PLANNING AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 2013

President:

Vice President:

Treasurer:

Secretary:

Magazine:

Publicity and Library:

Excursion Convenor:

Ross Kendall 07 3378 1187

John Moss 07 3245 2997

Rob MacSloy 07 3824 4348

Richard Zietek 07 3390 1950

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

Lois Hughes 07 3206 6229

Alisha Steward 07 3275 1186

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION MEETINGS

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

See BOIC Programme.

CONTACT ADDRESS AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

PO Box 2113, Runcorn, Queensland 4113

Membership fees are $30 for individuals, schools and organizations.

AIMS OF ORGANIZATION

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

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 the keeping of invertebrates as alternative pets;

To promote research into invertebrates;

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

MAGAZINE DEADLINES

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

March issue — February Ist June issue — May Ist

September issue — August Ist December issue — November Ist

Acraea terpsicore (Tawny Coster) on Hybanthus enneaspermus — painting by Lois

Hughes. Prints available on request.

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 2

EFROM THE PRESIDENT

Little did I realise the learning that was to come from Geordie Paton’s discovery of an

“Orange Glasswing” near Kununurra last April. I am sure that you will enjoy the

story that follows. Lois has certainly excelled in the painting of a beautiful cover to

go with our article. I have not paid much attention to our Australian Glasswing

(Acraea andromacha) in the past. It is a hardy, unspectacular and often barely

noticed resident. Peter Hendry’s research and report on the Acraea genus worldwide

has opened my eyes to a quite spectacular group.

I thank all the contributors of the various articles, which together provide a great deal

of new information in this edition of our magazine. Once again Daphne has woven all

the threads into a colourful tapestry.

I am sure that this edition takes us to a record number of destinations. Kelvyn Dunn

leads us on a tour to dozens of locations across every Australian State as he reports on

observations of the Orchard Swallowtail and Cabbage White butterflies. Alan Hyman

writes of his much loved Bundanoon area in NSW. Peter Hendry writes of the moth

Oxycanus beltista found at Mt Tambourine Qld, while Graham MacDonald tells of

Grammodes justa found nearby 1n the Gold Coast hinterland. Then Peter leads us on

a tour of Africa to visit various Acraea homelands with a brief sojourn in Papua. The

Tawny Coster leads us from India and Sri Lanka across South-east Asia to northwest

Australia. Ray Archer and Mike Barnett give us another glimpse of Africa. The Tube

Spittlebug rates a mention in Indonesia, West Papua and Australia. Wes Jenkinson

writes in his usual detailed style of the Caper Gull in Southeast Queensland. We

touch down with Geordie Paton for a glimpse of Broome while Alicia takes us back to

Mt Cotton and those water bugs but also manages to get in a mention of London!

Quite a journey! Best wishes Ross

Creature Feature - A new immigrant butterfly for Australia: Acraed terpPSiCOLe — ...ccceecccceseeeeeee 4

Life history notes on the noctuid moth Grammodes justa (Walker, 1858)...........ccccccsssecceeeeeeeeees 6

New Distribution Records for Swallowtail Butterflies in Eastern Australia .............ccccceeccceeeeeeees 8

UTNE SCHNUS- ACPO CE a A5 chain car nayscde piso scin csvoyiony tas aoe atheiseeten det onitoctieste ts APs Monee es Ua cs othe obese sate Sot eke te doe 14

Life history notes on the Caper Gull, Cepora perimale scyllara (Donovan, 1805)................008 21

NOS SWE UC Ss tonsencesrat cr rerdoceua naar ie eeisisane eeobat ok aete Selemanneatse ce aeteamene eek eeememae eh len inee te Cre cern eae 23

Important New Distribution Records for the Cabbage White, Pieris rapae in Australia ........... 27

(PV CONUS WO LEST sertccin Menno Md ote henge Atego envied bese edge ts Rite p dee epat ne beg ee apadiyion ete olee sage te Rttotae ue 31

Butterfly observations in Bundanoon NSW ...........ccccccccccesscccessccceeecccceecccaeeccceascceeeecceeueceeaeeeeeaens 33

A new host plant for the Satin Azure (Ogyris amarvllis meridiOnalis) ........60..ccccccccveee ce neeeeeeeees 37

Excursion Report - Ramble and sample at Mt Cotton 0.0... cece ccssccccssecceeeeceeeecceeeeceeeeeeeeaens 38

You Asked, Facebook and Other Groups’ ACTIVITIES 00.0... cceccccceseeccceeecceeeecceeaeeceeeeeeceeeeeeeeees 42

BOT SPEG SPAIMIIMG: 55.21 panescnsnchestearesenss tees eetaeia shetty seas eaiaerad a ctw dina sipeidainecia vlw Eee ieat dates di eia tes sent aetes shatiastaaseae 43

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 3

CREATURE FEATURE

A new immigrant butterfly for Australia: Acraea terpsicore

(Linnaeus 1758) — Ross Kendall

On the afternoon of April 27" 2013 I received a phone call

from Club member Geordie Paton. Using his mobile

phone he was calling from “the bush” near Kununurra 1n

the East Kimberley of far northern Western Australia.

Geordie said that he had just found a good number of

orange coloured butterflies that looked like Glasswings

(Acraea andromacha) but that the colour was wrong. He

photographed a specimen using his phone and an emailed

image arrived on my computer while we were still talking.

It certainly was different!!!

The next day Geordie informed me that, through the

Internet, he had discovered that the butterflies were Tawny Coster female

Tawny Costers (Acraea terpsicore) usually found in India aaah

and Sri Lanka but first reported in Australia from near

Darwin NT in April 2012 (Sanderson et al. 2012; Braby 2013). He contacted Michael

Braby (in Darwin) who confirmed the identification and referred Geordie to two

articles about the discovery of the butterfly published in the August 2012 edition of

Myrmecia and the February 2013 edition of Nature Territory.

The authors confirmed that the butterflies were at several sites on the Cox Peninsula

west of Darwin and it had also been found 90 km southeast near Adelaide River. At

these sites larvae were found feeding on native Hybanthus enneaspermus (L.) F.Muell

(Violaceae) a known host of A. andromacha.

A year later, Geordie found the butterflies 450 km southwest

of Darwin near Kununurra.

Descriptions of the larvae and pupae of the Tawny Coster

show that they are similar to those of the Glasswing.

The average wingspan of the adult specimens examined was

50mm.

The upperside ground colour is bright reddish-orange in

males and orange-brown in females, with a series of black _" |

spots. The pattern 1s similar on the underside, but with more Tawny Coster pupa

pronounced cream subterminal spots on the hind wing. Photo Geordie Paton

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 4

Male upperside Male underside

Female upperside Female underside

Photos Ross Kendall

Braby et al. (2013) report on the range expansion of this butterfly over the last 28

years and its successful colonisation of South-east Asia and Australia. Initially from

India and Sri Lanka, it was reported from Thailand in 1984 and then progressively

moved to Hainan via Laos and Vietnam and to Timor via the Malay Peninsular and

the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Flores and Sumba, moving at a rate

of approximately 200km per year. Furthermore, Trevor Lambkin (pers. comm.), who

regularly visits Flores Indonesia, reports that he collected A. terpsicore on Flores the

first time he visited the island in October 2010. In addition he observed females

ovipositing on a Passiflora sp..

The success of its spread, according to Braby ef al. (2013), may be due to the fact that

large areas of tropical forest have been cleared through the region thus allowing

suitable invasive host plants to thrive. Lambkin (pers. comm.) reports this to be the

case in Flores where much of the virgin deciduous monsoon forest in the far west of

the island has been cleared and has allowed large areas to be inundated by weed

species, the predominant one being Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) Fabaceae.

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) arrived here 1n the early 1870’s followed by the

Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) in the 1930’s. It would seem that the Tawny Coster

BEDS PE DT PE DES Pe Re be Pe he be Oe Pd be be bd Pd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 5

(A. terpsicore) 1s permanently established in northern Australia. So, since European

settlement, this species is the third successful immigrant butterfly to have established

in Australia.

Acknowledgements

Geordie Paton for his enthusiastic fieldwork

Dr Michael Braby for information and advice

References

Braby, M.F. 2013. The Tawny Coster Acraea terpsicore 1n the Northern Territory, a

new butterfly for Australia. Nature Territory. Newsletter of the Northern

Territory Field Naturalists Club Inc. February 2013: 5.

Braby, M.F., Bertelsmeier, C., Sanderson, C. and Thistleton, B.M. 2013. Spatial

distribution and range expansion of the Tawny Coster butterfly, Acraea

terpsicore (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), 1n South-East Asia

and Australia Insect Conservation and Diversity (online doi: 10.1111/icad.12038)

Sanderson, C., Braby, M.F., Thistleton, B. and Neal, M. 2012. First record of the

Tawny Coster butterfly Acraea terpsicore (Linnaeus, 1758) from Australia

Myrmecia 48 (3): 39-41.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Life history notes on the noctuid moth Grammodes Justa (Walker,

1858). Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Catocalinae - Graham McDonald

Introduction: Moths of the genus Grammodes are often characterised by two distinct

cream or yellow parallel lines on the forewing, which usually has a dark brown

background. In the Grammodes “Group A” complex of six species (Hendry, 2011),

the lines traverse the wing from the costa to the dorsum. In the “Group B” complex

of five species, the cream lines do not reach the costa and there are other minor

differences. Some species in Group A, such as G. oculata, G. oculicola and G.

ocellata, have an ocellus (eyespot) on the tornus of the forewing. G. justa does not

have this.

Distribution: Grammodes justa 1s found on the east coast of Australia from Cape

York to the Sydney - Blue Mountains area and inland to the New England Tableland.

It also occurs in the Northern Territory.

There are eleven (11) named Grammodes species in Australia as well as one

undescribed species. The genus also has a wider distribution in the Ethiopian and

Oriental regions (Common, 1990). Further information on the genus Grammodes 1s

presented in a monograph by Peter Hendry in issue 62 of Metamorphosis Australia.

PEPE PE DS PF OE bs PE DT pe Pe be be be pe Pe bd be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 6

Host Plants: Grammodes justa larvae feed

on the leaves of Sauropus albiflorus

(formerly Phyllanthus albiflorus) in the

plant family Phyllanthaceae. This plant is

also known as “Showy Sauropus” (Fig. 1).

S. albiflorus occurs from Cape York to S. E.

Queensland, often growing as a rheophyte

near water courses 1n rainforest. It also

occurs in dry rainforests. The shrub grows

to about one (1) metre tall and it has a

twiggy appearance. It bears white to pink Fig. 1 Sauropus albiflorus

flowers to 5 mm, followed by 8 mm

pumpkin-shaped fruit most of the year. S. E. Queensland has 10 species of

Phyllanthus and two (2) species of Sauropus, some of which may also be utilised by

G. justa. North Queensland has a far richer flora of Phyllanthus and Sauropus

species.

Two closely related moths Bastilla solomonensis and Buzara latizona also feed on

other Phyllanthaceae genera. B. solomonensis feeds on Breynia oblongifolia (Breynia)

and B. latizona 1s known to use Phyllanthus spp.

Life History: The larvae Ay yt ay

of G. justa (Figs 2 & 3), yak

rest on the stems of the

host plant S. albiflorus

during the daytime.

They are well

camouflaged because

they sit motionless in a

longitudinal position on

the pale stems which

match their pale striated

appearance. They feed

at night and can often

reduce a plant to a

leafless skeleton. Plants

usually recover. Figs 2 & 3 Larvae

Fig. 4 Pupa and cocoon

ma + Y

» aay

aa }

Aly

s.6

One of the larvae pupated on 5 January, 2013, after growing to a length of 35 mm.

The pupa was located in the substrate (in this case sand), inside a cocoon constructed

of sand grains held together loosely by silken strands. Presumably larvae in other

situations would use pieces of leaves, twigs and small stones in the substrate, to

construct their chamber (Fig. 4).

BEDS REDS PF OE Pe PE DT De PE be Pe be pe Pe bg be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 7

The adult moth emerged on 5 February 2013

- pupal duration of around 30 days. The adult

(Fig. 5) has a wing span of 38 - 40 mm and 1s

active in the summer months.

Note: No ovipositing was recorded.

References

Bostock, P. & Holland, A. (eds) 2007.

Census of the Queensland Flora 2007

Old Herbarium, E. P. A.: Brisbane

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

Hendry, P. 2011. The genus Grammodes (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae; Catocalinae)

Metamorphosis Australia 62 19-21 BOIC.

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

(Revised Edition) Logan River Branch, Society for Growing Australian Plants

(Qld Region) Inc: Brisbane.

Photos Graham McDonald

i ie i

New Distribution Records for Swallowtail Butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Papilionidae) in Eastern Australia - Kelvyn L. Dunn

E-mail: kelvyn_dunn@yahoo.com

Summary

This paper documents 29 new locations in eastern Australia for eight Swallowtail

butterflies (namely, Graphium sarpedon, G. eurypylus, G. macfarlanei, G.

agamemnon, Papilio anactus, P. aegeus, P. ambrax, and Cressida cressida), each

record of which falls outside the boundaries of the species’ distributions as indicated

on the synoptic, range-filled maps provided by Braby (2000).

Introduction

Many keen insect enthusiasts who occasionally visit remote areas of Australia may

think they need pay little attention to the Swallowtail butterflies these days, whose

members are usually conspicuous on the wing and readily identified. Casual

naturalists would likely photograph them often (and do), and regular observations

have been forthcoming into databases from regions popularly visited by

holidaymakers over the years. Although these larger insects can take up a lot of

storage space in those expensive cabinets, the available statistics on historic holdings

suggest that the collector’s angle supports a good knowledge from take. As the facts

stand, butterflies belonging to families that are characterised by conspicuous, large

and colourful species (namely, the Papilionidae, Pieridae and Nymphalidae) are likely

to find their way into a cabinet a little more often than not (Dunn 2010).

As with many showy members from other butterfly families, the main distributions of

Swallowtails coincide with areas where extensive observations have taken place over

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 8

the many decades of collector activity — it is mostly the case, that the coastal or near

coastal regions and the continent’s eastern shore board have been fairly well studied

(Dunn & Dunn 2006, Dunn 2009). Yet, in spite of so much attention, the known

distributions that Braby (2000) presented for some of the more widespread and

common species in these groups are still patchy, fragmentary, and likely under-

representative, particularly for those that regularly or seasonally disperse into the

inland. During two lengthy field trips in inland New South Wales and outback

Queensland (see Dunn 2013a for a map of sites visited), I routinely recorded

Swallowtails (and all other butterflies) in order to help alleviate the knowledge

imbalances that have been exposed of late (Dunn 2009, 2010); and I would encourage

others to do likewise, if that interests them. An explorative approach has helped

determine the extent of their occurrence in the inland and the extent of their continuity

in some coastal areas where knowledge gaps in distributions have become evident; the

many new locations for those species tabled provide ongoing evidence of that.

Methods

I identified most of the 30 swallowtail records listed (from the 29 new locations — one

site was visited twice) without the requirement of handling; those twenty-seven (27)

encounters (90%) recorded by ‘observation-only’ are marked (Obs.) to distinguish

them from those that were photographed (Photo), captured and released (Rel.) and

those that were retained as vouchers (KLD). For most observations (93%) the

identifications were certain (Category |) —1n each case, I had seen sufficient

characters to achieve that level of confidence. Two observations were to a level of

almost certain (Category 2) as field circumstances sometimes did not permit sufficient

time or closeness to identify the species to a level beyond reasonable doubt; these

lower grade records are marked ‘C2’ (see Dunn 201 1a for discussion of these and

other categories of record acceptability). The means used to measure distances and

define locations to precision of within a kilometre of the actual site, was described in

a previous report (Dunn 2013b); extended discussion and other recommendations are

available in Dunn (2013c).

Results and Discussion

Table 1 lists 29 new locations across four states in eastern Australia, arranged from

north to south, where I found butterflies of this group; all sites fall outside the

boundaries defined by Braby (2000) for the species concerned. One or more older

records overlooked by Braby (2000) are reiterated and references to findings of other

workers in the last decade or so are given, where their published new locations fall

close to those found by me (and where my records become supportive). For Papilio

anactus and P. aegeus the findings suggest that these two widespread species extend

much farther inland in Queensland than was generally supposed; for the other species

many of the extensions are minor, but still provide evidence of a broader occurrence

than was known.

BEDS PE DS Pe OE bs PE DS pe Pe bg Pe be pe Pe bd Pe hg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 9

Table 1. Twenty-nine locations for species of Papilionidae from beyond their

known ranges in Australia

Species/Location State Geocode Date Format

Graphium sarpedon

Myrtle Creek, 3km NNE of Qld 20°23’S, 148°36’°E 03 Nov 2012 Obs

Proserpine

G. eurypylus

Little Laura River, 12km WNW of = Qld 15°32’S, 144°21’E 11 Jan 2001 Obs

Laura

G. macfarlanet

Pax Piel Bridge, at Myall Creek, Qld 12°39’S, 142°16’°E 07 Jan 2002 Obs

55km ESE of Weipa

Coen River, 3km N of Coen Qld 13°55’S, 143°1VE 08 Jan 2002 Obs (C2)

Mt White, Coen Old 13°58’S, 143°11VE 06 Jan 2002 Obs

G. agamemnon

Pax Piel Bridge, at Myall Creek, Qld 12°39’S, 142°160’E 07 Jan 2002 Obs

55km ESE of Weipa

Little Laura River, 12km WNW of Qld 15°32’S, 144°21VE 09 Jan 2002 Obs

Laura

Papilio anactus

Chillagoe Qld 17°09’S, 144°3 VE 12 Jan 2002 Obs

[km E of Cloncurry, at van park Qld 20°42’S, 140°31’E 22 Oct 2012 Voucher

Boot Hill Creek 62km SW by S of Qld 21°50’S, 148°S56’E 04 Nov 2012 Obs

Sarina

16km NE by N of St George Qld 27°S7T’S, 148°42’E 16 Nov 2011 Obs \*!

Neagles Lookout, Clare SA 33°50’S, 138°38’E 26 Oct 2007 Obs

Bega NSW = 36°41’S, 149°S VE 02 Mar 2008 Obs

P. aegeus

Bottle Tree Lookout, 58km NE of Qld 20°28’S, 144°24E 28 Oct 2011 Photo (see

Hughenden Figs 1-3)

Torrens Creek Qld 20°46’S,145°017E 28 Oct2012 Obs X*?

24km NW (by rd) of Tambo Qld 24°45’S, 146°06’E 26 Oct 2011 Obs

Tambo Old 24°53’S, 146°15’E 25 Oct 2011 Obs

26 Oct 2011 Obs

Warrego River, 42km NNE of Qld 26°05’S, 146°25’E 25 Oct 2011 Obs

Charleville

41km NNE of Charleville Qld 26°06’S, 146°25’°E O01 Oct 2012 Obs

28km NNE of Charleville Qld 26°12’S, 146°21’E O01 Oct 2012 Obs

Charleville nr showgrounds Qld 26°24’S, 146°1S’E 25 Oct 2011 Rel

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

l6km NE by N of St George Qld 27°S7’S, 148°42’°E 16 Nov 2011 Obs “**?

3km E of Cunnamulla Qld 28°04’S, 145°43’E 27 Sep 2012 Obs

Ikm S of Cunnamulla Qld 28°05’S, 145°41’E 27 Sep 2012 Obs

Moonlight Creek picnic ground, Mt Vic 38°17°S, 146°0O1’E 27 Jan 2011 Obs “te *

Worth State Park

PEPE PE DS PF OE be PE DS De Pe bs Pe be pe Pe bd be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 10

Species/Location State Geocode Date Format

P, ambrax

2km NW of Isabella Falls Qld 15°17’°S, 145°00’E 10 Jan 2001 Obs (C2

Note 5

Cressida cressida

Pentland Old 20°32’S, 145°24’E OS Nov 2011 Obs

Burra Range Lookout Qld 20°43’S, 145°13’E 13 Feb 1994 = Obs “***®

Key:

Note 1. Valentine & Johnson (2000: 60) broadly recorded P. anactus as present

“between St George and Cunnamulla.” It 1s implicit in that statement that the butterfly

was present at both end-point towns and that they had seen the species at a number of

other places, so circumscribed, as their evidence of a more or less continuous range

across that part of inland southern Queensland. My record from near St George 1s just

beyond the distribution provided by Braby (2000) and 1s adjunctive to the updated and

enlarged distribution given by Valentine & Johnson (2000) from their own encounter

data set.

Note 2. Atkins et al. (2003) had earlier recorded P. aegeus in the White Mountains

National Park, a region located to the north of Torrens Creek township that 1s also

outside the range given by Braby (2000).

Note 3. Dr John Moss, who kindly reviewed this paper prior to publication, has

advised that he had photographed P. aegeus along the Balonne River at St George on

28 Sep. 2010 and, on the following day, saw others farther west along the Balonne

Highway at Thrushton National Park, just NE of Bollon. Edwards (1948) recorded the

species at Mitchell (to the north-northwest of St George), which 1s on the boundary of

the contemporary distribution in that region. As the new records are very recent (2010

& 2011) and are coincident with unusually wet seasons, one might suppose a novel

range expansion has occurred. However, the butterfly’s continuity into the St George

area of the Warrego region would seem unexceptional (given historic knowledge from

Mitchell); earlier workers have probably overlooked the butterfly’s presence there.

Note 4. Dunn (201 1b) reported that 37 encounter records of P. aegeus were made in

Victoria during the unusually wet season of 2010-11, a time that saw additional

species of butterfly enter that state. The Mt Worth encounter (at about 295m asl)

provides the southernmost record from Victoria, and was the only one of those 37

compiled that lay outside of the arbitrary boundary of irregular presence, which Braby

(2000) defined from earlier migratory events into the state. The faded brownish male

sporting yellowed hind wing patches (which are white in newly emerged adults) was

seen twice patrolling a circuit (1-2m above ground) in the grassy picnic ground at

1640h DST (1540h AEST). It swooped down to just above the grass during its second

circuit to challenge a male of Heteronympha merope that had entered the picnic area.

It fluttered above the intruder briefly before departing the area and was unseen

thereafter.

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DS De Pe be Pe be a Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 11

Note 5. King (2012) illustrated a female of P. ambrax captured about 6km S of

Cooktown; his specimen provides the northernmost authenticated record in the Wet

Tropics. My observation, from north of Cooktown, was made in late afternoon

(around 1630-1700h AEST) through the windscreen of a slow moving vehicle, and is

a lower grade encounter event because of this. Peter Fox and I made an immediate

search at the site but the female, which had slowly crossed the road 1n front of us,

quickly vanished into dense rainforest, probably alarmed by the approaching vehicle.

Although almost certainly this species in my opinion, it requires confirmation by a

closer encounter when that opportunity presents itself. The only differential diagnosis

could have been a large female of Atrophaneura polydorus, which has similar wings

markings and coloration, but the standard Papilio flight-pattern did not match with

that Troidine species and my field notes record that no red on the abdomen was

noticeable as it flew only metres in front of us.

Note 6. This record of C. cressida 1s certainly not the first from this area but is

additional evidence of the species presence; an earlier one from ‘Burra Range’ was

made during June and July 1981 (Johnston 1984). My encounter event from many

years ago, noted during a joint field trip with Michael Braby, seems outside of the

western coverage of the species’ range-filled map nonetheless (see Braby 2000).

Subsequently, Atkins ef¢ al. (2003) included the species in a list from the Warang

Homestead area and nearby gorges of the White Mountains National Park. Atkins

personally surveyed during a scientific expedition in April 2000, but that paper

includes records of this species (attributed to three other workers), which came from

either the gorge area or Burra Range, or both.

Figures 1-3

Temperatures in outback Queensland can be very high for long periods from late

October. Those butterflies that are more attuned to humid areas, where nectar or water

may be more available to replenish fluid loss, may adapt accordingly to limit

dehydration by reduced physical exertion at certain times of the day. At Bottle Tree

Lookout, 58km NE of Hughenden (one of the locations listed in Table 1) I saw

several species of butterfly, including a female of P. aegeus, fly across the basalt

ridge about midday (between 1200-1220h), the latter provided the new record listed.

However, by mid-afternoon, when temperatures were higher, very few butterflies of

any species were active; most had likely sought shade as males of P. aegeus were

seen to do at this site.

Figures | and 2 show two males of P. aegeus roosting on deeply shaded basalt at

eround level beneath a large tree 1n woodland, during very hot weather (c. 37°C

between 1400-1430h AEST). My very close presence did not alarm them unless my

movements were rapid. They would fly back and forth in front of these rocks at such

times, usually keeping within shade though, and settled on the rock surface repeatedly

and sometimes on leaf litter (both relatively cool substrates but each potentially risky

due to predation by spiders, lizards or other predators that lurk in deep shade).

BEDS REDS PF DE be PED De Pe bd Pe be pe Pe bd Pe hg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 12

Figure 3 shows the position of the males (in

close proximity) as they roosted

simultaneously on rock surface and on leaf

litter (marked by arrows). These

compromises in behaviour perhaps

outweigh the risks of desiccation from hot

winds when roosting higher up on tree

foliage.

- _

~ *

f. Ad 54 ‘ '”

, _

- ‘

‘ ™ »

\!? .

’ i’

t _

a :

. 4 a

: —

e . 7 7

f “ *

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. iv+146pp.

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

CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Vic.

Dunn, K.L. & Dunn, L.E. 2006. Review of Australian butterflies — 1991. Annotated Version.

(CD-ROM). Melbourne, Australia: Published by the authors.

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. 201 1a. 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. 2011b. An update on some unusual butterfly records from Victoria during the 2010-

2011 season. Victorian Entomologist 41(3): 54-57, 45 (& Corrigenda 84).

PEPE PERT PE OE PT Pa Re be Pe he be Oe bd Pe be bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 13

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

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

Edwards, E.O. 1948. Notes on butterflies of western Queensland. Australian Zoologist 11(3):

225-232.

Johnston, L.M. 1984. Butterflies of the Burdekin 27 June — 12 July, 1981. Queensland

Naturalist 24(5-6): 111-112.

King, D. 2012. Note to Kelvyn L. Dunn’s “New and interesting spatial and temporal butterfly

records from eastern Australia” Victorian Entomologist 42(4): 75.

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

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

Photos Kelvyn Dunn

TK OK OK oi 2 OK FS OS 8 OK

The genus Acraea (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae) - Peter Hendry

With the recent migration to Australia of the Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore

(Linnaeus, 1758)), (see Creature Feature this issue), I thought it might be timely to

take a look at the genus worldwide. It must be noted that due to a misidentification A.

terpsicore had long been known as A. violae and many references in the literature and

on the web refer to it as A. violae. As with much of the Lepidoptera the genus is in a

state of flux, and has long been split into the subgenera Acraea (Acraea) and Acraea

(Actinote). The genus 1s placed in the tribe Acraeini and until Harvey (1991) placed it

in the subfamily Heliconiinae it was listed in the subfamily Acraeinae. Recent

molecular work has made changes and a current listing of the tribe Acraeini, by

Niklas Wahlberg, is available at http://www.nymphalidae.net/Classification/Acraeini.htm.

It shows members of the old subgenus Acraea (Actinote) being placed in the genus

Actinote, and the old subgenus Acraea (Acraea) becoming the genus Acraea with a

subgenus Acraea (Bematistes). It also lists several Acraea as unplaced. This may

further change as some believe the subgenus Acraea (Bematistes) will move to the

genus bematistes.

The genus 1s primarily Afrotropical with only four species occurring outside this

region, these being, Acraea andromacha (Fig. 1) A. meyeri (Fig. 10) A. moluccana

and A. terpsicore. A fifth species the Yellow Coster Acraea (Actinote) issoria 18 now

referred to the genus Actinote. Like many of the Nymphalidae the larvae feed on

plants which contain cyanogens making the larvae and adults poisonous to predators.

This has led to them often being mimicked by more palatable species. During mating

the males secrete a mating plug known as a sphragis which blocks the entrance to the

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 14

females mating tube, preventing successful matings by subsequent males. The

sphragis 1s used by two other unrelated Australian species; the Clearwing Swallowtail

(Cressida cressida : Papilionidae) and the Shouldered Brown (Heteronympha

penelope : Nymphalidae). The mating habits of the Acraea have been described as

"rough", with males being observed knocking the female out of the sky and using an

opposite dorso-ventral orientation (facing opposite directions). This male dominant

copulation behavior without any pre-copulatory ritual, followed by use of a sphragis

and the harassment of mated females, led some to believe it led to genetic factors

causing female dominant populations in some Acraea species (Sourakov and Emmel,

1997). However female dominant populations eventually were found to be caused by

male killing bacteria (Jiggins, Hurst & Majerus, 1997).

Until the arrival of Acraea

terpsicore, the only member of

the genus Acraea to occur in

Australia was the Glasswing

(A. andromacha (Fabricius,

1775)) (Fig. 1). Eltringham,

1912, believed andromacha to

be an incorrect spelling of

andromache. The Glasswing

with its almost transparent

wings has a wingspan of 53-56

mm (Braby, 2000). The larvae

(Fig. 2) feed on plants in the Passifloraceae and Violaceae

families. It is a common visitor to my own backyard where

it feeds on the introduced Passiflora caerulea.

A. andromacha 1s also often seen on my bush block west

of Bundaberg where it 1s hosted by the native P. aurantia.

The pupa (Fig. 3) with its white background and black

markings with yellow gold circles, 1s

rather stunning and on more than one

occasion I have found them on the eaves

of the house, some distance from the

nearest host plant.

Unlike A. andromacha (Fig.1) many

species of Acraea are coloured in reddish

browns and orange and are quite stunning

in their colouration. None more so than

the Fiery Acraea (Acraea acrita,

Hewitson, 1865) (Fig. 4).

PEPE PE DS PF OE be PE DT De PE bg Pe be pe Pe bd be hg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 15

Fig. 1 | Fig. 12

Fig. 5 Acraea buettneri Fig. 6 Acraeacaecilia Fig. 7 Acraea cepheus

Fig. 8 Acraea egina Fig. 9 Graphium ridleyanus _ Fig. 10 Acraea meyeri

Fig. 11 Acraea natalica Fig. 12 Acraea rogersi

BEDS PADS Pe DE bs PE DT be Pe he be Oe bd Pe bd bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 16

Plate ti 1912 Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1912. Pll.

H.tltringham del, West.Newman chr

NEW AND LITTLE KNOWN FORMS OF ACRAEA.

BEDS PADS PE DE be Pa Re be Pe De be Oe bd Pe be bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 17

A. acrita occurs in South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia,

Tanzania and Zaire. Like the Tawny Coster, the Fiery Acraea may be undergoing a

mini migration of its own. Migdoll, 1994, notes that for many years only one

specimen had been recorded in South Africa, at Komatipoort. Since then it has been

recorded many times. It 1s possible it 1s expanding its range further southwards and

westwards. He also notes that the summer form is more fiery red than the winter form

and gives its wingspan as 45-52 mm. The larvae feed on plants in the Passifloraceae

family.

Acraea buettneri Rogenhofer, 1890, (Fig. 5) is found in forest margins and clearings,

degraded forest and moist woodland in much of Zaire, Angola, Namibia and Zambia

(Ackery, Smith & Vane-Wright, 1995). Nothing is published of its early stages or

host plants.

Acraea caecilia (Fabricius, 1781) (Fig. 6) is found across central Africa from Senegal

to Kenya and Tanzania (Ackery, Smith & Vane-Wright, 1995). It is a species without

any orange colouration and more reminiscent of the Glasswing (4. andromacha). The

larvae feed on plants in the families Turneraceae and Passifloraceae.

Acraea cepheus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig. 7) is found from Zaire, Nigeria, southwards to

Angola and eastwards to Uganda, southern Sudan and Zambia (Ackery ef al., 1995).

A. cepheus has a wingspan between 48-50 mm and the larvae feed on plants 1n the

family Achariaceae (Flacourtiaceae).

Acraea egina (Cramer, 1775) (Fig. 8) 1s found in forests, up to 1600m, across central

Africa from Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and southward to South Africa

(Ackery, Smith & Vane-Wright, 1995). Known as the Elegant Acraea, it has a

wingspan between 62-96 mm and is thought to be the model for the mimic

Pseudacraea boisduvalii (Doubleday, 1845) (Watson & Whalley, 1983). Along with

the Papilionidae species Graphium ridleyanus (Fig. 9), the three form a mimicry

complex. The larvae feed on plants in the families Achariaceae (Flacourtiaceae) and

Passifloraceae.

Acraea meyeri (Fig. 10) : Named as Acraea meyeri by T. H. Kirsch in 1877, it was

regarded as a subspecies of A. moluccana by Eltringham, 1912 and for a long time

was treated as Miyana meyeri. Miyana was erected by Fruhstorfer in Seitz's

Macrolepidoptera of the World Vol. 9 (1912-1915). Miyana was used by authors such

as Barrett and Burns (1951) and D'Abrera (1971), however Parsons (1991), (1999)

and Gotts and Pangemanan (2001) place it back in Acraea and it appears as such in

Niklas Wahlberg's Acraeini list. 4. meyeri has a distribution which covers mainland

New Guinea and the islands Goodenough and Yule (Parsons, 1999). The food plants

are listed by Gotts and Pangemanan (2001) as Passiflora species. Parsons (1999)

notes that while females have been observed laying on Passiflora foetida and the

cultivated Granadilla, these plants are toxic to the larvae and he surmises that Adenia

heterophylla (Passifloraceae) may be the true host plant for A. meyeri. The larvae has

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 18

the branching spines typical of the Nymphalidae and the white pupa has black

longitudinal stripes like A. andromacha (Gotts and Pangemanan, 2001). I note Gotts

and Pangemanan use the spelling andromache. A form in which the yellow on the

underside of the hindwing is replaced by white is known from some areas (Gotts and

Pangemanan, 2001).

Acraea natalica Boisduval, 1847 (Fig. 11) 1s found from Kenya, Uganda and

Tanzania southwards into Zaire, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and

South Africa (Ackery et al., 1995). Being originally named from Natal it is known as

the Natal Acraea. It has a wingspan between 55-63 mm and a rather zigzag flight

(Migdoll, 1994). The larvae feed on plants in the families Turneraceae and

Passifloraceae.

Acraea rogersi Hewitson, 1873 (Fig. 12) 1s found across central Africa from Sierra

Leone to Uganda and south-western Kenya, southward to Angola (Ackery, Smith &

Vane-Wright, 1995). The larvae feed on plants 1n the Passifloraceae family.

Acraea zetes (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig. 13) is

found in deciduous woodland, savanna and

thorn scrub in eastern and southern Africa;

more frequently associated with evergreen

forest in Zaire and West Africa (Ackery,

Smith & Vane-Wright, 1995). Known as the

Large Spotted Acraea, it has a wingspan in

males of 55-65 mm and females 60-70 mm. It

is a large slow flying Acraea which is on the Fig. 13

wing throughout the year although less so in

winter (Migdoll, 1994). The larvae feed on plants in the families Achariaceae

(Flacourtiaceae) and Passifloraceae.

In preparing this article | am indebted to Dominique Bernaud for the use of his mage

of the Fiery Acraea. I am also indebted to Jak Guyomar for access to his collection

from which I photographed all set specimens of Acraea. The Graphium ridleyanus

image is from my own collection. The images of the Glasswing, adult, larva and pupa

are also my own. I would also like to acknowledge the Biodiversity Heritage Library

and the Smithsonian libraries for the use of plate 11 from Eltringham's Monograph of

the African species of the Genus Acraea.

Below is the original explanation of plate 11 from Eltringham's 1912 Monograph of the

African species of the Genus Acraea - the names 1n blue are the current standing

1. A. egina medea, Cram. <',? Senegal. (Berlin.)

2. A. doubledayi arabica, Eltr. ¢ (Type), Azvaki Ravine, Arabia. (Tring.)

Acraea arabica Rebel, 1899

3. A. doubledayi doubledayi, Guér. 3, Abyssinia. (Tring.)

BEDS PADS PF DE be PE De De Pe bd Pe be pe Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 19

4. A. welwitschii welwitschii, Rogenh. 3, Cerambé, Bihé, Angola. (Tring.)

Acraea welwitschi (Rogenhofer)

5. A. welwitschii welwitschii, Rogenh. 2, Biuaba, Angela. (Tring. )

Acraea welwitschi (Rogenhofer)

6. A. rhodesiana, Wichgr. &, Rhodesia. (London.)

7. A. ella, Eltr. ¢ (Type), Benguella. (Tring.)

8. A. aureola, Eltr. ¢ (Type), Bihe, Angola. (Tring.)

9. A. grosvenori, Eltr. G (Type), Rutschuru R. (Tring.)

Actinote grosvenori Eltringham, 1912

10. A. equatorialis equatorialis, Neave 3, Kisnmu. (Oxford.)

11. A. equatorialis equatorialis, Neave 2° , Kisumu. (Oxford.)

References

Ackery P. R., Smith C. R. & Vane-Wright R. I. editors, 1995. Carcasson’s African

Butterflies. London : The Natural History Museum.

Barrett C. & Burns A. N., 1951. Butterflies of Australia and New Guinea : Motris &

Walker Pty. Ltd.

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

distribution : CSIRO Publishing.

D'Abrera B., 1971. Butterflies of the Australian Region : Landsdowne Press Pty. Ltd.

Eltringham H., 1912. A Monograph of the African species of the Genus Acraea, Fab.,

with a supplement on those of the Oriental Region. : Transactions of the

Entomological Society of London.

Gotts R. & Pangemanan N., 2001. Mimika Butterflies : Quality Press Western

Australia.

Harvey D. J., 1991. Higher Classification of the Nymphalidae, Appendix B. - In:

Nihout, H. F. (ed) The Development and Evolution of Butterfly Wing

Patterns. Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 255-273.

Jiggins F. M., Hurst G. D. D. & Majerus M. E. N. 1997. Sex Ratio Distortion in

Acraea encedon (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) is caused by a male-killing

bacterium : Heredity 81 (1998) 87-91.

Migdoll I., 1994. Butterflies of South Africa Field Guide 2nd Edition : Struik

Publishers Cape Town.

Parsons M.,1991. Butterflies of the Bulolo-Wau Valley : South China Printing

Company.

Parsons, M., 1999. The Butterflies of Papua New Guinea their systematics and

biology : Academic Press.

Sourakov A. and Emmel T. C.,1997. Mating habits in the genus Acraea, with a

possible explanation for monosexual populations (Lepidoptera:

Nymphalidae: Acraeinae) : Tropical Lepidoptera, 8 (Suppl. 3): 33-35.

Photos as previously credited

BEDS REDS PF DE be PE DT De PE bs Pe be pe Pe bd Pe hg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 20

Life history notes on the Caper Gull, Cepora perimale scyllara

(Donovan, 1805) Lepidoptera: Pieridae - Wesley Jenkinson

This pretty butterfly, previously known as the Australian

Gull is encountered along coastal eastern Queensland and

north-eastern New South Wales, including areas west of the

Great Dividing Range in these two states. The species is also

present in northern Western Australia, Northern Territory and

from near Melbourne in Victoria.

In southeast Queensland it 1s seasonally common and the

adults can be found in a varied range of forests and also

suburban gardens. The breeding habitat in this region 1s

chiefly dry rainforest and vine scrub where Capparis trees or

shrubs are growing. Numerous species of Capparis are utilised for breeding and the

females will often oviposit on host plants in quite exposed locations, resulting in

successful adults. Although perhaps not migratory, the adults disperse from their local

breeding areas after favourable rainfall.

Whilst actively on the wing, adults can be confused with two other similar looking

Pieridae species. These are the Caper White (Belenois java) and particularly the

female Yellow Albatross (Appias paulina). Cepora p.s 1s slightly quicker 1n flight

than B. java and the adults are usually smaller than A. paulina.

Adult flight is fast and strong and they are typically observed flying around forest

canopies and margins during sunny periods. Both sexes can be observed imbibing

moisture from puddles (mud puddling) during extremely hot conditions. During

cloudy or very hot sunny weather the adults settle with their wings closed on the

upper surface of leaves in shady forest understorey. This can often occur within one

or two metres of the ground. Both sexes are readily attracted to a wide range of native

and introduced flowers.

Within Queensland the adults show slight variation in the width of the black marginal

band on the wing upperside and the size of the white subterminal spots. The male

hindwing underside 1s variable in colour from yellow to pale orange, while the female

is usually pale orange. There is also a dry season form where the underside yellowish

orange markings are replaced with brown in both sexes. The sexes can be separated

by the width of the black marginal band on the upperside which 1s narrower in the

male in comparison to the female.

Wingspans for the pictured adult upperside specimens are: males 47mm and females

49mm.

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DS De Pe bd Pe be a he bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 21

Cepora perimale scyllara

(Caper Gull) images

left to right: upperside

wet season form

male and female

Cepora perimale scyllara

(Caper Gull) images

left to right: underside

wet season form

male and female

Cepora perimale scyllara

(Caper Gull) images

left to right: underside

dry season form

male and female

During February 2008, an egg-laying female was fluttering slowly around a host tree

in dry vine scrub. She settled and curled her abdomen onto the upper side of a fresh

young leaf. An egg was laid singly and the wings remained closed while ovipositing

occurred. This egg was collected and raised through to an adult on Scrambling Caper

(Capparis sarmentosa). When fresh shoots are scarce, several eggs may be laid on

either side of a single leaf by different females. Occasionally

the eggs are also laid on stems of the host plant.

The fresh egg was white later changing to orange, barrel

shaped, approximately 0.5 mm wide x 1.1 mm high, with 14

vertical ribs and very fine horizontal lines between these ribs.

Two day old eggs

Raised in captivity, the first instar consumed the eggshell soon after emergence and

later commenced feeding from the outer edge of a small soft leaf. Being raised on the

small leafed C. sarmentosa, the early instar rested on the upperside along a leaf

midrib or on the underside of a leaf next to the midrib. The later larval instar was also

observed resting along a stem. The

captive larva fed openly during

daylight hours, completed five instars

and attained an approximate length of

32mm.

1“ instar larva 2"¢ instar larva

BEDS PADS PE OE PS Pe Re Pe Pe he be Oe Pd Pe be bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 22

5" instar larva Pupa on Caparris arborea

In captivity the pupa, measuring 21mm in length, was located on the upper side of a

leaf of the host plant. It was attached with silk by the cremaster and a central girdle.

The total time from egg to adult was almost three weeks, with egg duration of 3 days,

larval duration 14 days and pupal duration of 12 days.

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

records of adults from all months of the year. The adults are more numerous from late

spring, through summer until late autumn, being scarce from June to September.

However, this generally relates to the timing of local rainfall triggering fresh growth

of the host plants. In this location there are several generations per year, further

observations are required to determine the exact number.

References

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

Distribution. vol 1. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Moss, J.T. 2010 (ed.). Butterfly Host Plants of south-east Queensland and northern

New South Wales. 3“ edition, BOIC.

Photos Wesley Jenkinson

IS IS Fk 2k OK OS SS OK OK OK

Tube Spittlebugs (Clastopteridae: Machaerotinae) — Ross Kendall

On page 43 of the March edition (#68) of

Metamorphis Australia | asked 1f someone

could identify the tube-like structures

pictured here.

Soon after the magazine had been posted

off, we received a message from Malcolm

Tattersall which read: [J have an answer for

the second "You Asked" question. I think

they are "the calcareous tube homes of a

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMN

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 23

Tube Spittlebug nymph (Machaerotinae: Clastopteridae)," to quote ‘Servitude’ on the

discussion of Jean Hort's photo at http://www. flickr.com/photos/jean_hort/8454966737/.

I don't know them in real life, though, so a supporting opinion would be good.

This message prompted a request to Martyn Robinson at the Australian Museum. He

replied: The image does indeed show the tubes formed by one of the tube spittlebugs —

although I cannot determine the species from the tubes. The nymphs live within these

tubes where they can feed while protected from elements and predators. The adults,

however, are winged, free living, and usually found elsewhere on the host plants.

He also wrote: According to Australian Museum entomologist Dr. Dave Britton

“Machaerotinae used to be treated at the family level in Australia, so you may see

alternative classifications about the same thing. The ASCU (NSW Agricultural

Scientific Collections Unit) web site has it as Clastopteridae: Machaerotinae

http://www 1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/cercopid/machaero/index.html There are links to

images of some adults, also references to earlier taxonomic and life-history papers”

This was a good start but as a non-entomologist, I

needed to try to get answers to my basic questions

such as: “What do they look like?” “How big are

they?” “What do they eat?” “What is their life

cycle?” “Where does this insect belong in the

world of invertebrates?” “Where 1s it found?” —

What follows is based on my research of the Tube Spittlebug

“literature” and the advice of Dr Murray Fletcher. Chdetophtes aamiiens SNeaker

It seems that tube spittlebugs belong to the order Hemiptera, members of which are

bugs. Bugs have syringe-like segmented beaks to suck liquefied contents out of other

organisms, mostly from plants, but a few bugs such as assassin bugs suck out the

juices of other insects. There are about 50,000 to 80,000 members worldwide.

The order Hemiptera is divided into four groups: the suborders Heteroptera,

Sternorrhyncha, Auchenorrhyncha and Coleorrhyncha.

The heteropterans are “true bugs” such as Stink Bugs, Assassin Bugs, Ambush

Bugs, Damsel Bugs, Lace Bugs, Flat Bugs, Seed Bugs, Stilt Bugs, Leat-footed Bugs,

Plant Bugs and Water Bugs. The wings of true bugs fold flat against the top of the

body and the front wings usually overlap each other. They usually have a prominent

beak that arises from the front of the head and hangs like a sheathed sword swung

back under the head and body. The Sternorrhyncha consist of aphids, whiteflies,

scales and their relatives. The Auchenorrhyncha consist of cicadas, treehoppers,

froghoppers or spittlebugs, leafhoppers and planthoppers. These sapsuckers have

uniformly membranous wings usually angled along the body and their beaks are thin

and pressed closely under the head. The Coleorrhyncha includes only the creeping

moss bug family Peloridiidae and are the sister group to the Heteroptera.

BEDS REDS PF OE be PE DT be Pe be Pe be be Pe bd be be

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 24

It is to the spittlebug or froghopper superfamily (Cercopoidea) of about 2500

members that the very specialised group of tube

spittlebug species belong. Female spittlebugs insert

their eggs into plant tissue using a narrow

Ovipositor. The nymphs tap sap coming up from the

roots of plants (xylem) rather than the sugary fluid

flowing down the phloem vessels. The xylem sap

has a large percentage of water that 1s pumped out

of the body as fast as the sap 1s sucked in. This

: water has materials added which allow the insect to

eee pope Titian sai blow bubbles to surround it during its several

nymphal stages. The same process is used by true

spittlebugs (Cercopidae: Aphrophorinae) which live in their “spittle” on plants

without secreting calcareous tubes. [Ed: see “You Asked” article by Moss &

Hutchison on spittlebug Amarusa australis (Jordan) Cercopidae: Aphrophorinae, in

Metamorphosis Australia, issue 52, March 2009]

The tube spittlebugs (subfamily Machaerotinae) are a very specialised group with

ten known species in Australia: the genus Hindoloides with one species; the genus

Chaetophyes with four species; the genus

Pentinariopyes with two species; the genus

Polychaetophyes with one species and the genus

Machaerota with two species. There are eleven known

species in Eastern Indonesia and west New Guinea.

The nymphs secrete fluids to construct calcareous tubes

on the stems where they feed and immerse themselves in

a rather clear fluid excretion inside the tubes which are

composed of around 75% calcium carbonate. A kind of

plate on the rear of a nymph “seals” the opening of the

tube. Some tubes are curved like a cow’s horn while

others are shaped like a spiral snail shell.

Spiral tube of Hindoloides

appendiculata

Henry Hacker (1922) wrote: “The first indication that the insect is about to emerge is

the appearance of small bubbles at the mouth of the tube. This occurs in early spring,

generally in the evening or early night. Viewed though a lens at this stage, the

posterior end of the nymph is seen moving from side to side; this end protrudes for

about a second, evidently to obtain a supply of air, and then retracts, after which

fresh bubbles are blown; this renewing of the air supply takes place at intervals. The

operation continues for about an hour, by which time a large mass of froth has been

produced, covering the mouth of the tube and hanging over the side. When about to

emerge, the nymph forces its way to the top of the tube, protruding its posterior end

first until the legs have reached the lip. It then swings itself over, and with the head

now upward it climbs down the outer side of the tube until it is merged into the froth

which has accumulated on the lower side. There is constant movement inside the

BEDS PADS PF Oe be PE DT pe Pe bs Pe be pe Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 25

mass of froth, caused by the insect getting out of its nymphal skin. The froth now

gradually subsides; all movement has ceased and the newly-emerged insect is seen

clinging to the empty nymphal skin, which is then clinging to the side of the tube.

The pale-yellow wingless insect remains quite motionless. After a short interval tiny

tegmina and wingbuds begin to appear. These expand

rapidly, and in half an hour from the time they were

first seen, are fully developed. While this growth

develops and for some time later, the wings hang down

perpendicularly; they are suddenly flexed one or twice,

and closed to their normal roof-like position. At this

stage, though rather soft, the insect is able to walk and

Jump, but if left disturbed it will remain quietly on the

twig until the next day.

The time occupied by the metamorphosis of this insect

is about an hour, and the total period from first

appearance of the froth about two hours. The capture

of adult specimens by me in September and January

proves that there are two broods a year.”

_ ; f

7°?

A “a

hod

- 9 i

Adult tube spittlebugs suck copious amounts of fluid e"

from the xylem and squirt out the surplus water. They 4

vary in size from 3mm to 7mm in length and range Late stage nymph removed

from yellowish green to pink and black in colour. from its tube

—

Machaerota finitima (Jacobi)

I am now better informed and in future will look more carefully for these rather

unique insects when in the “bush”’.

I wish to thank Dr Murray J. Fletcher, Visiting Scientist, Orange Agricultural

Institute, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, Charles Sturt

University for his clarification of the taxonomy of the order Hemiptera,

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 26

Malcolm Tattersall for his mitial identification and Martyn Robinson and Dr Dave

Britten of the Australian Museum for their advice.

Colour images of Tube Spittlebugs are used with the permission of NSW Trade and

Investment - Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit.

Black and white images are from "The Insects of Australia, A Textbook for Students

and Research Workers."

References

Fletcher, M.J. (2009 and updates). Identification keys and checklists for the

leafhoppers, planthoppers and their relatives occurring in Australia and

neighbouring areas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

http://www 1|.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leathop/index.html

Fletcher, M.J., Evans, J.W. and Carver, M. (1991). Superfamily Cercopoidea. pp 467—

468 in Naumann, I.D. et al. (eds) The Insects of Australia, A Textbook for

Students and Research Workers. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne,

1137pp

Hacker, Henry (1922). On the emergence of two tube-dwelling homopterous insects.

Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 7(4): 280-282.

Marshall, Stephen A. (2006). /nsects — Their Natural History and Diversity. Firefly

Books Inc. Buffalo New York.

McKeown, Keith C. (1942) Australian Insects. An introductory Handbook. Royal

Zoological Society of New South Wales.

IS IS FS OS OS OS IS OK OK OK

Important New Distribution Records for the Cabbage White, Pieris rapae

(Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), in Australia - Kelvyn L. Dunn

E-mail: kelvyn_dunn@yahoo.com

Summary

This paper documents 50 new locations for Pieris rapae (Linnaeus) in Australia that

fall outside the boundaries of the species’ distribution, as based on the range-filled

map provided by Braby (2000).

Introduction

Many keen insect enthusiasts who occasionally visit remote areas of Australia often

pay little attention as to whether the Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) 1s present or not. It

is not hard to imagine why; it 1s not a native species, nor 1s it colourful, and neither is

it rare. Its encounter in the field therefore stirs little collector interest as relatively

short museum series would testify. Likewise, for those whose focus has been on

things rare and infrequent, the documentation in the literature of many casual

sightings over the decades will have more than likely not occurred. As a result, the

known distribution that Braby (2000) presented is patchy and under-representative in

some areas where the butterfly is likely widespread. Not surprisingly, its main

distribution coincides with those areas where extensive butterfly observations have

repeatedly taken place over the many decades of collector activity. To help rectify this

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DT De Pe bs Pe be pe Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 27

imbalance, I opportunistically investigated the distribution of the Cabbage White,

over a five-year period (2007 to 2012), to determine the extent of its occurrence in the

inland and the extent of its continuity in some coastal areas where knowledge gaps in

its distribution were evident.

Discussion

The Cabbage White is conspicuous wherever it occurs 1n Australia; its crooked flight

helps distinguish it, at a moderate distance, from Appias, Belenois, Cepora, Catopsilia

and other white butterflies with which it bears some resemblance. I identified most

adults encountered without the requirement of handling; a small number was captured

and released unharmed, and very occasionally I preserved vouchers, but in doing so, it

was kept in mind that museum space for common butterflies is limited and judiciously

rationed — indeed, the material support for the distribution of this particular exotic 1s

no exception here. That clarified, the 50 new locations where I found this butterfly

across five states (Table 1), listed from north to south and with geocodes resolved to

one minute, now add to the knowledge base and expand upon the historic literature

and museum records used by Braby (2000) to construct his range-filled map.

The survey findings (Table |) impress that the

Cabbage White (Figure 1) extends much

farther inland in New South Wales and

southwestern Queensland, and in southwestern

Western Australia, than was generally

supposed. The results also show that the

distribution in coastal South Australia is more

extensive than was documented earlier by

Braby (2000). Since then, Pierce (2010) has

listed solitary records from Bourke NSW and

Cunnamulla Qld, each made in June 2008, and

each supports my later encounters in and near

both outback towns in 2011 and 2012. In

addition, two records obtained recently in November 2012 from Ceduna SA,

including one from 12km east of that town (Pierce 2013), add confirmation to my

earlier encounters in and about that town in 2008; the currently known distribution

extends westward to Penong. Similarly, the actual distribution in Tasmania includes

more of the island than was suggested in the range-filled map by Braby (2000); that

work had overlooked some eastern and western coastal records previously included

on a point-plotted map of the state (see Dunn 1999). Since then, I have recorded a few

other new locations in the remote northeast of the island and in conjunction with my

earlier ones, these testify to a wide eastern coastal presence of the Cabbage White in

that state.

Fig. 1 Female Cabbage White

Photo Graham MacDonald

The Cabbage White is largely associated with introduced crop-plants in townships

and so has a localised or mosaic presence near settlements, far-wandering or

BEDS PE DS PF OE be PE DT pe Pe bs Pe be pe Pe bd Pe hg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 28

migratory adults aside, but in some southern coastal regions including National Parks,

naturalised cruciferous weeds evidently sustain populations remote from human

enterprise (Braby 2012, Faithfull & Dunn 2012). The availability of introduced hosts

in both residential areas and rural farmlands means that breeding populations of this

butterfly are almost certainly widespread in inland NSW. The records in Table |

might appear as few and widely dispersed, but that 1s because only selected records

for the regions concerned are included. I recorded many other sites in close proximity

to these towns and in neighbouring or intermediate areas too (Dunn & Dunn database)

— far too many to list comprehensively here. When taken together these and the tabled

results underpin a considerably broader distribution in the states concerned. Finally,

for those who wish to extend upon my study, a search for the Cabbage White in

townships farther inland in the states concerned could become a useful focus for the

future; and, importantly, 1t will help record the expansion of the species in Australia

since its accidental introduction early last century.

References

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

distribution. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Vic.

Braby, M.F. 2012. New larval food plants and biological notes for some butterflies

(Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) from eastern Australia. Australian

Entomologist 39(2): 65-68.

Dunn, K.L. 1999. Butterfly watching in Tasmania - Part IV. Victorian Entomologist

29(1): 4-9.

Faithfull, I.G. & Dunn, K.L. 2012. Butterflies of the Wingan Inlet area, Croajingolong

National Park, East Gippsland, Victoria, including a January 2012 list.

Victorian Entomologist 42(5): 102-107 (& corrigenda 43(1): 22).

Pierce, F. 2010. More range extension records for various butterflies throughout

Australia. Victorian Entomologist 40(6): 132-134.

Pierce, F. 2013. Additional range extension records for various butterflies throughout

Australia. Victorian Entomologist 43(1): 11-12.

Table 1 Fifty significant locations for P. rapae beyond its known range in

Australia

Location State Geocode Date Format

Kalbarri WA 27°43’S, 114°10’E 14 Nov 2008 Obs

Northampton WA 28°21’S, 114°38’E 17.Nov 2008 Obs

Port Denison WA 29°16’S, 114°55’E 18 Nov 2008 Obs

2km S of Leeman WA 29°58’S, 114°58’E 18 Nov 2008 Voucher

Koorda WA 30°50’S, 117°29°E 11 Nov 2008 Obs

Regans Ford WA 30°59’S, 115°42’E 12 Nov 2008 Obs

Continued on next page

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 29

Table 1 (contd.)

Location

Mukinbudin

§.lkm E of Southern

Cross P.O.

Merredin

Yanchep Beach

Narembeen

Norseman

Kondinin

West River, 37km WSW

of Ravensthorpe

Hopetoun

Stirling Range NP

Rangers Station

Northcliffe

Denmark

Albany

Penong

Thevenard near Ceduna

Streaky Bay

Muinnippa

Port Kenny

Darling River (near

Rotary Park), Bourke

Red Earth White Cliffs

Tilpa

Bunker Creek, 23km S

of White Cliffs

Darling River, Wilcannia

Broken Hill

Cobar

Copi Hollow, W of

Menindee

Copi Hollow, W of

Menindee

Ivanhoe, at sports field

Muggebah Creek No. 2,

N of Booligal

State

NSW

Geocode

30°55’S, 118°12’°E

31°1S’S, 119°24"°E

31°29°S, 118°16°E

31°33°S, LIS°37°E

32°04'S, 118°24°E

32°12’S, 1L21°47°E

32°30°S, 118°16’°E

33°40°S, 119°41°E

33°57°S, 120°07°E

34°19°S, 118°12°E

34°38°S, 116°07°E

34°58°S, L17°21°E

35°00°S, 117°52’E

31°56’S, 133°OI’E

32°09’S, 133°39°E

32°48’S, 134°13°E

32°517S, 135°09°E

33°10’S, 134°41°E

30°05’S, 145°57°E

30°5 17S, 143°05’E

30°56’S, 144°25°E

31°02’S, 143°03’E

31°33’°S, 143°23°E

31°58’S, 141°27°E

31°30’S, 145°50°E

32°16'S, 142°23’°E

32°16°S, 142°23°E

32°54’S, 144°18°E

33°46’S, 144°55°E

Date

11 Nov 2008

11 Oct 2008

10 Nov 2008

19 Nov 2008

21 Nov 2008

24 Nov 2008

21 Nov 2008

23 Nov 2008

17 Oct 2008

23 Nov 2008

22 Oct 2008

21 Oct 2008

20 Oct 2008

07 Oct 2008

24 Oct 2007

23 Oct 2007

26 Sep 2012

21 Oct 2011

23 Oct 2011

21 Oct 2011

22 Oct 2011

25 Sep 2012

22 Oct 2011

24 Sep 2012

19 Oct 2011

Format

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Voucher

Obs

Voucher

Obs

BEDS REDS PF DE be PE DS De Pe bd Pe be a Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 30

Table 1 (contd.)

Location State Geocode Date Format

Torrens Creek Old 20°46°S, 145°01’E 28 Oct 2012 Voucher

Isistord Old 24°16’S, 144°26’E 03 Oct 2012 Obs

Blackall Old 24°26’S, 145°28’E 02 Oct 2012 Voucher

Tambo Old 24°53’S, 146°15’E 26 Oct 2011 Obs

Augathella Qld 25°48’S, 146°35’E 25 Oct 2011 Obs

Charleville Old 26°24’S, 146°15’E O01 Oct 2012 Obs

Morven Qld 26°25’S, 147°077E 30 Sep 2012 Obs

Wyandra Qld 27°15’S, 145°59"E 27 Sep 2012 Obs

lkm S of Cunnamulla Qld 28°05’S, 145°41’E 27 Sep 2012 Released

Gladstone Tas 40°58’S, 148°0O1’E 13 Nov 2007 Obs

Toddys Plain, 8km SW of Tas 40°58’S, 147°34’E 13 Nov 2007 Obs

Waterhouse

Pyengana Tas 41°17’S, 148°01’E 11 Mar 1996 Obs

St Helens Tas 41°20’S, 148°15’E 11 Mar 1996 Obs

St Marys Tas 41°35’S, 148°11’E 11 Mar 1996 Obs

Bicheno Lookout Tas 41°52’S, 148°17’E 11 Mar 1996 Obs

Queenstown Tas 42°05’S, 145°33’E 11 Nov 2007 Obs

FS OK oS OK oS OK oS OK ok ok

Oxycanus beltista (Lepidoptera : Hepialidae) - Peter Hendry

Late on the afternoon of the 27th April 2013, Peter Kuttner and myself set up a light

sheet on private property on Mt. Tamborine S.E. Queensland. The light was turned on

and we departed for dinner at the local Indian restaurant. Upon our return we were

delighted to find a specimen of the family Hepialidae on the sheet. Peter set up his

video camera and recorded a short video of the moth. No sooner had he finished when

another Hepialid landed on the sheet. As we could only see the forewing at the time,

on which the markings were completely different to the previous one, we concluded

we had a second species. Peter recorded another short video of this specimen and, as

before, no sooner had he finished when another Hepialid landed on the sheet. Based

on the markings of the forewing another species! By now alarm bells were starting to

ring, did we have three species or one variable species?

As the night progressed we recorded seven Hepialid specimens, all males. The

following day as I began to set them it was clear by the salmon pink on the hind wing

and abdomen, that they were all the same species. In spite of days searching I was

unable to name it and finally requested the help of Ted Edwards. Ted informed me it

was Oxycanus beltista. Armed with a name I was able to search further and came up

with the original description by A.J. Turner in 1926, (Turner, 1926). It was named

BEDS PE DS PF DE bs PE DS pe Pe be Pe be pe Pe bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 31

from a single specimen and one wing. Turner records it was collected at Mt Nebo near

Brisbane 1n May and goes on to say "One specimen with head mutilated and legs

missing picked up on the road after mid-day, not quite dead, and in good condition

otherwise". He surmised it was attacked by a bird or lizard and a further search

revealed a hind wing of a second specimen. He was so enchanted with it he called it

the finest species yet found of this genus which at the time was Porina. He gave it the

name beltista meaning the best.

Turner's type specimen 1s figured in Tindale's Revision of the Australian Ghost Moths

ITT, (Tindale, 1935) where he gives the actual date of collection as May 27th 1923.

Tindale examined a further 3 males from Blackbutt which he concludes may not be

conspecific with Turners type but by the descriptions given they certainly have

affinity with some of mine. Tindale also notes that as with several Oxycanus species

the female is unknown. To this day I have found no record of a female.

A trip to Mt Tamborine a fortnight later with Peter Kuttner, John Moss and Wes

Jenkinson produced two more male specimens. Peter and I returned to the original site

in June and early July, four specimens were recorded in June and none in July. On the

Life Unseen website, http://lifeunseen.com/index2 list 279.php, there is a series of

photos of an unnamed Hepialid recorded at the Bunya Mountains in June 07, these are

all O. beltista males. I discovered in the collection of the late Jim Pickering, in my

care, an unnamed male Hepialid collected from Mt Nebo 22nd July 1977 which I can

now attribute to O. beltista. As with other Hepualids this specimen has faded with time

and no longer holds the salmon pink on the hind wing and abdomen. Having also

mothed on Mt. Tamborine on the 24th March and not seeing any O. beltista, I can

conclude that the flight times of this species fall between April and June and that it 1s

probably restricted to mountainous regions 1n S. E. Queensland.

In preparing this article I am indebted to Ted Edwards for his identification of the

species involved and to Peter Kuttner who set up the sites and accompanied me at the

light sheet.

P.S. Nick Monaghan of the Life Unseen website has since updated his website to

name the unknown Hepialids.

References

Turner A.J. 1926. Studies in Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of The Royal

Society of South Australia 50:120-155

Tindale N.B. 1935. Revision of the Australian Ghost Moths (Lepidoptera Homoneura,

Family Hepialidae) Part III Records of the South Australian Museum Vol 5

No 3:275-332

Photos Peter Hendry

BEDS REDS PF OE be PE De pe Pe bd Pe be pe Pe bd be bd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 32

Oxycanus beltista : Figs 1-5 showing variation in forewing patterns,

Fig. 6 specimen from 1977 showing how they fade with age

OK OK OK oR 28 OK OK OK 8 OK

Butterfly observations in Bundanoon NSW (continued from Issue 69) —

Alan Hyman

One of the popular walks through the eucalypt forest commencing at Morton National

Park’s Bundanoon entrance 1s a 3.5km loop. Along this road in summer one can find

— in addition to the ubiquitous Common Brown (Heteronympha merope) — the Eastern

Ringed Xenica (Geitoneura acantha) and the Marbled Xenica (G. klugii) commonly

flying together. The local subspecies of the Varied Sword-grass Brown (Tisiphone

abeona abeona) can also be observed wherever its food plant (Gahnia) occurs —

generally along roadsides where ditches are constantly wet. Early in the year when a

limited hazard reduction burn was being proposed in the section of the Park where we

volunteer, I requested the field staff to consider excluding these Gahnia corridors

from the operation. This was agreed to and the plants were conspicuously marked

PEPE PED DE DE PS Pa Re be Pe he be Oe Pd Pe be bg Pd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 33

with pink tape so that they would be left untouched during the burn, the theory being

that any 7. abeona eggs, larvae or pupae on the plants would be spared. Since the

operation, the wider surrounding understorey 1s now regenerating satisfactorily — and

we were subsequently rewarded with fresh specimens of this superb black and orange

butterfly fluttering around the area — a satisfying example of co-operation in butterfly

conservation. Just occasionally a few individuals of the Silver Xenica (Oreixenica

lanthoniella) are encountered, although a small colony persisted for some years in a

part of our local Currabunda Wetland project and may yet survive. Other species

occurring in the Park include the Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metirius), the Rock

oie (H. euphemia) and a spring species, the Forest Brown adaiieias sree

Fea Se ze | :

—

“ 2= : 4

| ay nef »

‘ —

: - & >

- . ~

Eastern Ringed Xenica Marbled Xenica (G. klugii)

(Geitoneura acantha) a, ; ;

Ried

Subfamily Danaidae is represented by

three species, but none are common. I

have on rare occasions observed the

Monarch (Danaus plexippus), the Lesser

Wanderer (Danaus chrissipus) several

times and a single Common Australian

Crow (Euploea core) once visited our

garden. However, Australia’s sole

Heliconiinae representative, the

Glasswing (Acraea andromacha), makes |

an appearance in favourable seasons. » i | \'

With translucent wings and gliding flight, Varied Sword-grass Brown

it could perhaps be mistaken for a (Tisiphone abeona abeona)

dragonfly at a distance. Three common butterflies with rather similar sizes, shapes

and flight characteristics in the subfamily Nymphalinae are present — the Meadow

Argus (Junonia villida), the Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea) — and the Australian

Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) which often alights on roads or trees to take 1n the

late afternoon sun. The Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius) — subfamily

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 34

Charaxinae — very rarely makes a solitary appearance, dipping and arcing upwards

before speeding off again to its unknown destination.

Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)

Although there may be a dozen or more Blue (Lycaenidae) species, most do not seem

to be particularly common. Exceptions include the Common Grass-blue (Zizina

labradus) which often appears as a scattering of blue-grey flakes across our lawns.

Another 1s the Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras) whose gregarious larvae,

pupae, freshly emerged adults and attendant ants are sometimes found together on the

leaves and stems of Acacia. Encountered along some sections of the Park roadside 1s

an exquisite small butterfly whose scientific name 1s larger than the insect itself. This

is the Yellow-spotted Blue (Candalides xanthospilos) — its intense purple-black upper

sides with pale orange forewing spots contrasting with silky grey undersides such that

in flight it ‘flashes’ in a similar manner to the Black Jezebel (Delias nigrina). I have

observed on several occasions individuals (which I presume to be this species) with

black rather than purple-black upper wing colouration and forewing spots which are

ivory-white instead of pale orange. Undersides are as for the ‘standard’ butterfly.

The colours might have faded (although the butterflies themselves seemed to be in

good condition) but possibly they were variations on the normal form. I would be

interested to know whether other persons have made similar sightings. Most other

species occur as individuals and are seen only on an occasional basis. For

completeness, these are listed below with minimal comment. A Pencilled Blue sp.

(C. absimilis’?) rare; Varied Dusky Blue (C. hyacinthina) uncommon; Long-tailed

Pea-blue (Lampides boeticus) occasional; Plumbago Blue (Leptotes plinius) single

specimen only; Silky Hairstreak (Pseudalmenus chlorinda) very rare; Fiery Copper

(Paralucia pyrodiscus) and Chequered Copper (Lucia limbaria) — both species rare

and only encountered north of the town 1n a degraded weed-covered paddock divided

by an eroded creek — an area which we were attempting to regenerate; Short-tailed

Line-blue (Prosotas felderi) single specimen only; Double-spotted Line-blue

PEPE REDS PF OE bs PE DT De Pe bs Pe be pe Pe bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 35

(Nacaduba biocellata) uncommon. There are almost certainly other species in the

area but their presence and status require further observations and confirmation.

An assortment of skippers (Hesperiidae) has been observed. The noteworthy species

is the reasonably common Splendid Ochre (Trapezites symmomus) whose

comparatively large size and bright

colours (for a skipper) make it instantly

distinguishable. Others include the Lilac

Grass-skipper (Toxidia doubledayi);

Dingy Grass-skipper (7° peron); Barred

Skipper (Dispar compacta); Spotted

Sedge-skipper (Hesperilla ornata); Bright

Shield-skipper (Signeta flammeata); and

a Grass-dart sp. (Ocybadistes’??). A

number of other species has been noted

but again further observation is needed for )

positive identification. Splendid Ochre (7rapezites symmomus)

It might be of interest to mention a selection of the local day-flying moths, which

unlike many of their nocturnal counterparts are butterfly-like 1n their colours and

habits. Many of our local diurnal moths have colour patterns of black with cream or

white markings, including the Grapevine Moth (Phalaeniodes glycinae); the Magpie

Moth (Vyctemera amica); a Cruria species (C. synopla?) found along the Park roads;

the rare and cryptically marked Mistletoe Moth (Comocrus behri) and the equally rare

Joseph’s Coat Moth (Agarista agricola) which sports the additional colours of red,

pale blue and deep yellow. In contrast, there is the delicate Heliotrope Moth

(Utetheisa pulchelliodes), its silky-white forewings subtly speckled with orange and

black spots. A geometrid, the Triangular Moth (Epidesmia chilonaria) indeed forms a

perfect brown triangle embellished with a wavy line when at rest but reveals bright

orange upper surfaces on its hind wings 1n flight. As it flits amongst the understorey,

it reminds me (in appearance if not flight pattern) of the Brown Ringlet (7. metirius)

whose territory it cohabits. Obviously these colours are well suited for blending into

the leaf-littered and light-dappled environment.

By the beginning of May, the butterfly season in Bundanoon 1s virtually over, with

just the odd remnant Brown (mostly Heteronympha spp.), Yellow Admiral (V. itea),

Meadow Argus (J. villida) or Cabbage White (P. rapae) soldiering on. Owing to the

local climatic conditions, the next four to five months normally produce few

lepidopteran sightings of significance. After a bumper 2010-2011 summer season the

last couple of years have generally been disappointing butterfly-wise. Numbers of

species and individuals (with a few exceptions) have been down, and it is to be hoped

that this 1s not a trend for the future. Butterflies are endangered from many quarters —

land clearing and development, pollution, pesticides and ‘natural’ disasters. Being

highly visible, their relative presence or otherwise establishes an ideal barometer for

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 36

gauging the well-being of other insect species and by extension, the health of the

wider ecosystem.

I admit to having no formal entomological background — hence the informal

approach to the text (my ‘expertise’ is graphic and typographic design). My interest

in butterflies however goes back to school days, when a friend and I collected in our

local inner Sydney suburbs —I think pictures in a book or on cereal cards initially

inspired us. Our methods were primitive (homemade nets and cardboard boxes),

presentation and preservation unsophisticated, documentation non-existent. In the

‘70s and ‘80s, armed with more knowledge and proper equipment, I assembled a

small collection with specimens mainly obtained from Sydney's northern bush areas,

southern NSW and northern Queensland. With today’s conservation ethics in mind

photography and observation have now almost supplanted field collection. My wife

Wendy and I have lived in Bundanoon since the end of 2000 after escaping the

environmental stresses of Sydney. We spend a great deal of time in a large garden

and belong to volunteer groups working in the adjacent section of Morton National

Park (track and other maintenance) and the local Currabunda Wetland (bush

regeneration and planting). If the modest informal notes made during these activities

stimulate an awareness of recording butterflies and moths in local or out of the way

locations, then they will have achieved their purpose.

Photos Alan Hyman

TK OK OK oR oR OK FS FS 8 OK

NEW HOST PLANT

A new host plant for the Satin Azure (Ogyris amaryllis meridionalis)

— Geordie Paton

Several months ago I noticed Satin

Azure butterflies active around

mistletoes growing on host trees in

Broome, Western Australia and

photographed an adult on that mistletoe.

Ross Kendall and John Moss confirmed

that the mistletoe 1s the Twin-leaved

Mistletoe (Amyema benthamii).

It was suggested to me that I “band” a

branch near the mistletoes to see if

larvae would shelter and also pupate

there. They promptly did so and I

subsequently collected some pupae to

observe and to verify the butterfly Satin Azure (Ogyris amaryllis meridionalis) on

Species. Amyema benthamii

BEDS REDS PF OE be EDT De Pe bs Pe be be Pe bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 37

The butterflies

that emerged

were certainly

Satin Azures so I

can confirm that

Amyema

benthamii 1s a

host plant of

these butterflies.

Satin Azure larva

Photos Geordie Paton

Satin Azure pupa

EXCURSION REPORT

BOIC Excursion Report: ramble and sample at Mt Cotton -

Alisha Steward

On Saturday 23rd March 2013 we held an excursion to complement the large,

predatory water bugs creature feature that appeared in Issue 68 of ‘Metamorphosis

Australia’ earlier this year. We aimed to collect and observe freshwater invertebrates,

but the day inevitably led to the observation of other invertebrates too - including a

multitude of butterfly species.

The excursion was held on John and Lois Hughes’ beautiful acreage property at Mt

Cotton, where an enthusiastic group of ten took a leisurely ramble along the banks of

an unnamed tributary within the Tingalpa Creek catchment. The clear, flowing water

of the creek was densely fringed with rainforest tree species — many of them being

butterfly host plants. Some were naturally-occurring, whereas others had been planted

over many years by Lois and John.

We intended to start the excursion with a demonstration of freshwater invertebrate

collecting techniques; however, 1t took over half an hour to simply walk the 50 metres

or so to the creek, as we encountered so many other invertebrates along the way!

Refer to the taxa list at the end of the article.

My day job 1s working as a freshwater scientist, and I (eventually!) gave the

demonstration of what I do now and then for my bread and butter — I collected a

sample of freshwater invertebrates with a mesh ‘dip’ net. Although I have university

qualifications, anyone with a little guidance can collect such a sample — face

downstream while standing in the creek, and agitate the stream bed with your feet.

Then sweep the dip net through the water to collect any suspended material as it is

swept downstream. This material (cloudy water, leaves, dirt, debris) will also contain

invertebrates that can be retained for later analysis. Continue the sweeping motion as

you work upstream (10 metres is a sufficient distance to collect a representative

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 38

sample). The dip net can also be used at the edge of the stream, which will result in

the collection of a different suite of invertebrates as the edge has different habitat

;

a a i 7 “ ™ an : — ” .

+ . al

~ . ~

- a ‘ hey" ~ 4

. . pee eT q.- “9 *

. Ye. a 2 —, .

. ~ . in Te »_*

Ges Observation tray =e." ~

PS ep 7 i z

a Te >

" - . oa ie a Ty . :

Figure 1. Equipment for sampling freshwater invertebrates

a) Damselfly larva (Synlestidae)

c) Shrimp (Atyidae) d) Yabby (Parastacidae)

characteristics than flowing parts

of the stream. Flow can be low,

or negligible, at the edge of a

stream, so you must use the net

in a slightly different way —

stand perpendicular to the edge

and sweep the net through the

water with upward thrusts.

Figure | shows the collection

equipment that we used. After

the sample was collected, it was

transferred to a bucket

containing clean water, and then

taken back to a table where we

could pour the contents into a

white observation tray.

Figure 2. Freshwater invertebrates collected from the creek. These individuals were photographed in

white plastic observation trays, and were returned to the creek once the photo-shoot was complete.

BEDS PADS DE DE PS Pa RT be Pe he be Oe bd Pe be bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 39

In the tray we found aquatic insects and crustaceans including damselfly and

dragonfly nymphs, mayfly larvae, yabbies, and shrimps (a complete list of taxa 1s

provided at the end of the article) (Figure 2). The invertebrates were then returned to

the creek.

Some of the invertebrates that were collected are indicators of good water quality. An

Australian system of assessing river water quality called SIGNAL (Stream

Invertebrate Grade — Average Level) uses freshwater invertebrates as indicators

(Chessman, 2003). Each invertebrate taxon is assigned a score between | and 10 —

with | being the most tolerant and 10 being the most sensitive. Five types of sensitive

r - a SS.

+ i ® B

Laer. aS

4 s ‘ie * « 7 i* P

| Figure 4. Lois Hughes (right) with keen onlookers examining a tray

of water scorpions (Nepidae) and tadpoles (Mixophyes sp.)

collected from the dam, and inset — a close-up of the tray.

invertebrates collected

during the excursion had

SIGNAL scores of 7 or

ereater: Calamoceratidae

(SIGNAL score = 7),

Corydalidae (7),

Gripopterygidae (8),

Leptophlebiidae (8), and

Synlestidae (7). More

details about using

SIGNAL are given in

Chessman (2003).

After a spot of lunch

(Figure 3), we continued

our ramble downstream

along the creek and made

our way to the dam,

where we collected some

large specimens of our

‘creature feature’ bugs —

water scorpions (Nepidae)

(Figure 4)! The water

scorpions lived up to their

fierce name, and within

seconds one individual

had grabbed a large beetle

larva and had started to

consume it!

Of interest (but not of the

invertebrate kind!) 1s the

sighting of large frog

tadpoles from the genus

PEPE REDS PF OE be PE De De PE bg Pe be pe Oe bd Pe be

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 40

Mixophyes — most likely the Great Barred Frog (Mixophyes fasciolatus).

A great day was had by all. Until the next excursion...

Photos Alisha Steward

Reference

Chessman, B. 2003. SIGNAL 2.1v — A Scoring System for Macro-invertebrates

(“Water Bugs’) in Australian Rivers, Monitoring River Heath Initiative

Technical Report no 31, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

Report is available on the web:

http://www.environment.gov.au/water/publications/environmental/rivers/nrhp/pubs/signal.pdf

List of invertebrates — aquatic

Blackflies — larvae (Simuliidae)

Caddisflies — larvae (Calamoceratidae, Ecnomidae, Leptoceridae)

Damselflies — nymphs (Synlestidae)

Diving beetles — larvae (Dytiscidae)

Dobsonflies — larvae (Corydalidae)

Dragonflies — larvae (Gomphidae)

Mayftlies - larvae (Leptophlebiidae)

Shrimps (Atyidae)

Stoneflies — larvae (Gripopterygidae)

Water scorpions (Nepidae)

Water spiders (Pisauridae)

Yabbies (Parastacidae)

List of invertebrates — terrestrial

Australian Leafwing — adult (Doleschallia bisaltide)

Blue Tiger — adult (Tirumala hamata)

Blue Triangle — adult (Graphium sarpedon)

Caper Gull — adult (Cepora perimale)

Common Crow — adult (Euploea core)

Common Pencil-Blue — female laying eggs on Macadamia (Candalides absimilis)

Large Grass Yellow — adult (Eurema hecabe)

Lemon Migrant — adult (Catopsilia pomona)

Meadow Argus — larvae (Junonia villida)

Purple Moonbeam — adult (Philiris innotatus)

Regent Skipper — adult (Euschemon rafflesia)

Tailed Emperor — pupae (Polyura sempronius)

Wanderer — larvae and adults (Danaus plexippus)

White Migrant — adult (Catopsilia pyranthe)

Yellow Albatross — adult male (Appias paulina)

PEPE PE DS PF DE Pe PE DT De Pe bd Pe be pe Pe bd be bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 41

YOU ASKED

CU Rape = Seah ay, Q. I took this photo in Tanzania

IVs el

<3. on 11" June 2013, in Tarangire

National Park which is in

~ savannah country, not far east of

_ the Serengeti. We were “on

safari” and butterflies flew up

around the wheels of the troop

carrier. Where did they come

from? I looked ahead and saw it.

Fresh elephant manure on the

track with lots of white spots. I

asked the driver to stop. Not

having a fancy zoom lens on the

camera, I checked for hungry

animals and jumped out. Here’s the photo. Can someone please tell me what

butterflies are enjoying the freshly served mineral tablet? Thank you. Ray Archer

A. Mike Barnett, BOIC member who is a frequent visitor to Africa has identified the

butterfly species as the African Common White (Belenois creona), a common species

of the African savannah. Like their Australian cousins, the Caper White butterflies

(Belenois java), the larvae feed on Capparis species.

B.O.1L.C. ON FACEBOOK

Jom BOIC on Facebook! Some friends of BOIC were "lost" during changes to

Facebook within the last year, so please check to see if you are still part of the BOIC

Facebook group. If you are on Facebook you can join the BOIC page here -

https://www.facebook.com/groups/18761909741 1

OTHER GROUPS’ ACTIVITIES

Butterflies in the heart of London - Alisha Steward

On a recent holiday to London in July 2013 my partner Jon and I visited a live

butterfly display called “Sensational Butterflies” — in the grounds of the famous

Natural History Museum! Many different species were represented, and included

hundreds of adults, the odd larva, and many pupae. The display will run until the 15th

of September this year and entry costs £4.50 per person. Check out their website for

more detail —http://www.nhm.ac.uk/Vvisit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/sensational-

butterflies/index.htm

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DT De PE be Pe be Pe Pe bd Pe be

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 42

1. Entrance to exhibit

2. Pupae and newly-emerged butterflies

3. Close-up of the scales of a Morpho wing

BUTTERFLY AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES CLUB PROGRAMME

An afternoon identifying Xyloryctidae followed by BBQ and Light Trap

What: The Xylotyctidae are a large group of moths with many similar looking species and

many unnamed species. All interested persons are invited to bring along their

Specimens or photos and, as a group, see how many we can put names to. A light

trap will be run in the evening for those who wish to stay. If you are staying bring

something for a BBQ. Extras and afternoon tea will be provided.

When: Saturday 26th October, 2013 starting at 1:00pm till late.

Where: — Peter and Bev Hendry's home at Sheldon

RSVP: You must book a place. Directions will be provided. Please ring Peter or Bev on

3206 0048

Excursion to Kalbar — the Scenic Rim (rescheduled from last year)

When: Saturday 2nd — Sunday 3rd November 2013 (day trips are possible from Brisbane,

approx. | hour drive)

What: Aubrey Podlich, club member and local naturalist from Boonah, has invited members to

visit his 43 acre "softwood vine scrub" near Kalbar on the weekend 2/3 November. Some of the

local Fassifern Field Nats may guide us around. Activities will include identification of

butterfly and moth hostplants as well as recording insects to add to his list of ~45 butterflies. It

is likely that UV lights will be set up in the evening to attract beetles, cicadas, moths and other

insects. It may be possible for the die-hards to camp overnight on site to monitor the light trap.

Where, RSVP: Details, including directions, meeting time and place will be available on

registering with John Moss on (07) 3245 2997 (or johntimmoss@gmail.com).

Bring: All meals, water, hat, sunscreen, suitable footwear. Bring first aid kit, including snake

bandages, if possible. If camping overnight, bring all gear required — tent, sleeping bag, gas

stove for cooking, food, etc. Note bush camping = no toilet facilities.

NOTE: In the event of heavy rain leading up to this trip please contact John Moss, as

accessibility to the property can be a problem.

Committee/Planning Meeting — 9" November, 2013

BEDS PADS DE OE PS Pa Re be Pe he be Oe be Pe be bd Pd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — 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. Kelvyn L. Dunn, Dr Murray J. Fletcher

and Dr Michael Braby for scientific referencing and

proof reading of various articles in this issue of the

magazine

e Printing of this publication is proudly supported by

Brisbane City Council | 1k Dedicated to a better Brisbane

We would like to thank all these people for their contribution.

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.

BRISBANE CITY

Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club Inc.

PO Box 2113

RUNCORN Q. 4113

Next event — An afternoon identifying Xyloryctidae followed by BBQ and Light Trap —

26'" October — See Programme for details

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #70 — Page 44