they actually live

their entire lives inside rotten tree

trunks and it felt like a plausible

explanation why I hadn’t seen them

again in so many years. It never occurred to me before that a rotten log was the

obvious place to search for the beetles although it was the place where I found them

initially. Armed with the knowledge of the beetle’s habits, I knew where to look for

them this time.

The place where I decided to carry out my exploration was the same place where I

first saw the beetles. There are a lot of trees growing along the Bulimba creek with

thick canopies, creating a very humid and shady environment underneath. Inside that

environment the fallen trees are abundant, many of them rotten. I set my sights on a

medium size fallen tree that seemed to be thoroughly rotten because a gentle kick

caused a large chunk of it to break off.

BEDS PE DT PE DE PS Pa Re be Pe be bd Oe be pe bd bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 34

~ >) LAN

ae x * i@

ee et st a? A. NE AN :

It all looked very promising to me. My first dig using a screwdriver near the root of

the tree broke it into two halves and immediately something black inside caught my

eyes. I was elated and carefully picked them up and placed them in my hands. There

was no doubt they were stag beetles because of the hallmark of the stag beetle, the

mandibles, were on top of their heads but they were not exactly the brown stag beetles

I was looking for because their colours were not right. They were totally black.

Initially I thought I had found a different type of stag beetle! But then something

interesting happened.

While they were in my hands, the colours

on their backs were gradually changing!

At the very beginning, they were indeed

black, but within a few seconds, their

colours changed to brown, revealing the

patterns of the Brown Stag beetle that I

was searching for! In hindsight, I think

when they are wet, their brown sheaths

become black and only when they are dry

do the brown colour and the beautiful

marks show up.

At home, I did more searches on the colour change of the beetle. I haven’t found any

information on the English sites but one Chinese site describes the same colour

change I have witnessed (http://komurohu.pixnet.net/blog/post/38623672-

BEDS PERE PS Pe Pe be PE Re be Pe De be Pe he bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 35

HEOMICVMAAMET%MIF MAS MES %M8D%ITHEO%IO%MBI%MES MA4%AT%EIMIIN

BEMETHIA84%ES MBO%M8BF%MEO%83%A1L%MEI%MAD%94---rhyssonotus-

nebulosus-%E6%BE%B3

In total, I found 6 brown stag beetles from two rotten tree trunks on that day (15 Dec,

2014). I also found a decomposed body of a Golden Stag beetle inside one of the tree

trunks. It looks like the Brown Stag beetle 1s indeed very common in Queensland but

because of their habit of living inside tree trucks, they are rarely spotted.

Exactly one year ago at the same location, I

found a dead body of the Golden Stag beetle

as shown in the adjacent picture. I have never

been able to find a live one.

I would like to know the information on how

to capture a live golden stag beetle 1f any of

the club members can offer some valuable

insights.

Photos Hongming Kan

TS TK SIS OK OS OK 2 OK ok

A Problem with Identifying Moths - Peter Hendry

Peter Kuttner, from Mt Tamborine, sent me the attached moth images hoping I could

identify them. I concluded, despite the differences, Figs 1 and 2 were the same moth.

I also came to the conclusion that all 3 images were of moths in either the family

Geometridae or Noctuidae. I searched high and low without any success. With both

moths being rather distinctive, I expanded my search into other families despite

believing they belonged to the aforementioned. I called upon a couple of club

members regarding Figs | and 2. They also had no idea. With no success

BEES a OE DT be PED be be Pe bd be Re bd pe Pe bd bd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 36

forthcoming, I called upon the expertise of Ted Edwards from the Australian National

Insect Collection in Canberra. The answers were quite surprising:

“Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are a species of Idiodes in the (tribe) Lithinini, (subfamily)

Ennominae, (family) Geometridae. A. J. Turner was aware of this species and had a

manuscript name for it but died before the name was published. It is reasonably

common in the S. Qld and N. NSW rainforests.

Fig. 3 1s more of a problem. I could not match it with anything in the ANIC and it

may be a new species but I could not be sure. It 1s closest to Planolocha obliquata,

another Lithinini.”

So if you are having problems

— identifying a moth, in spite of how

distinctive it might be, the reason may

be it is just unnamed.

A.J. Turner (1861-1947) was a

Paediatrician and Entomologist and is

responsible for naming more than

3,500 species of Australian

_ Lepidoptera, more than any other

author.

Many thanks to Peter Kuttner for his inquiry and special thanks to Ted Edwards for

his rapid response to my query. Photos Peter Kuttner

ok ok 2k ok ok ok ok ok ok ok

Unusual butterfly life history aberrations — Wesley Jenkinson

Having a passion for observing life histories of Australia’s butterflies since an early

age, including moths as well in the last few years, it seems there is always something

new to discover. Whether it is a new larval host plant for one of our butterflies (which

one would think most would have already been discovered ) or countless unknown

moth larval hosts/host plants (most of which are still largely unknown) there will

always be a few oddities. Below are four previously unpublished examples from the

past few years.

BEES Pe DE PT be PED be Pe Pe bd be Re be pe Pe bd bd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 37

1/ During a trip to northern New South Wales with John Moss during February 2012,

at a roadside stop near the Gyra-Ebor / Rockvale Road intersection, a male melanistic

form of the Spotted Brown (Heteronympha paradelpha) was captured. The adults of

both sexes were very common at this location.

Male melanistic form Male normal form

2/In March 2013 while about to enjoy chewing on a nice fresh sweet corn cob straight

from the vegetable garden, I noticed a tunnelling larva. Thinking it was a larva of the

commercial pest Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa armigera) moth, it was about to be

squashed. On a closer inspection it was an unexpected larva of the attractive Bright

Cornelian butterfly (Deudorix diovis). The larva and corn were kept 1n a container for

observation.

After four days the larva started to pupate and formed a perfect pupa. However the

adult failed to emerge. I have a Tulipwood tree (Harpullia pendula), known hostplant

for this butterfly, which is growing about 4-5 metres from where the corn was

erowing. Most likely the larva was dislodged from an Harpullia seed capsule and

crawled over onto the corn and continued feeding within the cob in an effort to

Survive.

Images - View showing part of tunnel and dorsal rear view of larva hard anal plate and ejected

‘yellow’ frass in container

BEDS PERT PS Pe Re Pe Pe Re be Pe De be Pe be bd Pe be

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 38

3/ During late 2012, a lycaenid specimen was given to me for setting by our club

president Ross Kendall. Ross reported that the larva had been located and raised to an

adult on a cultivated citrus tree.

The specimen was identified as a very small female Cycad Blue (Theclinesthes

onycha), and no doubt growth retarded by an unsuitable host plant. On several

occasions I have observed females of this species ovipositing on the buds of Rose

plants (Rosa spp.) and once on Rattle Pod plants (Crotalaria spp.), in which the

resultant larvae didn’t accept either plants and died.

Images- (Photographed together) Female Theclinesthes onycha with wingspans 17mm and 28mm

4/In April 2013 several first and second instar larvae of the Tailed Emperor (Polyura

sempronius) were located feeding on the same Crotalaria growing in my garden. The

larvae were ‘sleeved’ on the plants with netting bags. They all failed to survive on

these plants although they successfully utilise many other legumes in at least four

plant families; eg Moss (2010) lists 40 species for this region.

Over the years there have been a number of other abnormalities of individual butterfly

specimens that others 1n our group have identified or collected. These include a

gynandromorph Orchard Swallowtail, yellow painted Glasswing, albino Lemon

Migrant, hybrid Yellow/Orange Migrants and a melanistic Large Grass-Yellow with

all yellow markings replaced by light brown!

Occasionally ovipositing females seem to ‘get it wrong’ when it comes to egg laying

on their host plants. This is one aspect that can make field observations very

interesting, as one does not know just where and when the next discovery will be!

Photos Wesley Jenkinson

Reference:

Moss, J. T., 2010. Butterfly Host Plants of South-east Queensland and northern New South

3" ed. BOIC.

BEDS PE DS PE DE PS Pa Re be Pe De be Oe be Pe be bd Pd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 39

LETTER

Via email from Garry Sankowsky, North Queensland — 1.2.2015

Hi Daphne,

The dry 1s certainly over here with storms every other day and the butterflies are

really on the go. We had a migration of Lemon Migrants here at the same time as

south Qld so there may have been a massive overwintering colony somewhere. They

were all form crocale (Catopsilia pomona crocale) so they did not hatch after the

Dec/Jan rains or they would have been C. pomona. Even though the Brigalow Scrub

in central Qld has been completely exterminated large numbers of Cassia brewsteri

have survived due to their persistent suckering ability and they can still produce huge

numbers of migrants. Nothing like in the 60's but still big numbers.

Cheers Garry

ARTICLES FROM PAST ISSUES

From Issue #47 December 2007

The Caper White Migration — Peter Hendry

The Caper White butterfly (Belenois java) has made another impressive migration this

year. The migration has been noted in our newsletter in past reports including No.12,

March 1999, p.15 wherein John Moss reported on “Fellow- travellers in a Caper White

Migration” in October 1998. In No.31, December 2003, p.32, David St Henry in his

report (from North Rockhampton) on the Lakes Creek State School butterfly habitat

regeneration project, recorded seeing a migration in 2003 and in No.43, December

2006, p.22, Mary Hackett from her herb farm at Middle Dural NSW wrote on the 2005

migration : “Their mass migration overwhelmed me in the garden as I stood with arms

extended, exchanging salutations as they dipped and brushed my hair and fingertips in

passing.”

So let’s take a closer look at the butterfly and its migration. The Caper White is a

medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of 55mm. There are two subspecies of Caper

White in Australia, Belenois java teutonia and Belenois java peristhene. On the

mainland B. 7. peristhene has only been

recorded on the east coast at Percy Isles

northeast of Shoalwater Bay QLD and near

Sydney NSW. B. j. teutonia occurs in two

colour forms, pale and dark, the dark form

being most notable 1n the females. While the

pale form of the female 1s similar to the male,

the dark form has a much broader black

suffusion around the edge of the wings. The

larvae feed on species in the plant family

Capparaceae, mostly in the genus Capparis,

A mating pair

BEDS Pe RE Pe PE he be Pe Pe pe he be be be be Pe bd pg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 40

but also use the Warrior Bush (Apophyllum anomalum) which 1s widespread 1n semi-

arid areas of NSW and southwest QLD. The pale yellow eggs, which later turn orange,

are 1.4mm high x .8mm and are laid in clusters. One female was reported laying 114

eggs in 30 minutes! The larvae reach 32mm in length and are olive green to chocolate

brown in colour, with numerous raised yellow spots. The pupa is up to 25mm long,

usually mottled white with black patches, but sometimes pinkish white or almost wholly

white or wholly black. No one really understands the reason for the migration. One

theory is that the larvae build up in such large numbers that they devoid the area of

available host plant and the adults migrate to find more. However in many cases they fly

into areas where no host plants exist or fly straight out to sea, to a certain death. It is

reported that the migration takes place every year and in some years goes unnoticed due

to the lack of numbers. I cannot imagine the host plants being completely stripped in

those years, unless due to lack of intervening good rain, they have not recovered from

previous years. The direction of the migration varies not only depending on where it 1s

observed, but even varies during the migration. *Braby, quotes several sources which

give the following directions: In southeast QLD, southeasterly migrations; inland

southern NSW, southerly; ACT, northeasterly; Sydney, both northerly and southerly;

central VIC, westerly; northwest VIC, southeasterly. *“R.Grund, 1n a web article on

South Australian butterflies, stated “the migrations proceeded southerly to the lower

southeast region of South Australia and to southwest Victoria, then turned west to the

Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and Yorke Peninsula, and then made a northerly

turn before disappearing back north, presumably from where they started”. So there

remains much to learn.

As the migrations 1n Queensland take place during October and November, and as |

take holidays during that period, I am privy to some marvelous sights during large

migrations. It is hard to contemplate the number of individuals involved. In 2005 I

drove from Sheldon (near Brisbane) to my bush block west of Bundaberg and saw

Caper Whites the full length of the journey. They were so thick just south and north of

Maryborough I could not drive without hitting them. That year I stood in my mother’s

garden at Manly (Brisbane) and counted 16 crossing a 20metre line in one minute. This

year, on the 27" of October, I was on a 1000

acre block near Deepwater, south of

Tenterfield, 1n NSW and saw hundreds taking

nectar from two species of Tea Tree

(Leptospermum) which were in full flower,

but it was a small patch of Callistemon

pungens that really attracted their attention.

Whether it was the flower colour (mauve - as

opposed to the white leptospermums) or the

fact that the bottlebrush had recently opened

(with a possible higher nectar content) it was

the preferred species. Adult feeding on Callistemon pungens

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 41

I later returned to the bush block west of Bundaburg (during overcast and showery

conditions) where I found larvae and eggs on a caper species (Capparis canescens) 1n

the open forest area. Down by the river in the vine scrub where Capparis arborea and

C’. sarmentosa grow, John Moss and I observed a mating frenzy. All of the Caper

Whites were pairing up, except one particular female, which when males approached

raised her abdomen, as if willing to accept a mate, but none obliged! We observed this

behavior for some time, and no mating occurred. In researching for this article I read

that the females do this to let the males know they are already fertile; my observations

seem to bear this out. The butterflies here showed no obvious signs of migrating, but

this may have been due to the overcast conditions. The most observed species flying

were Caper Whites and Large Grass-yellows. Many of the pupae found were attached

to other nearby plants and some appeared to be parasitised, but after reading that the

pupae can be coloured black I am not so sure.

When migrating the female will stop and lay on any host plants they find, dispensing

large numbers of eggs at a time. During

one migration the late Dr G. A.

Waterhouse estimated a total of

250,000 eggs were laid on a large tree

caper in his garden. Eggs have been

reported to be laid on some non host

plants, including cultivated orange,

Zieria sp. and Correa baeuerlenii

(Rutaceae), as well as Banksia ornata

and B. serrata (Proteaceae). As expected the resulting larvae do not survive and in many

cases the eggs are infertile. During these times many home gardeners with cultivated

Capparis species will experience defoliation of their plants. In my Sheldon garden, my

Capparis arborea 1s planted in heavy shade and generally seems to be left alone for this

reason. However this year, for the first time, I found 101 eggs on one leaf, possibly from

one female.

Eggs on Capparis canescens

Apart from all the media reports, some of our members have reported the following.

Richard Zietek said all of his Capparis species have been stripped clean this year.

Daphne Bowden tells the story that while attending the local Spring Parade on the

waterfront at Manly, when the pipe band struck up to start the parade, as 1f on cue, a

large cloud of resting Caper Whites rose from the wall (or maybe the sand) of the

Esplanade to continue on their merry way. Lois

Hughes said she was dragged kicking and

™ screaming by husband John up the slopes of Mt

- Cotton to two isolated C. arborea trees

completely covered in butterflies and still

containing many larvae and pupae. (I may have

embellished “the kicking and screaming” bit,

but she was in a long dress and dress shoes!)

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 42

Pupa on anon host plant Acalypha sp.

While we may not fully understand the Caper White migrations, they are great

ambassadors for the insect world as they do stir up the media and have the general

public talking on a subject many would not normally bother with.

Photos by Peter Hendry

References: * Michael F Braby, 2000 : Butterflies of Australia : their

Identification, Biology and Distribution. CSIRO

** South Australian Butterflies Data Sheet R. Grund

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~erg/java_ ds.htm

OTHER GROUPS’ ACTIVITIES

Redlands Good Gardening Expo - Saturday 11 April 2015 9am to 3pm

Held at: Redlands IndigiScapes Centre, 17 Runnymede Rd, Capalaba

Free Entry! Find out about growing your own organic food at home. Tastier, healthier, the way

it was meant to be eaten. Learn about native gardening and how you can use natives to create

habitats. Composting, worm farming, mulching and how to recycle your green waste. Buy

plants and seeds and get some great new ideas for your garden. Get the help you need with

advice from the experts. Workshops & demonstrations, arts & crafts, music & food!

Indigi Day Out Saturday 6" June 10am to 4pm. Discover the wonders of IndigiScapes at

this fun-filled event! There will be wildlife displays, mini workshops, music, arts and craft, kids

activities, and food to enjoy.

BUTTERFLY AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES CLUB PROGRAMME

AGM - 18" April, 2015, at Redlands Indigiscapes Centre, Capalaba —

See enclosed flyer. The meeting will be followed by a guided walk through

the gardens and bush area of IndigiScapes.

Planning and General 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. A walk

around the lake will follow the meeting.

When: Saturday May 9", 2015 from 10 am

Where: Marie-Louise Johnson’s place at Forest Lake - address provided on RSVP

Who: All members are welcome.

RSVP: Marie-Louise on 0422 970 184 or email nabid@aapt.net.au

Indigi Day Out Saturday 6" June, 2015 - 10am to 4pm.

See details in Other Groups’ Activities — We will have a display at this event.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 43

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 is done with the efforts of:

e Those members who have sent in letters and articles

Lois Hughes who provided the cover painting

Daphne Bowden who works on layout, production and distribution

John Moss, Dr Anne Dollin and Martyn Robinson for

scientific referencing and proof reading of various

articles in this issue of the magazine oan

e Printing of this publication is proudly supported by TT

Brisbane City Council sete EELS,

We would like to thank all these people for their contribution. Pjedicated to a hetter 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 $30.00 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 number and surname e.g. 234 Roberts.

Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc.

PO Box 2113

RUNCORN Q. 4113

Next event - AGM — 18" April, 2015, at Redlands Indigiscapes Centre, Capalaba

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #76 — Page 44