PLANNING AND ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 2016

President: Frank Jordan 0432 565 170

Vice President: Alisha Steward 07 3275 1186

Treasurer: Rob MacSloy 07 3824 4348

Secretary: Rob MacSloy (acting) 07 3824 4348

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

Publicity and Library: Lois Hughes 07 3206 6229

Excursion Co-ordinator: Paul Klicin 0411 031 406

Committee Members: John Moss 07 3245 2997

Richard Zietek 07 3390 1950

PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION MEETINGS

A quarterly meeting is scheduled 1n order to plan club activities and the magazine.

See BOIC Programme.

CONTACT ADDRESS AND MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

PO Box 2113, Runcorn, Queensland 4113

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

AIMS OF THE ORGANIZATION

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

e To hold information meetings about invertebrates;

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

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

e To promote the conservation of the invertebrate habitat;

e To promote the keeping of invertebrates as alternative pets;

e To promote research into invertebrates;

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

MAGAZINE DEADLINES

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

March issue — February 1“ June issue — May 1*

September issue — August 1* December issue — November 1*

All articles should be submitted directly to the Editor daphne.bowden1(@bigpond.com

ALL MATERIAL IN THIS MAGAZINE IS COPYRIGHT TO BOIC AND THE

AUTHORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS INVOLVED.

COVER PAINTING

Hadra webbi, Atherton Tableland Bicoloured Snails - Painting by Lois Hughes

BEDS PE DS PF DE be PE DS De Pe be Pe be De Pe bd Pe hd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 2

J y The winner of the club logo competition is Alan Hyman.

By iC Congratulations and thanks. I think our members will like it.

The mistletoe book has been well received with half of the first

print run having already been sold. No doubt this misunderstood and ignored group of

plants will now be getting the support it deserves.

If you missed the field trip to Pooh corner don't worry. There are more trips to come.

Check out the programme.

We still need a secretary. If you can help with this, please let me know.

Happy Reading Frank Jordan

Creature Feature+ A Slightly Slimey- Tale ...c..ccc.ccscsccccsseccsoessccsevscecsesecdsessactosvssaeceseades'ys 4

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Dreadful Difficulties with Customs ............cccccccsssssccccceseccccceeseececeeeeeceeseeeeseeseaeeeeeeeees 1]

Life history notes on the Dingy Bush-brown, Mycalesis perseus perseus ...............0+. 14

Gardening for Butterflies - Rainforest Gardens ...........ccccecccccessececneseeceeeeeccceeeseceeeeeees 17

New Distribution Records for Thecline Butterflies Part Uo... eee ceeeceeeeeeees 20

Book Reviews- The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia” Second Ed. .. 30

Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn- Science and Art 32

Reports - Macro photography workshop conducted by Erica Siegel................ceeeeeees 36

In Focus - The *Who’ Behind the Lens 2.0.0.0... eeccceseecceneeceeseeeeeneceeenes 38

Pooh Corner Wacol EXcCursi0n ............ccccccccsssecccceseeccceeseccceeesececseeeceeeeueeceeees 39

D1: TIS SETHE, ~ eles Seas os fei patie bors aa toids tpsiteusas viedsnne Spastic vanlines spycebuns pawidens Seimtances vendre pected ayath as 42

BOM PRO CEAITITIIE 170A) bilid eos na fost pitetdos varccnen opatdgurs pualiniy Senecuges vevsens Spyeeusns vawllnas apicuteontos th 43

BEDS PADS PF DE Pe PE De Pe Re bd Pe he et Re bd be bd

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 3

CREATURE FEATURE

A Slightly Slimey Tale — Jill Fechner

As achild of the 70s my backyard was a constant delight. Each summer tiny Eastern

Bearded Dragons perched in our lemon tree. Our bushhouse was home to Eastern

Sedge frogs tucked up in elkhorns. The bottlebrush was covered in what we called

Jaffa butterflies but, given it was also a mistletoe host, they were actually 2 types of

Jezebel butterflies. Much to my mother's horror, the garden was also home to many

snails. Snail races on the wooden see-saw my grandfather made us were a fun pastime

on lazy summer days, long before Pokemon was dreamt of.

Mostly though, snails ate Mum's favourite plants and, when discovered, met a

crunchy end. These were the European Brown Garden Snail invaders, Cornu

aspersum, introduced from Europe. They rapidly became a pest for crops and gardens.

A ie

Left - Pest species, the

European Brown Garden

Snail (Cornu aspersum),

making trails. The young

hoover calcium off the

adult’s shell, so I separate

them as soon as I can.

Right - Another invader,

the Asian Tramp Snail

(Bradybaena similaris), 18

a serious pest for nurseries

and market gardens.

It’s funny how the things from our childhood call to us. A few years ago I began

caring for injured reptiles and around the same time I also became a member of

BOIC. It 1s wonderful to find kindred spirits who share a passion for the same things

you do.

Part of my reptile care includes keeping invertebrates as a food source. I think it is

important to keep the diet as close as possible to what they would get 1n the wild.

Following the wet weather in the past few years, my garden would explode with feral

snails and slugs so feeding recovering wild blue tongue and pink tongue skinks

became easy. It also made them very happy patients as skinks love their food. If you

have a feral snail problem in your garden please, please don't ever use snail bait.

Think about what native frogs, lizards, and birds may be using them as a food source.

You could also contact a local wildlife rehabilitation group who may be very happy to

help you out. I know I am always willing to run around with a torch and collect them.

BEDS PERS PE DE PS Pa Re be Pe he bd Oe Ps Pe be bd Pe

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 4

I began to research how to keep and breed snails to ensure a stable supply. In doing so

I was amazed to discover that we had such a huge array of native snails and that you

could purchase some Species and keep them. I oui to get some, at some point,

Hadra webbi viewed from different angles

Last Christmas at our family gathering, my cousins asked if I would like a pair of

rainforest snails plus their offspring. I think they were surprised with just how

delighted I was. A week later they delivered 2 very large snails and about 17 tiny

ones. More research later, I am the proud owner of Hadra webbi, Atherton Tableland

Bicoloured Snails. They occur from Tully to Port Douglas in North Queensland and

live in rainforest hiding under fallen trees and amongst leaf litter. The shell can be up

to 61mm and is quite solid and heavy (Ref. 1).

Given that they come from up north and rainforest, it is an issue keeping them cool in

our hot dry summers in the southeast corner of Queensland, a fact I very soon

discovered. The adults are quite hardy but the tiny new snails succumb to heat and an

over-abundance or lack of moisture. This species does best at 20-26 degrees with a

humidity of 60-90%. They bury themselves to keep cool. In captivity I offer them

eee CUCU, sialic lettuce and sweet potato.

an . ae eee Tl

. pens Fs ee

- aires Oe fal

rd ? 2" te

' =i

2) @& 7 " 7

r= eee? =e

tee Del ie

Hadra webbi size range of last hatchlings and view of the snail’s body

I had only had them about a month when I found a new clutch of eggs laid in the

substrate. Being hermaphrodites both males and females can lay eggs and indeed they

BEDS PERT PS Pe Re be eRe be be he be Pe be bd Pe be

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 5

proceeded to lay 2 more clutches over the next month. The tiny hatchlings have one

and a half whorls of delicate shell to start with so handling them is not easy. I use

feeding tongs and a light touch to move them into takeaway containers punched with

small holes for airflow and lined with a damp paper towel. I was soon over-run with

babies; constantly keeping food up to them and cleaning out any old food, which 1s

very important to contain mould growth. My learning curve was not fast enough and

sadly I lost quite a few to heat stress and incorrect moisture levels. I found there 1s

quite a high die-off rate in the hatchlings. I will be better prepared next season.

I moved the adults into a large glass enclosure with a deep layer of peat moss and

another deep layer of sphagnum moss. I use Golden Cane frond ends (the part that

wraps round the trunk) as hides. I also provide large branches for them to climb. It is a

little disconcerting to hear them scraping with their thousands of tiny teeth along the

cuttlefish that provides calcium for healthy shells. The natives do not seem to produce

as much of a slime trail as the aspersum. Snails excrete one kind of mucus from the

front of their foot and that is used to crawl on. Another kind of external mucus keeps

their soft body from drying out. I still have 3 of the original offspring that are now

about 40 mm and about 10 of the next clutches. I also found 2 friends with a keen

interest and each has a pair.

A couple of months ago a friend asked 1f I would like the snails that were eating her

mail in the letterbox, a problem I also had before I began collecting them for my feral

breeding program. When she brought them over I discovered that they were not feral

snails at all but native. I have now added a Fraser's Banded Snail (Sphaerospira

fraseri) and several Pale Banded Snails (Figuladra mattea) to my menagerie. I still

give them a bit of snail mail to digest. They really do love an envelope and what a

creat way to recycle paper.

—

“~~ + 7

-“4-

Fraser’s Banded Snail (Sphaerospira fraseri) Pale Banded Snail (Figuladra mattea)

BEDS PERE PS Pe Re be Pa RT be be be bd Pe be bd Pe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 6

The fraseri 1s quite large. Its shell can reach a diameter of up to 56 mm. The shell

ranges from a tawny yellow to dark brown base-colour with many black spiral bands

and a dark area behind the outer lip. The snail is a dark grey to brown colour with a

erey mantle. I need to find this one a friend.

The mattea have a pale, yellowish shell with many strong, dark brown spiral bands.

This is also a reasonably large snail that can grow to around 35 mm in diameter. The

snail is a very beautiful pinkish orange with a red mantle. It will be interesting to see

if these breed when the weather warms up, though I have already found both new

species very active compared to the webbi who are fairly dormant in the colder

weather. Native snails are fairly low maintenance and are very interesting creatures to

keep. I have become quite fond of mine and I can't imagine any of them becoming

food while I have a constant supply of aspersum to offer hungry skinks.

I was lucky enough to attend a presentation to the Queensland Mycological Society

by John Stanisic, "The Snail Whisperer’, and lead author of Australian Land Snails

Volume |. John is Australia's foremost expert on land snails. He held the position of

Curator of Molluscs at the Queensland Museum for 26 years and 1s a very engaging

speaker (Ref. 1). He also did a very interesting chat with Richard Fildler that is

available online (Ref. 2).

Listening to him reinforced my belief in the importance of biodiversity. Invertebrates

account for 99% of terrestrial diversity and of that 6% 1s snails. Australia has 2,500 -

3,000 species of snails. They evolved 220 million years ago and new species are still

discovered every year. Snails are critical to keeping our forests healthy. They eat

biofilm on leaves and rotting material on the forest floor. Their bodies decay and

return calcium and nutrition to the soil. They have such a close association with the

rainforest that they are excellent indicators of biological change. Many species are

threatened with habitat destruction and forest degradation and fragmentation. Land

snails are also food for birds

including the Southern

Cassowary and the Noisy Pitta,

who use anvils to break open

the shells of their favourite

food. Jack Hasenpusch from

the Australian Insect Farm sent

me his observations from their

lowland rainforest farm along

with this photo of the shell of a

Hadra webbi found in Southern

Cassowary droppings. The

dropping 1s made up of a lot of

: Syzigium fruit seed the bird had

The shell of a Hadra webbi found in Southern Cassowary digested (Ref. 3)

droppings - Photo Jack Hasenpusch

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 7

Another excellent paper I came across is "Australian land snails: a review of

ecological research and conservation approaches" by Jonathan Parkyn and David A.

Newell. The abstract states "Land snails are an important yet often neglected

component of Australia’s biological diversity. Despite high levels of diversity within

this group and the identification of many narrow range endemic species as being of

conservation concern, there have been few detailed studies that document the ecology

and conservation requirements of the group. A range of threats has been suggested,

yet relatively few have been rigorously assessed. Whilst factors such as land clearing

are readily apparent and have resulted in extinctions, other threats such as climate

change are not well understood. This paper reviews studies conducted on terrestrial

molluscs in Australia and highlights the need for further targeted ecological research,

given the likely level of on-going threats. We urge researchers to apply rigorous

approaches to data collection that will enable a deeper understanding of the factors

governing distribution and abundance. Approaches used in other areas of conservation

biology offer considerable scope for application to land snails and for the

development of appropriate conservation strategies." (Ref. 4)

oe — ee aa y mY oa 3

More of the Pale Banded Snail - trying pumpkin, exploring my hand, hoovering up some mail

Let's hope Australia does invest in further research and conservation of our precious

land snails.

References

1. Australian Land Snails Vol. 1 page 462

2. http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/20 14/06/26/4033651.htm

3. http://www. insectfarm.com.au

4. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13235818.2013.782793

Photos, except where previously acknowledged, by Jill Fechner

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 8

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Silken Cradles — Densey Clyne

A long time ago I shared my Sydney

garden with a very special spider -

Ordgarius magnificus, known in

those days as Dicrostichus

magnificus. I called her Maggie for

short. The common name, Bolas

Spider, is a misnomer. The wooden or

leather bo/as used as a weapon (or

restraining device) in several cultures

does not remain attached to the

thrower but 1s let go and thrown clear.

But the spider's technique is different.

The sticky ball she whirls at her moth

target remains attached to her by a silk thread that is used to haul 1n her catch.

Maggie in daytime retreat

I have written elsewhere and at length about this amazing spider's hunting technique

and she was a leading lady in my documentary "Aliens Among Us". But there is

another side to Maggie's life that 1s worth attention for the time and effort expended; 1t

is the weaving of her egg sac. When I found a set of 3 completed egg sacs in my

garden I knew there would be more to come and I was lucky enough to catch a female

at work.

It was 8.30 in \

the evening

and the spider

had already

woven a few

silk strands as

a base for the

important

inner sac, the

‘nest’ for her

eggs. While I

watched, she

enlarged this

into a small

flimsy bag

with an

opening.

Starting the nest Eggs are laid

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 9

Pressed against the opening she laid a batch orange-coloured eggs inside and closed the

gap with more openwork silk. Now to hide the eggs she moved around and around

weaving a dense white fabric with dabs from her spinnerets that I clocked at 90 per

minute. That took about 10 minutes. By 8.50pm the eggs were obscured inside a 4cm long

nest of fluffy silk overlaid by an opaque white covering.

Hiding the eggs Weaving the insulation layer

By 9.10pm the spider was moving up and down weaving in place the layer of fluffy silk

that would insulate the egg sac and also form its final spindle shape. I left her to it fora

while and when I checked her at midnight she was weaving the final parchment-like cover

that would proof the egg sac against bird beaks and rough weather.

If Maggie's rate of working was consistent, and my arithmetic 1s right, she would have

dabbed with her spinnerets more than 18,000 times by midnight alone. At 1mm per dab

(I'm being conservative) that adds up to a total silk length of 18 metres so no wonder she

looked a little emaciated when I saw her next morning. And that was only one egg sac:

this incredible spider can produce up to eight or nine 1n one season!

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 10

When the spiderlings hatch it appears

that one of them bites through the thick

silk of the egg sac to make an escape

hole for all of them. For the pinhead-

sized male, the term 'spiderling' -

meaning baby spider - is the wrong

word. He emerges fully formed and

sexually mature. You can tell him by

the pair of bulbous mating organs at the

front of his head.

Completed egg sacs

Once out of the egg sac the male goes in | . fa |

search of an adult female of a previous Adult male leaving egg sac

generation - a giant by comparison. His

equally pinhead-sized sisters, on the other hand, will not reach adult size and sexual

maturity for some time. Thereby incest is avoided. I don't like to contemplate the little

male's eventual fate, but it could be that his giant mate feels him as just a bit of a

tickle. I would think that lacking the female's predation technique he will in any case

be unable to eat. Just a pair of walking gonads, you might say. . .

Photos Densey Clyne

OS 2K OK IS OK 2S 2K OK ok OK

Dreadful Difficulties with Customs — Tony Morton

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to send a collection of butterflies overseas? Well, my

advice to you 1s: don’t!

I'd been collecting these insects since I was 8 (except for a decade or two when I

wasted the summers playing cricket). By 2012, I had amassed a collection of some

8,000 specimens from every continent except South America. The mounted

butterflies were contained in 50 storeboxes and two 20 drawer cabinets. There were

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 11

also a thousand or so specimens in paper envelopes in tin boxes. Some dated back to

1943, caught by me in our garden in Delhi.

I'd been losing interest in the collection for a few years. I hardly ever looked at them;

no one else seemed interested; my eyes weren’t what they were (‘No, they used to be

my ears.’ said Eccles!), and I was no longer driven to be out 1n the bush - to look for

new sites for the ‘Eltham’, or “Castlemaine’ Copper, for instance.

I had seen plenty of splendid collections of insects reduced to dust by not being

looked after properly, so I decided to donate my collection to amuseum. This was

not easy! The National Museum in Canberra (ANIC) complimented me on the photos

I sent it but said it had no more room, having just received two large collections of

Australian butterflies and expecting three others when their owners dropped off the

hooks. The State Museums would accept the butterflies of their own state - if I took

them there - but were not interested in anything else. I did not want to split the

collection up.

I contacted the Hope Collection in Oxford, the British Museum of Natural History,

the Zoological Museum in Munich, the McGuire Institute of Biodiversity in Florida.

The first three expressed polite interest while the McGuire Institute said it would send

out a curator to pack up my collection and arrange to fly it out to Atlanta to join the

other eight million specimens in its vast collections. So, of course, I said ‘Yes,

please!’

It was now September 2013. On his way to Borneo to study a family of moths there,

a nice young man spent a couple of days with us packing everything up into eleven

big cardboard boxes. ‘Easy compared to my last job — 140,000 beetles from Vienna.’

he remarked.

In the meantime I had been struggling with permits (essential as the collection was

going overseas). If you’re still with me, I should explain that two sorts of permit were

needed. One was for the 150 or so CITES (Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species) specimens I had (‘dealers’ can sell these for up to $1,000 each

for the rare ones!), and the other to export Australian native insects. So I had been

counting up the specimens I had of the various taxa, filling in the forms and paying

the fees.

Eventually the precious permits arrived, a van came from the shippers and permits

and boxes were carted off. I was very pleased and thankful.

It was now well into 2014. We were looking forward to a visit to Florida to see the

collection in situ in the fullness of time. Instead I received an e-mail from the

Institute saying that, as Australian Customs had failed to initial the permits in the

space that allowed the exportation of the consignment, the butterflies were illegal and

would have to be returned to Australia!

Heroic efforts on the part of the Director of the Institute resulted in a compromise

after a few months: the Australian specimens would be admitted with the rest of the

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 12

collection, but the CITES specimens would have to be returned. A very irritated (1

imagine) curator had to drive the five hours from Gainesville to Atlanta, unpack the

eleven boxes, take out the CITES insects, repack the boxes and drive back.

Demurrage (I’ve never used this word before!) was in the region of $10,000, which

the Institute had to pay, I was told. So the vast majority of the collection was finally

delivered to the Institute. It 1s now 2015!

So what happened to the 150 Rajah Brooke’s Birdwings, and the Kaiser-1-Hinds, the

Troides and the Apollos, I hear you ask? Well, they arrived back in Tullamarine and

were immediately ‘seized’ by Australian Customs, the very people who had caused

the whole problem, as ‘illegal imports’, there being no export licence from the US for

them! Some months passed as I tried to obtain their ‘release’ through e-mailing

WTA (Wildlife Trade Assessments) in Canberra, from whom I had obtained the

permits.

During all this time the insects were without any protection (like naphthalene) and so

were at the mercy of ‘museum beetles’ and booklice. Eventually I received the

formal letter allowing me to collect them from Tullamarine Customs House and bring

them back home. Many were much damaged through neglect and being shifted about

during their travels. Those I was not able to glue together again are now in a bag

awaiting artistic inspiration by the Frau. The few left that were in good condition I

took down to the Melbourne Museum a few weeks ago which was pleased to have

them as they’re very pretty!

- = I don’t know if this

tale has a moral

except to warn one

not to tangle with

bureaucracy if one

can possibly avoid

it!

oe Photos Tony Morton

MMMM WM MMM MMMM MMM MMM

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 13

Life history notes on the Dingy Bush-brown, Mycalesis perseus

perseus (Fabricius, 18775) Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae —

Wesley Jenkinson

The Dingy Bush-brown is encountered regularly throughout much of Cape York

Peninsula, the northern tablelands, sub-coastal and coastal areas with confirmed

records south to the Dawson Bioregion (K. L. Dunn pers comm). There is one other

record further south in the McPherson Bioregion listed in Braby 2000. Additional

survey work in this region is required to determine the southern range limit. It has also

been recorded in the Northern Territory.

In Queensland, this species 1s encountered in a range of habitats where tall grasses are

erowing including savannah woodland, eucalypt open woodland, paperbark swamps

and occasionally rainforest margins. The adults have a preference for more open

habitat and avoid closed rainforest.

Typically the adults fly throughout tall grasses usually within one or two metres of the

eround. They settle frequently, with their wings closed, on grasses and also settle on

the ground. They are not strong fliers but can fly quite rapidly if they have been

disturbed. I have not observed the feeding habits of this species, but they are reported

to feed on rotting fruit and rarely flowers (Braby 2000).

Whilst in flight, the adults could be confused with the

Dusky Knight (Ypthima arctous) which 1s smaller in size,

with the largest females having a wingspan of 33mm.

This latter species has a more pronounced single, black,

double-pupiled eyespot, enclosed by a thin brownish-

orange ring, on both sides of the forewing and a smaller,

single-pupiled one on the hindwing. However, M. perseus

has a single small ocellus on the forewing upperside and a series of ocelli on the

underside of both wings. There are two other similar species in the genus, these being

the Orange Bush-brown (M. terminus terminus) and the Cedar Bush-brown (M. sirius

sirius). These two species can be separated by the colour differences as indicated by

their common names.

The sexes are quite similar in appearance. The males have a tuft of off-white hairs

towards the base of the upperside of the hindwing along vein Sc+R1. There 1s also a

ereyish sex brand on the upperside of the hindwing near the costa with corresponding

patch near the dorsum on the underside of the forewing. In comparison to the males,

the females also are slightly larger and have a shorter, wider abdomen. There 1s a wet

season and a dry season form of this species.

The average size of the specimens pictured are wet season form males 34mm, females

36mm and dry season form males 35mm and females 40mm. The dry season form

adults are generally larger in size.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 14

Mycalesis perseus perseus (Dingy Bush-brown) Wet season form

Images top left to right: male, female

Images above left to right: male underside, female underside

Mycalesis perseus perseus (Dingy Bush-brown) Dry season form

Images top left to right: male, female

Images above left to right: male underside, female underside

BEES De PE DT be be Pe Pe bed be Pe De bd be Pe bP?

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 15

A female was collected at Byfield in Central Coastal Queensland on 21" July 2010

and was kept in captivity with a host grass. Several days later she laid a few eggs and

was then released. These eggs were kept for life history studies. Subsequently two

larvae were successfully raised in captivity on native Kangaroo Grass (Themeda

triandra), a known host for this species.

The eggs were pale green, smooth, off-spherical, approximately 1.0mm

wide by 0.9mm high.

Freshly laid egg

The first instars consumed most of their eggshells shortly after emergence. The very

sluggish larvae were observed resting on either side of the leaves of the utilised host

plant where they were only occasionally observed feeding along the leaf edge during

daylight hours. They chiefly feed during the night (Braby 2000). The larvae raised

completed five instars and attained a length of 30mm.

2"¢ instar larva 3" instar larva

5" instar larva Pre-pupa

Both pupae, measuring 13mm in length, were located below a stem of the host plant.

They were attached with silk, hanging by the cremaster with the head suspended

downwards.

Of the two adults raised, the earliest period from egg to adult was over 2.5 months,

with egg duration 9 days, larval duration 57 days and pupal duration 13 days. The

second adult emerged 13 days later. Both specimens were females.

BEDS Pe PE DT bd Pa RT be De Pe be be be Pe bd Pe Oe bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 16

There are adult records for all months of

the year shown 1n Braby 2000.

Acknowledgements: I would like to

thank John Moss again for commenting

on the manuscript and Kelvyn Dunn for

comments on southern distribution

records.

Photos Wesley Jenkinson

Pupa lateral view Pupa ventral view

References:

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

Distribution. vol 2. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

OK OK OK OK OK 8 OK OK OK oR

RAINFOREST GARDENS - Continuing Graham McDonald’s 5 part series of

“Gardening for Butterflies” which was originally published beginning with issue #17.

PART 4- DRY SCLEROPHYLL GARDENS

The majority of homes in the south-east corner of Queensland would be built on, or

close to, previous dry sclerophyll forest, 1.e. a fire-prone plant community dominated

by acanopy of various Eucalyptus and Corymbia species with a sub-canopy of

Allocasuarina and Acacia species. The ground layer may have been composed of

native grasses such as Themeda and Entolasia with Lomandra and Dianella species.

Some areas may have contained a shrub layer of Pultenaea, Hovea, Dodonaea and

Daviesia species.

These areas are subject to the mindless ‘selective’ clearing of developers who clear

out all the understorey and leave stark tall “gum’ trees which ultimately become

weakened and dangerous. A point to understand here 1s that most of the butterfly host

plants are in the understorey. Tall trees are for the odd mistletoe and perching crows.

This 1s where the butterfly and native plant enthusiast comes to the rescue.

The soil type varies from heavy clay souls to sandy soils with all loam types in

between, so select plants which are suited to those soils. Most will grow on clay if the

structure of the soil is crumbly (enhanced by mulching) or if the plant beds are built

up. Soil pH is usually acid (4.5 to 5.5 1s normal for these soils) so the addition of

small quantities of lime raises the pH to accommodate a wider range of plants (500g

lime per square metre raises the pH by | unit).

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The nature of the dry sclerophyll forest depends on fire - its intensity and frequency

will govern the overall structure and species composition of the forest. Consequently,

most plants will regenerate after fire, using a number of mechanisms.

(a) Plants growing from underground rootstocks, tubers, bulbs, ligno-tubers and

rhizomes.

These plants regenerate quickly after fire and take on a refreshed look for a time.

They are ideal for butterfly gardens because they are long-lived and generally small or

compact. These species include:

Aristolochia meridionalis — Clearwing Swallowtail

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons) -—

Australian Painted Lady

Cullen tenax (Emu Foot) — Chequered Swallowtail

Cycas spp. — Cycad Blue

Cymbopogon refractus (Barb Wire Grass) — some

Grassdarts

Dianella spp. (Flax Lily) — some Skippers

Dioscorea transversa (Native Yam) — Pied Flat

Gahnia spp. (Sedge) — Swordgrass Brown

Glycine spp. (Glycine vines) - Common Grass Blue

Imperata cylindrica (Blady Grass) — Evening Brown, Greenish Darter

Lepidozamia spp. — Cycad Blue

Lomandra filiformis (Narrow-leaf Matrush) — Various Skippers

Lomandra longifolia (Long-leaf Matrush) — Various Skippers

Macrozamia spp. — Cycad Blue

Marsdenia spp. — Blue Tiger, Common Crow

Melastoma malabathrica — Coral Jewel

Oxalis corniculata (Yellow Wood Sorrell) — Chequered Copper

Patersonia spp. — Eastern Iris Skipper

Plumbago zeylanica (Native Plumbago) — Zebra Blue

Pseuderanthemum variabile (Love Flower) — Leafwing, Common Zebra Bluer host

Eggfly, Blue Banded Egefly, Blue Argus, Danaid Egegfly Plumbago zeylanica

Secamone elliptica — Blue Tiger, Common Crow

Themeda triandra (Kangaroo Grass) — several browns

Viola betonicifolia (Arrowhead Violet) — Australian Fritillary

Blue Tiger — host

Secamone elliptica

(b) Plants regenerating from dormant seed held in woody seed follicles which open

after fire and germinate after rain in the ash bed, e.g. Hakea, Banksia. Very few of

this group are butterfly host plants, although their flowers are often rich 1n nectar.

Some such as Allocasuarina species are mistletoe hosts which are hosts to Jezebels

and various ‘blues’.

and with seed coats cracked by fire. Most are short lived NY

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Common Imperial Blue —

host Acacia spp.

perennials or annuals, but are very pretty plants, e.g. Acacias, Pultenaeas, Hoveas.

They are generally high maintenance plants and are fast-growing. They tend to need

regular light pruning to keep them ‘tidy’ and may require fairly frequent replacing in

the garden situation.

Acacia spp. (Wattles)-Tailed Emperor & var. blues

Aotus spp. — Fringed Heath-blue

Canavalia rosea —Purple Cerulean

Daviesia spp. (Pea Bushes) — Fringed Heath-blue

Dodonaea triquetra (Forest Hop Bush)-Fiery Jewel

Indigofera spp. — Jewelled Grass-blue, Tailed Pea-blue, Common Grass Blue,

Common [=Large] Grass Yellow

(d) Annuals or short-lived perennials with abundant seed which germinates readily

even without fire. May be allowed to seed freely around the garden and hand pull

where not required.

Alternanthera denticulata (Lesser Joyweed) — Varied Egefly

Bracteantha bracteata (Paper Daisy) — Australian Painted Lady

Brunoniella australis (Blue Trumpet) —Blue Argus, Varied Eggtly

Chrysocephalum apiculatum (Yellow Buttons) — Painted Lady

Crotalaria spp.(Rattlepod Peas) — Pale and Long-Tailed Pea

Blues

Portulaca oleracea (Pigweed) — Meadow Argus, Danaid Eggfly

Scaevola aemula (Fan Flower) — Meadow Argus

. ; Meadow Argus —

In conclusion, dry sclerophyll plants grow best in an undisturbed hast Seaevolg

area. If you are starting from scratch, plant local Eucalypts and

Casuarinas first (about 5 - 10 metres apart) and then in later years a selection of the

smaller species mentioned in this article. Try to achieve that natural look! Little

fertiliser or water 1s required with these plants and only light leaf litter 1s needed as a

mulch. Some light pruning of the pea bushes and clumping grasses thickens them up.

If you already have large trees with mown grass, gradually allow native grasses and

rushes to grow back and selectively remove exotic weeds. Enhance the understorey

with additional plantings of shrubs and small Acacias.

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New Distribution Records for Thecline Butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Lycaenidae) in Australia.Part II. — Lucia and Ogyris — Kelvyn L. Dunn

Summary

This sequential paper (Part II) lists the remainder of the new spatial records for the

subfamily Theclinae encountered during fieldwork over the last decade or so. It

discusses the emergence behaviour of Ogyris 1n the field, witnessed at one of the

locations listed as new. It also compares the observed behaviour and timing of wing

expansion with reports 1n the literature and with unpublished rearing trials.

Introduction & Methodology

These sections, as provided in Part 1 (see Dunn 2016), apply to this paper too.

Results

Table 2 lists six species from eight new locations (arranged from north to south)

across Australia; all sites fall outside (or 1f not, then very close to) the boundaries

defined or inferred by Braby (2000) for the species concerned and so are new on that

criterion. Those records considered worthy of individual comment due to their

interesting circumstances, whether they be biological, behavioural or circumstantial,

include a superscript indicating a note 1s available. These notes reference encounters

by other workers in the last decade or so, where their published new locations fall

close to those listed in this report. They may include one or more historic references

where deemed informative.

Table 2: Additional new locations for species of Theclinae from beyond their

known ranges in Australia

Species/Location State Geocode Date Format

Lucta limbaria

53 km E by S of NSW 34°41’S, 144°03’°E) =—- 23 Sep 2012. ~)>— Voucher

Balranald via Sturt Hwy

(100m E of Hells’ Gate

pastoral station entrance)

27 km ESE of Balranald NSW 34°44°S, 143°47E = 23 Sep 2012 Voucher

(at the 105 km road

marker on Sturt Highway)

Ogyris barnardi

22.7km SW of Narromine NSW = 32°22’S,148°0S°E = =18Apr2015 Voucher

17.9km SW of Narromine NSW = 32°21°S, 148°O07E 18 Apr2015 Voucher

Ogyris abrota

Lady Falls (walking Vic 36°43°S, 146°SO’E =o. 17 Feb 2015 = Obs-c2.

track), Mount Buffalo N.P ial

Ogyris amaryllis

1 km W of Gracemere Old 23°26’S, 150°26°E —— O11: Jan 2002 voucher

ote 8, Fig

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Ogyris 7ianthis

Jenolan Caves, on ridge NSW = 33°49’S, 150°O0I7E 3=— 08 Dec 2013. Obs-c3.

above Charlotta Arch Note 9

Ogyris Zosine

8 km NW by N of Qld 20°19’S, 140°IS’°E) —- 16 Oct 2012 ~=~=Voucher

Quamby (Hotel), on Note 10

hilltop (NNW of

Cloncurry)

Cautionary note: Category 3 records reported from any areas beyond accepted

distributions need thoughtful consideration, balanced with a measure of healthy

scepticism. Although some may be noteworthy, and can jointly serve as a directive for

others to investigate (and potentially confirm), their inclusion on species maps or their

unrestrained accumulation in databases (especially open-entry online versions) may

distort the baseline evidence across time. Obviously, the retention of specimens 1s

desirable for many of the Hesperiidae and Lycaenidae. These can supplement any

photographs of species where insufficient wing characters were displayed (see Dunn

1994 p.72, Franklin et al. 2005 p. 2, Dunn & Franklin 2010 p.90, Dunn & Field 2012

p.27, Dunn 2015a,b). That said, I reiterate that: “Zhe traditional method remains the

ideal and easiest sampling process, and it was the means used to obtain many of the

new records listed in this paper (and others in this series), but its applicability is

dwindling in light of ever-increasing reservation and legislation” (Dunn 2015b p.27).

In this case, the purpose of the Category 3 record (in the inventory above) 1s to

encourage further investigation and as a stand-alone encounter, remains weak

evidence of species’ presence.

Key to Table 2 (Supplement):

Note 7. Several males of Ogyris were seen patrolling in the canopy, about the

outermost branches of two adjacent eucalypts, in tall open forest. The adults,

which were highly localised, were frequently interacting territorially with

each other between 13:00 and 13:20 hours (AEDT), at an elevation of some

480-490 m a.s.l. A careful inspection of the general area using binoculars

revealed several clumps of moss-laden Muellerina eucalyptoides

(Loranthaceae) on boughs in the upper canopy of the host eucalypts. The

mistletoes’ root systems, which utilise epicortical runners in this genus, were

visible and enabled a certain diagnosis to genus, and the pendulous growth

form and foliage matched the species concerned. The adult butterflies, which

showed flight behaviour typical of O. abrota, were visible from the Lady

Falls walking trail (at 36°42’59”S, 146°50°24”E) for about five minutes. I

had hoped to see a female inspecting the mistletoes, and so enable the

identification of the butterfly with certainty — given its prominent yellow

patch on the forewing — but none presented during that time. The location

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was a gully, and the patrol area was small, atypical of that selected by the

common O. olane, which maintains a lengthier flight routine across the taller

trees in the canopy, and usually seeks out hilltops or ridges for that purpose,

rather than favouring a more localised flight space associated with outer

branches near host plants. I believe the adults were almost certainly O.

abrota based on their patrol-behaviour and the circumstantial presence of

creeping mistletoes within some 10 metres of where the males had

established a lek. The species was not recorded from Mount Buffalo National

Park during surveys by Dunn and Hunting (1983) nor by Crosby (1998), and

its presence there, considerably east of the population at Tocumwal Regional

Park (Braby 2005) — the northernmost location in Victoria — represents a

northern boundary record in this part of its range in eastern Victoria. I would

encourage butterfly observers to watch for females when visiting the park, to

verify this tentative male-based identification.

Note 8. Several mature, slate-coloured larvae (Fig. 13) and pupae of O. amaryllis

(along with two other Ogyris species) were present 1n ant-galleries at the

base of a small eucalypt; the tree supported a large pendulous clump of

Amyema bifurcata (Loranthaceae) (personal identification) on a branch some

three metres above ground (Fig. 14). A newly emerged female O. oroetes

ascended from an ant-gallery at 09:30h (AEST) — conveniently within

moments of my arrival — and her presence drew attention to the mixed

juvenile cohort hidden in the soil just below ground. She walked up the trunk

about 50 to 100 cm before resting (aligning vertically, with head upwards),

and soon expanded her wings (Figs. 15 & 16), a task achieved in a few

minutes. She then continued to walk higher to rest again whilst her wings

slowly hardened. The ant gallery and associated debris (dried leaves, twigs

and fragments of fallen bark) also secreted four juveniles of O. oroetes,

comprising a tan-coloured mature larva, a similarly coloured pre-pupa (Fig

13), and two pupae. A newly emerged female of O. amaryllis ascended very

soon after the O. oroetes female. She likewise walked up the trunk, but for a

longer distance, and then rested on bark to begin expanding her wings

(achieved whilst adopting the same vertically aligned and anterior-upward

stance as the O. oroetes female had opted for). When nearly expanded she

walked higher to the fork some 120 to 150 centimetres above ground (visible

in Fig 14), but like the O. oroetes did not depart, possibly on account of the

strong northerly wind then blowing. Juveniles of both O. oroetes and O.

amaryllis were resting gregariously in the galleries, secreted amongst the

surface debris and soil to a depth of a centimetre or two. A careful and

deeper inspection of the ant galleries (excavating soil for another two or

three centimetres adjacent to the trunk) revealed several larvae of O. zosine,

variably aged from first instar to mature (Fig. 17), which were huddled

separately from the other two species (albeit still in very close proximity).

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The ant /ridomyrmex ‘?septentrionalis (det. Allan Andersen) attended the

juvenile stages of all three cohabitating Ogyris species at the base of this

tree. A single male of O. zosine was patrolling in the canopy during the visit,

sometime between 09:30-10:20 hours (AEST), but no other adults of Ogyris

species were on the wing. A few O. amaryllis reared in captivity emerged

between 07:30-08:30 hours (AEST) (later that month), but the emergence

times for the other two Ogyris species were, 1n most cases, not determined as

they were found already expanded on those occasions that the breeding box

(left open with a covering of netting) was inspected during the field trip.

Nonetheless, one male of O. zosine emerged at 09:20 hours (AEST) — taking

about three minutes to expand his wings (time recorded in field notes) — and

a female emerged during “the afternoon” (as she was still a pupa when

inspected about midday). It is known that larvae of O. zosine (and O.

genoveva) usually emerge between 07:30-09:30h (AEST) (Eastwood 1997).

All adult females of O. zosine that emerged from pupae from this site were

of the purple form.

This record for O. amaryllis, albeit a very widespread and locally common

species, 1s of importance because the adults belonged to the inland

subspecies meridionalis rather than hewitsoni. The latter subspecies occurs

commonly nearer the coast in the Yeppoon area, east of Rockhampton, from

where it 1s well known (e.g. Turner 1925, Manskie & Manskie 1972,

Schmidt & Hughes 2006). This new location for the inland form, which is a

considerable distance from the nearest record at this latitude, that being

Emerald (Waterhouse & Lyell 1914) provides the easternmost record of

meridionalis in central Queensland. It leaves a narrow gap between the

ranges of the two subspecies in this region. Incidentally, on the opposite side

of the road, within fifty metres of the mixed larval colony, a small cohort of

mature larvae (Fig. 18) and pupae of O. zosine occupied ant-galleries at the

base of a tree supporting a clump of a Dendrophthoe species (Loranthaceae).

The mistletoe, which was then flowering, was almost certainly D. glabresens

(personal identification), and the video image taken showed that it supported

a smaller hyper-parasitic mistletoe (but which was not the larval food plant).

These juveniles were attended by the ant “Camponotus sp. A’ in the

novaehollandiae group) (det. Allan Andersen) (Figs 19 & 20) and were not

accompanied by juveniles of the other two Ogyris species. Within the ant-

galleries, the O. zosine pupae were attached to leaf litter or were secured to

the trunk base, all just below ground level.

On a subsequent visit, some 10 years later, I could no longer recognise the

area. The open grassy woodland that once fringed the western side of the

township is now, for the most part, residential or industrial zones. There are

some eucalypts retained in parkland reserves, now amidst mown lawn grass,

but this modified habitat may not be suitable for colonisation of the

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appropriate ant species should mistletoes infest these remaining trees across

time. The site, which the label data indicates was ‘1 km west’ was likely

WSW via the old highway, or even SW along another road, rather than due

‘west’ (which was based on a supposition that I was heading inland and

therefore broadly in a westerly direction). Moreover, the distance of “1 km’

(a rounded off odometer reading) would imply somewhere between 0.6 to

1.4 km by road from the Post Office. After an hour’s inspection, at suitable

distances along various roads from the PO, I reluctantly accepted that the

two colonies had likely been lost to changes in land usage since 2001.

Hence, there was no opportunity for follow-up observations on the

longitudinal occupancy of these two trees had they remained undisturbed.

Note 9. A solitary Ogyris adult was seen flying down a woodland ridge, some ten

Note 10.

metres above ground, sometime between 15:15 and 15:35 hours (AEDT) (the

duration of observations near the arch). It was 1n silhouette as 1t flew

overhead for several seconds and then down towards the Charlotta Arch. As

it approached a metre above eye level, its upper side pattern was visible

during one or more forewing downbeats, before the adult vanished from

sight after flying down through the arch. It appeared to have a small yellow

area on the forewing, but with the wing angles apparently eclipsing the

hindwing patterns, leaving them darkened and unseen. The yellow markings

were not prominent, and so did not match with the female of O. abrota,

which eliminated that species. It similarly did not match with the female of

O. genoveva and it was too small for that species. Another possible

candidate, Vanessa itea, with its prominent yellowish patch on the forewing,

is common in the broader area (and can occasionally fly high up amongst

Ogyris) but the butterfly observed was a thecline, not a nymphaline. The

adult’s size and yellow colouring, which was invisible from below, instead

suggested a female of O. ianthis. This rare species 1s unknown from the Blue

Mountains, and so raises a measure of doubt concerning this identification,

given the extent of survey for over a century or more 1n this region. I call on

other enthusiasts visiting the Jenolan Caves and regional sites in the western

Blue Mountains to seek out this species as the opportunity avails in case it

occurs there, which it may.

A male O. zosine was taken, and a female (blue form) sighted, on the

summit between 13:50 to 14:50 hours (AEST); this represents the

northernmost record of the butterfly 1n western Qld, albeit a minor extension.

There were four other butterfly species on, or near, the summit namely

Papilio demoleus, Acraea andromacha, Theclinesthes miskini and a second

Ogyris species. The last mentioned encounter may have been a wandering O.

amaryllis or, perhaps, a stray O. barnardi, or even O. olane (if that last

mentioned species occurs in the Gulf region). Unlike the O. zosine male,

which I netted after three sweeps in quick succession, the smaller Ogyris did

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not linger or patrol the summit. Its upper side colouring was not visible — an

event which is commonplace with these higher-flying species — and no

others of its kind arrived at the summit during the hour survey. Only five

species of butterfly at a prominent landform suggests butterfly paucity in that

region at that time. (The main reason for ascending this particular landform

was to look for adults of Acrodipsas, and although I saw none on any hills

visited, there may be populations of some northern species yet to be found in

the Gulf Country.)

Discussion

Each new record adds insight into the distribution of those species of butterfly listed

and each helps fill knowledge gaps evident in their distributions, as based on the

range-fill maps by Braby (2000). Those of L. /imbaria are cusp records that define the

northern boundary where reports are sparse or in absence, due to a dearth of survey on

the Hay Plains. The records of O. barnardi from SW ot Narromine define the

southwestern boundary in NSW. However, the habitat in this area extends a little

farther inland and so more sites for the butterfly would be expected in that

southernmost region. The chance encounter of consecutive emergences of females of

O. amaryllis and O. oroetes from the ant galleries 1s a rarely seen event in the wild. It

deserves further discussion because of the insight into the biology of this genus it

provides.

The field observation of emerging Ogyris (Figs 15-16) supports the widely held

understanding that adults of O. amaryllis, O. oroetes (and presumably O. zosine) do

not expand their wings whilst still in the ant galleries. Nonetheless, there is a unique

account for O. genoveva by Eastwood (1997) reporting that expansion can occur in

the galleries. Conflicting with this, Moss and Kendall (2016: 57) clarified for Ogyris

genoveva and O. zosine, that “The final instar larvae pupate in the ant nests |meaning

galleries, as ant juveniles are not present] where adults finally emerge, make their way

out, inflate and dry their wings until ready to fly.” Their report, which may have been

based on actual witnessed events 1n the field, or may be interpolative observations

from captive reared material, supports the field observations for Ogyris oroetes and O.

amaryllis provided in this paper. These reports similarly align with historic

observations by Borch (1926), concerning Hypochrysops apollo — a thecline species

that pupates in ant-occupied galleries inside an epiphytic plant. Borch (1926: 214)

reported that, the newly eclosed adult 1s apparently attracted to light, and that wing

expansion does not occur “until the insects are out in the open”’.

On that evidence, the intriguing report by Eastwood (1997) needs exploratory

commentary and an explanation of the circumstances — the cinematographic

processes, which I witnessed in part. Firstly, it makes no evolutionary sense for the

newly eclosed adults to expand underground; their wings cannot expand fully (from a

mechanical perspective) when confined in small tunnels, and those unfortunate adults

that opt for such a strategy would be selected against on probability. They would be

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unable to fly with inadequately expanded wings (once hardened 1n that crippled state)

and their fate would almost certainly be predation, without mating. Secondly, it would

appear, based on several breeding trials I carried out during the 1980s with South

Australian stock of O. genoveva, that exposure to low lighting stimulates wing

expansion at the appropriate time (post emergence), and this presumably almost

certainly applies to other species of Ogyris that pupate in galleries. Timely exposure

would normally occur after the adult emerges from the darkened gallery (into

daylight) or approaches the opening (receiving variably shaded light at that time). The

adult ascends the trunk or other upright object, to a suitable distance where there will

be space to expand and dry its wings; it rests with its head directed upwards and

optimises gravity to assist that process. In 1982, I placed about a dozen pupae of O.

genoveva (with their attachment substrates) 1n lightproof plastic containers, and a

similar sized cohort of pupae 1n identical containers but with the lids of the container

left open a centimetre (albeit a difference which may have influenced humidity). The

opened section (one centimetre wide) allowed an area of shaded light to enter (that

being unlit room light during the day), which newly emerged adults could seek out,

should they need to, and so more closely simulated the underground tunnel-entrance

lighting circumstances in the wild. In most cases, the newly emerged adults kept in

darkness failed to expand their wings. Several adults expanded only partially with the

exception of a single male, which expanded fully. In contrast, in the trial where light

was available at the open section, all adults expanded their wings fully. Although the

sample was small, it seemed that there could be a brief window of opportunity for

exposure to light immediately or very soon after emergence (perhaps within five to

ten minutes based on circumstantial observations), after which time, if light 1s not

detected, the wings would not expand fully and could neither function for flight nor

uplift. When light-proof boxes were occasionally opened to check for emerged adults

(which occurred periodically once coloration was evident on the wing cases), this

would have provided light briefly, and perhaps, had one or more adults recently

emerged that exposure may have resulted in the partial expansions seen in some cases.

Further experiments with larger samples, and a rigorous design (enabling inspections

using infrared without introduction of light, such as in a photographic laboratory), are

required to strengthen these tentative findings.

The report by Eastwood (1997) for this same species would seem to be a mistaken

interpretation of the events filmed by the BBC crew during their visit to the butterfly

colony at Eatonsville, NSW, 1n 1993 (where I assisted as a scientific advisor, 1n

company with Rod Eastwood). Eastwood (1997) wrote later, “The imago moves

slowly after emerging from the pupa and expands its wings inside the gallery”

(p.141). One hypothesis for this evidence captured on film might be that this incident

was simply a rare event, one where one or more individuals may have inherited a fault

in their timing mechanism for wing expansion, but there is a more likely explanation.

The crew’s use of fibre-optic lighting, shone into the galleries to enable filming

underground, was likely causative. This cinematographic factor during the emergence,

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which Eastwood (1997) left unmentioned, 1s an important interference linked to

filming, one that could modify insect behaviour at a critical time during the switch

from previously nocturnal to thereafter, diurnal activity. If light reception 1s the

triggering mechanism, the introduction of fibre-optic lighting into the galleries

signalled an inappropriate time for wing expansion, a changed circumstance for which

its evolutionary adaptations offered no safety net. In the past, collectors of Ogyris

sometimes observed, but rarely reported on, the occasional failure of reared adults to

expand their wings when emergence occurred in the field, often inconveniently during

days of transit. On one occasion, this response was attributed to prolonged vibration

(Quick 1974), and on another, 1t was suspected to be a result of minor dehydration

from ‘dryness’ (associated with heat stress during carriage in the vehicle) (J. Le Souef

p.c. 1979). Quick’s anecdote 1s worthy of reiteration, as 1t also sets the scene of

fieldwork, and livestock handling difficulties experienced:

“Unavoidably, I had to carry them |pupae of O. oroetes| in the car with me

for another 1600 km before I reached my destination, and then for the 3600

km return trip. Just prior to the commencement of my return, the first pupa

was showing signs of impending emergence. Some apprehension regarding

the effect of vehicle vibration was unfortunately well founded, and although

identifiable, the insect failed to expand its wings fully” (Quick 1974: 51).

During lengthy interstate trips, particularly whilst on route to the next destination,

collectors (in my observation) normally store Ogyris pupae (along with diurnal

species) in darkness or near darkness to prevent any emerging adults from flying and

battering themselves before time can be set aside to inspect and attend to them. I

suspect, in the cases of these two particular collectors’, that their newly emerged

Ogyris did not receive adequate light to signal wing expansion, or received

insufficient light (as chance would have it) resulting in partial expansions (but

enabling identification as reported) and the insect’s wings subsequently hardened in

that incomplete state. My quasi-experimental trials in 1982 with material from Eagle

on the Hill (about 2 km W by N of Mount Lofty, but labelled Mt Lofty), strengthened

my belief and, in 1983, I modified my breeding technique to allow room light to

penetrate the containers for this butterfly group (with no further issues that I can

recall). Plastic kitchenware that was transparent or clear later replaced the older style

non-translucent white or dark coloured plastic containers available in the 1970s, and

these replacements proved ideal and resolved that issue. The trade-off, of course, 1s

that adults left in light transmitting containers (or even translucent ones) may fly

around once their wings have hardened and batter themselves if not promptly attended

to, but it is difficult to eliminate all issues in the field by any single means.

Acknowledgements

Allan Andersen (TERC, CSIRO, NT) identified the /ridomyrmex species from

specimen vouchers. John T. Moss (Qld.) offered helpful suggestions to improve the

clarity of the manuscript in places.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 27

References

Borch, C.H. 1926. Life histories of Miletus butterflies. Victorian Naturalist 43(7): 214-215.

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

CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Vic.

Braby, M.F. 2005. Inland breeding records for two mistletoe butterflies (Lepidoptera) from

northern Victoria. Australian Entomologist 32(4): 161-162.

Crosby, D.F. 1998. The butterflies of Mount Buffalo National Park. Victorian Naturalist 115(5):

222-225.

Dunn, K.L. 1994. Butterflies attracted to Eucalyptus flowers at Nathan, and a species check-list for

Toohey Forest, Queensland. Victorian Entomologist 24(3): 71-75.

Dunn, K.L. 1998. Biological notes on some eastern Australian Butterflies, Part III. Victorian

Ent. 28(1): 3-7.

Dunn, K.L. 2015a. New distribution records for Hesperiine butterflies (Lepidoptera:

Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae) in Australia. Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the

Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 77: 17-32.

Dunn, K.L. 2015b. New distribution records for Coeliadine and Trapezitine butterflies

(Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Australia. Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the

Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 79: 13-31.

Dunn, K.L. 2016. New distribution records for thecline butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in

Australia. Part | — Jalmenus, Hypochrysops, Hypolycaena and Rapala.

Metamorphosis Australia, Magazine of the Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club 81:

21-34.

Dunn, K.L & Field, R.P. 2012. Two new records of skipper butterflies from the Murray Valley

in SE Australia. Victorian Entomologist 42(2): 26-28.

Dunn, K.L & Franklin, D.C. 2010. Exploring the adequacy of representation of butterfly

species’ distributions in a more accessible portion of northern Australia. Northern

Territory Naturalist 22: 88-94

Dunn, K.L. and Hunting, M.M. 1983. Butterflies of the Mount Buftalo National Park, Victoria.

Victorian Entomologist 13(4): 40-48.

Eastwood, R.G. 1997. Field observations on the symbiotic interactions of Ogyyris genoveva

(Hewitson) and Ogyris zosine (Hewitson) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) with

Camponotus spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Australian Entomologist 24(3): 137-

143.

Franklin, D.C., Michael, B., & Mace, M. 2005. New location records for some butterflies of the

Top End and Kimberley regions. Northern Territory Naturalist 18: 1-7.

Manskie, R.C. & Manskie, N. 1972. Collecting in north-eastern Australia. 8 April 1972 — 4

June 1972. Victorian Entomologist 2(5): 17-23.

Moss, J.T. & Kendall, R. 2016. The Mistletoes of Subtropical Queensland, New South Wales

and Victoria. Runcorn, Qld: Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club Inc.

Quick, W.N.B. 1974. Under the mistletoe. Victorian Entomologist 4(4): 49-52.

Schmidt, D.J. & Hughes, J.M. 2006. Genetic affinities among subspecies of a widespread

Australian lycaenid butterfly, Ogyris amaryllis (Hewitson). Australian Journal of

Zoology 54: 429-446.

Turner, A.J. 1925. The Lepidoptera of Yeppoon. Australian Zoologist 4(1): 17-23.

Waterhouse, G.A. & Lyell, G. 1914. The Butterflies of Australia. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.

BEES Pe De be PE DT De Pe Pe pe Re bg be be be Pe bd pg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 28

is,

"4 oad

Fig. 13. Tan coloured pre-pupa of O. oroetes and two slate-grey larvae of O. amaryllis (showing variation in

pattern contrast) after extraction from the /ridomyrmex ‘°?septentrionalis ant galleries of the mixed Ogyris

colony (ants removed).

Fig. 14. Habitat: Mistletoe host (4. bifurcata) which supported the mixed colony in rural-grassy open

woodland on the western side of the township of Gracemere, Qld.

Fig. 15. O. oroetes female newly emerged after ascending the trunk and expanding her wings.

Fig. 16. Same female O. oroetes, which after expanding her wings, walked higher up the trunk preparing for

departure flight.

Fig. 17. A tan coloured larva of O. oroetes (by then a pre-pupa), alongside a mature larva of O. zosine and a

larva of O. amaryllis (ammediately crawling beneath bark to hide in shade), all found together in the mixed

colony Uridomyrmex ants having been removed).

Fig. 18. Captive fed mature larvae of O. zosine taken from the Camponotus colony.

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 29

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Fig. 19. O. zosine pupa attended by ants (Camponotus sp. A’ in the novaehollandiae group); soldier in

lower left corner, with worker on pupa.

Fig 20. O. zosine pupa (nearing emergence) attended by two workers (‘Camponotus sp. A’ in the

novaehollandiae group).

Photos by Kelvyn Dunn.

Corrigenda (Part I)

‘Part 1 — Jalmenus, Hypochrysops, Hypolycaena & Rapala’ in Issue No. 81, p.31.

During the magazine typesetting and layout, Figures 4 and 5 were interchanged and

wrongly numbered. The adult shown as Fig. 4 1s /. daemeli (from SSW of Sarina,

Qld) and the adult shown as Fig. 5 1s J. ictinus (from Ivanhoe, NSW). I had intended

that the adult of J. daemeli precede the juvenile stages of its species.

An omitted reference from Part 1, namely ‘Dunn 1998’, has been included with the

references for Part II.

BOOK REVIEWS

‘The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of

aN ay bani 24 Australia,” Second Edition — Michael F. Braby.

pecompurreneo coors | Published by CSIRO Publishing 2016. pp. 384.

BUTTERFLIES | Issn: 978 1 486 30100 3 (paperback version),

a ee $49.95. (e-book version also available) — Book

Review by Mark M. Hunting

This second edition of Dr. Michael Braby’s “The

Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia” (Field

Guide) represents the continuum of currently published

knowledge of the complete Australian butterfly fauna, as

it builds upon the knowledge of earlier landmark

publications on this subject, namely:

MMMM MMM

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 30

e Common IFB, Waterhouse DF (1981) “Butterflies of Australia” Angus &

Robertson, Sydney.

e Braby MEF (2000), “Butterflies of Australia Their Identification Biology and

Distribution” CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

The timing of the second edition of the Field Guide has been driven by the significant

escalation over the past twelve years, since publication of the first edition, of research

papers and popular books dealing with the public and scientific interest in our

invertebrate fauna, and also the need for inclusion of several additional butterfly

species to the existing body of knowledge to 2014.

Dr. Michael Braby has taken the opportunity to include the addition of several

refinements to the first edition, which now include (at least):

e A revision of the order of presentation of the species to adopt new

developments 1n the classification of butterflies worldwide, combining

morphological and molecular characters;

e Anewchapter on “Collecting and Preserving Butterflies,” which presents a

systematic approach to setting up and maintaining a reference collection;

e An expanded section on established and vagrant fauna on the remote islands

under Australian administration;

e Inclusion of the additional species to the tally — ten additional species to

continental Australia and a further nine species from the outlying islands.

This book 1s a departure from the trend in recent years, with many popular

publications focusing on photographs and artwork of live adults and their early stages

of metamorphosis / life cycle. However, the superb photographic colour plates of

specimens in their classically set positions with both recto and verso images are

second-to-none for easy diagnosis to species and sub-species level. This level of

detail 1s aptly targeted for use of this book 1n the field and in the studio. The plates

are enhanced with detailed line drawings of the sex brands of male Coeliadinae and

Hesperiinae (Family Hesperiidae), where separation of certain of these species would

be otherwise difficult.

Other important user-friendly features of the Field Guide that have been particularly

well thought-out include:

e The consistency of the format with the colour plates on the right hand page

and the diagnostic / descriptive notes on the left. This, together with the

colour-coded tabs, guides the user through the butterfly families, and makes

it very easy to find whatever you are looking for in a predictable fashion

throughout the book;

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 31

e The descriptive notes, which are supported with distribution maps and adult

flight charts. These two features combine to greatly assist the field worker

to expect the “where and when’ for each species and also to search 1n areas

to extend their known distribution.

e The glossary of technical terms used in the book, and the use of both

scientific and common names throughout, with a chapter dedicated to “How

to use this Book.”

Not only that, but the tests of a must-have book on this subject, are the extent of wear

and tear (as first-stop-shop) and whether it fits in the car’s glove box! The first

edition of the Field Guide has been the clear winner on both counts, and I fully expect

that this second edition will be similarly used and referred.

Finally, a few words about the author, who needs no introduction! Michael Braby

eraduated in 1987 with a B.Sc. in zoology from La Trobe University, and completed

his PhD in entomology from James Cook University in 1995. This was followed by

post-doctoral positions at Harvard and at the ANU before moving to the Northern

Territory as an Invertebrate Conservation Biologist for butterfly systematics,

evolution and ecology.

He has published more than 100 research papers on his passion for insect ecology.

His primary reference work in 2000 was the 2 volume “Butterflies of Australia Their

Identification Biology and Distribution,” which won the 2001 Whitley Medal for best

book on the natural history of Australian animals. The 2004 first edition of this Field

Guide won the 2005 Whitley Award for the best book 1n the category of Field Guide,

then in 2012 he won the AES Ian Mackerras Medal for his contribution to lepidoptera

taxonomy and ecology.

Dr Michael Braby is currently in Canberra as a Visiting Fellow at the ANU, and a

Visiting Scientist to ANIC, and holds the position of Chief Editor of Austral

Entomology. IS OS SIS IS FI OK OK OS OS 2

Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to

Dawn - Science and Art. 348 pp, 250x300mm,

hardbound, ISBN 9780957729018, publ. by LeapFrogOz

Kuranda Kreations. Price $65 (incl. postage in Australia).

Available from

http://www. leapfrogoz.com.au/LeapFrogOz/Tropical Qu

eensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and _

Art. html

Ed. The following 1s not strictly a review of this book but

rather a speech given by Geoff Monteith (Queensland

Museum) at the book’s launch at the Annual Conference of the Australian

Entomological Society in Cairns on 28 September 2015.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 32

Kuranda is a small town in the rainforest just a short drive up the Range Road west of

Cairns. It a pretty and peaceful place, and over the years I have had cause to delve

into its entomological history once or twice. I’ve discovered that beneath its placid

surface there 1s obviously “something in the water” that drives grown men to the brink

when it comes to Lepidoptera.

Frederick Parkhurst DODD was a bored

bank clerk with a wife and three children

who got hooked on insects, quit the bank,

and moved to Kuranda in 1905. He spent the

rest of his life studying and displaying the

amazing moths and butterflies he found

there. He arranged 40 large cases of

specimens in spectacular geometric designs

and toured the nation with them in 1918 and

again in 1923. Early tourists, between the

wars, caught the train up from Cairns and

paid sixpence to view the cases in his

Kuranda home.

Dodd had a tough life, and one of the cases

of moths tells a story. It’s a verse from a

Longfellow poem, spelled out in small

brown moths set among the most exquisite

specimens he could find. Longfellow wrote

4 -_,

The original Butterfly Man of Kuranda, thie poem about 1870 to commemorate the

Frederick Parkhurst Dodd, photographed in 50" birthday of Alexandre Agassiz, then

his Kuranda garden in the 1930s. The inset professor of Zoology at Harvard University.

shows how the Queensland Museum used this (No dine “Erifes Hoerabout professors ar

image in the logo for its first tour of the Dodd P P

collection in 1991 (OM Photo). zoology any more!)

The famous case of

Lepidoptera, spelling

out a verse from

Longfellow, which

Frederick Dodd put

together in Kuranda

about 1916 as one of

the show cases of his

1918 and 1923

Australian tours of his

collection. The case is

now in the Queensland

Museum (QM photo).

pana by ba a ba ba hg bg

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 33

The verse reads:

And whenever the way seemed long

Or his heart began to fail

SHE would sing a more wonderful song

Or tell a more marvellous tale

“SHE’ in that verse is Mother Nature...earlier it reads: “...and Nature, the old nurse,

took the child upon her knee, saying here is the story thy Father has written for

thee...”

So Dodd was saying that, whenever he was doing it tough, his beautiful Lepidoptera

would always cheer him up and give him strength to carry on.

Dodd died in 1937. In 1953 a fruit grower named Ted Harris moved from Melbourne

to Kuranda and cleared the rainforest to plant citrus at the site which is now the

“Rainforest Station” tourist park. He got hooked on Lepidoptera and developed a

gigantic collection of butterflies...but in 1971 his partner (Ted Alston) died and he fell

into such depression that he gave his entire collection away to the Queensland

Museum and lived another 8 years.....broke, alone and Lepidoptera-tree.

In the mid 1980s a butterfly collector named Paul Wright, whose appearance recalled

Errol Flynn and could only be described as dashing, arrived in Kuranda. He tasted

those waters and went on to develop the largest walk-in butterfly house in the

southern hemisphere. For the entomologists here who appreciate a good high-hygiene,

mass caterpillar rearing facility, | recommend you take a look behind the scenes at the

Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary. It’s a Kuranda icon and used to be Kuranda’s largest

employer.

In 1980, quietly, before construction of the butterfly house, another escapee from

southern commerce had arrived in Kuranda, but it was 25 years before the waters

claimed him. This was Buck Richardson, author of the magnificent book we are

launching today. Buck had an engineering background and, with his partner Eve

Stafford, they built a wonderful house in the rainforest and immersed themselves in

the artistic life of the community. Early projects included fabric design and printing.

As the years passed computer imaging and digital photography came of age, and this

was a perfect fit with Buck’s precise mathematical background (he calls it

“mothematical”!) and his outrageous imagination. Around 2004 he discovered moths

coming to his houselights as items not only of great beauty but also as elements of

astonishing natural designs. He made contact with local entomologists like Max

Moulds, Paul Zborowski and Ross Storey — and with ANIC moth-maestro Ted

Edwards. He acquired (and learned!) scientific names for them, started a website of

moth images and, in 2008, published an amazing little book called “Mothology”. It

comprised 400 species of classified Kuranda moths and scores of mind-bending art

pieces using moth images. The local parliamentarian wrote an introduction titled

“Forewing, not “Foreword’...did she know?

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 34

That book caused a meeting between Buck and a recent entomological refugee to

Kuranda, ex-ANIC orthopterist, David Rentz. They became firm friends and now go

light trapping 30-40 times a year. This has opened Buck’s world to a plethora of other

insect groups, especially shield bugs which have the symmetry and bold patterns

which press Buck’s creativity buttons, and has led to the present book, “Tropical

Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn”’. It has 1500 species, fully named,

interleaved with Buck’s art pieces.

Buck admits to being influenced by Dutch artist M.C. Escher who made striking and

beguiling images of interlocking patterns melding and transforming as the eye sweeps

over them. The most familiar are of flocks of birds merging as they overlap, with the

pattern completely filling available space. Escher was restricted to working on a flat

surface, though he has a famous piece viewing his own reflected image in a silvered

sphere. Similarly, Dodd could only arrange his specimens by painstakingly

positioning the pins on the flat bottom of an insect case. Virtual 3-D computer

imaging has released Buck from dependence on a flat surface and his interlocking

moths and shield bugs seamlessly coat the surfaces of spheres, cones, cylinders and

infinitely disappearing vortices in his artworks.

The book satisfies the taxonomist who wants to see wide coverage of reliably named

species, it satisfies the lover of beauty who just enjoys the wonders of the insect world

in close-up, and it satisfies the artist who wants to be surprised and entranced by

inventive use of imagery drawn from nature. As I wrote to Buck when I first received

a copy: “/t’s the sort of book where one makes a cup of coffee then opens it in

reverence in one’s best lounge chair with the best light....and suddenly realises an

hour later that it’s past dinner time. ”

But a warning to Buck! If you drink

too deeply of those magical Kuranda

waters you may end up in the same

situation described by Frederick

Dodd in an unpublished manuscript

written about 1917. Speaking of his

life in Kuranda, he writes: “Each

year reveals other marvels, so, to

such as myself, in the grip of that

which some are pleased to call Geoff (left) and Buck after the launch

science, there can be no change, they Photo Eve Stafford

are enslaved to the end...”

It gives me great pleasure to launch this wonderful and inventive book.

GBM

40ct15

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 35

REPORTS

Macro photography workshop conducted by Erica Siegel — Lois Hughes

January 30" announced its arrival with the same energy-sapping heat and humidity of

preceding days but ... with a forecast of storms and rain, a promise of blessed relief

after days of blistering heat, but not just yet, please .....

A smorgasbord of nectar and host plants invitingly beckoned, awaiting the arrival of

feasting insects, but ... would these elusive creatures be enticed’?

An eager group of nine participants rolled in early, cameras at the ready, hoping to

learn some of the secrets of macro photography and to put their skills into practice.

Erica displayed some enviable photos of insects she had skilfully captured, an

excellence to aim for, and after detailed instructions, the search for subjects began.

The Senna gaudichaudii flowers were alive with Peacock, Great Carpenter, Blue

Banded and Teddy Bear bees all vying furiously for the pollen laden, yellow flowers.

Other interesting insects also enjoyed the banquet. With great patience and

determination, the group spent considerable time seeking to capture these fast moving

beautiful creatures.

“It’s much harder than I thought’, “Please stay still fora moment” were some of the

overheard comments, along with “Oh, no, they’re blurry”, “I need more practice” and

“Can I please come again, there’s so much of interest here to photograph?”

The stationary beetles, caterpillars and stick insects just hangin’ about, were much

easier to practice on.

I hope you enjoy the gallery of photos which some of the participants submitted.

Many thanks to Erica for her patient dedication on such an uncomfortably hot

morning, but the clouds rolled in .... Our morning tea and lunch breaks, the latter on

the back verandah because of rain, gave us an ideal opportunity to share stories, good

food, and enjoyable company. Thanks again to Erica, your time and shared skills were

ereatly appreciated by us all and some participants are asking if we can have another

workshop.

Jim Evans binda. Sulakatku

TCL CLA

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 36

? _

TATE L AAS L ATA ALAC ALAC AC ALAA AG

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 37

In Focus - The ‘Who’ Behind the Lens — Lois Hughes

Since January 2014, the pages of our Metamorphosis magazine have been graced by

stunning photos of various creatures, taken by a very talented and knowledgeable

lady, Erica Siegel. I felt 1t appropriate at this time to acknowledge her contributions,

not only to BOIC but also to the many other projects and publications for which she

has shared her many photos, knowledge, and observations.

As the song goes “From little things, big things grow” and as Erica has willingly

shared her time, knowledge and photos with us and others, demand for work has

snowballed.

BOIC was first introduced to Erica in Issue 73, June 2014, after I encouraged her to

document her observations and share whatever knowledge she had about native

solitary bees. At that time there was scant published information available to the

general public. Erica was reluctant at first, considering herself unqualified to do so.

However, with very little knowledge myself but great enthusiasm and in consultation

with Erica and Corinne Jordan, a highly qualified and knowledgeable bee keeper and

also inspired by the stunning and informative photos Erica had taken in our garden, I

wrote an introductory article “Getting a Buzz out of Bees”.

This was a brief overview of the native solitary bees Erica and I had observed here at

Mt. Cotton, S.E. Queensland. This was followed by a series of informative articles by

Erica on each of the species I had mentioned 1n the overview.

Since then Erica has continued her search for identification, lifestyle and behavioural

characteristics of the many other native bees she is photographing. Posting them on

Facebook, the www.ozbird-wildlife.com website, and The British Isles Wildlife

Forum, has greatly expanded her knowledge, as qualified experts have responded,

sharing their knowledge and research freely with her. As a result, this wider exposure

of her detailed photos has led to an increasing demand for her work in publications,

exhibitions, displays and now for talks on native solitary bees.

The following 1s a list of publications with Erica’s photos ....

Explore — Australian Museum magazine — Spring 2010

G Green — Living Made Easy magazine — June/July 2011 issue 32

Scientriffic — CSIRO magazine — March/April 2011 issue 72

Bush Heritage desk calendar 2011

The Bee Hotel ID Guide — University Western Sydney 2014

Wildlife Australia — issue Spring 2015, Winter 2015

Bees as Pollinators — Central Tablelands A3 poster CTLLS NSW

Government — July 2015

Cavity Dwelling Bees — Central Tablelands A3 poster CTLLS NSW

Government July 2015

Suburban Living magazine — issue July/Sept. 2015

Murrindindi Tourist Guide — issue summer 2015/16

The Australian Beekeeping Manual by Robert Owen — October 2015

The Native Bee Book by Tim Heard — December 2015

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 38

Land for Wildlife Newsletter Qld. — issue January 2016

Miniature Lives by Michelle Gleeson — March 2016

Metamorphosis Australia BOIC magazine — issues 73-77, 79, 81

Erica’s aims are two-fold, to delight and inform. As a regular stall holder at local

markets, her matted or framed photos and cards, depicting not only native bees but

stunning bird and other wildlife images, attract attention. This gives her an

opportunity to inspire others to be passionate about our environment and to facilitate

changes in their backyards to provide safe and welcoming habitats for our wildlife as

increasing development encroaches upon our bushland.

Erica, 1n her endeavours, fulfils many of the aims of our organization. We are

privileged to have her as a participating BOIC member and congratulate her on her

continuing success.

1. Resin bee (Megachile)

2. Masked bee (Hyaleus honestus) 4

3. Blue Banded bee (Amegilia _—-

cingulata)

4. Neon Cuckoo bee (Thyreus nitidulus)

Photos Erica Siegel

KREEKRAKKREEKR

Pooh Corner Wacol Excursion — 16" J uly, 2016 - Paul Klicin —

Field Trip Co-ordinator

Thanks to everyone who attended. In

total we had 12 enthusiastic attendees

on the day. Rain threatened to dampen

everybody’s enthusiasm but

fortunately the rain stayed away until

our walk was all but complete.

es : Before setting out on our 3.9km walk,

Club President Frank J eibat gave a Brief auhey of the Pooh Corner bushland which

was once a military training camp during World War II, and more recently 1n 2005 it

was Slated for private sale for Industrial Development. Now Brisbane City Council

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 39

owned and thankfully declared as

‘public recreation and open space’ we

are now able to enjoy the vast array of

flora and fauna that Pooh Corner has to

offer.

Throughout our walk Frank (pictured)

pointed out the various butterfly host

plants that grow in the area and

provided valuable insight into each

butterfly host plant. Some of the host

plants identified were; Karamat (Hygrophila

angustifolia) - Chocolate and Blue Argus, Tiny

Grass-blue and Varied Egefly; Love Flower

(Pseuderanthemum variabile) - Leafwing, Blue

Argus and Varied Egegfly; Cressida Pipe-flower

(Aristolochia meridionalis) - Clearwing Swallowtail;

Spade Flower (Hybanthus stellarioides) - Glasswing);

Soap Tree (A/phitonia excelsa) - Small Green-banded [gg A PR

Blue; Creek Sandpaper Fig (Ficus coronata) - Co | + & Glsswit ~

mmon Moonbeam; Monkey Rope Vine (Parsonsia f AN ao = fageli_

straminea) - Common Crow. For further information a

the club has a Butterfly Host Plants book available for purchase.

Despite the overcast weather we were able to spot a small Glasswing butterfly

(Acraea andromacha) resting close to the ground with its local host plant the corky

passion vine (Passiflora suberosa) in plentiful supply throughout the reserve.

: BE 3 aR Another species of butterfly was flushed

: , ie se . from the undergrowth as we continued

along the walking track which was

quickly identified as the Evening Brown

(Melanitis leda), and due to its flighty

nature and uncanny ability to quickly go

to ground and blend into the undergrowth

in avoiding predators, even our most avid

photographers were unable to capture a

photograph of this butterfly on the day.

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Further along our walk we located several Box Mistletoes (Amyema miquelii)

erowing on young eucalypts which were able to be expertly identified by club

member, mistletoe expert and co-author of the new book, ‘Mistletoes of Subtropical

Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria’, Ross Kendall, who was thankfully in

attendance on the day.

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

Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 40

Luckily the

mistletoes were at

eye level on these

young eucalypt trees

as we were also

fortunate enough to

find a sole final instar

Scarlet Jezebel

(Delias argenthona)

caterpillar almost

In et Photo - Scarlet Jezel Delias s . ready to pupate on

; Photo John Moss (BOIC website one such tree.

~ —_—— A small Monarch

(Danaus plexippus) caterpillar was also spotted clinging to a small exotic Wild Cotton

plant.

Further along our journey

we were thrilled to

identify another young

Box Mistletoe specimen

which hosted an army

(sic) of roughly a dozen

Black Jezebel (Delias

nigrina) caterpillars

crowded together on

several mistletoe leaves.

Note the subtle difference

between the Scarlet

Jezebel larva and Black

Jezebel larva, one being

the distinctive yellow

spots on the Black Jezebel larva

if you look closely.

Despite the lack of butterfly activity

on the day as is common during the

cooler months of the year along

c with the overcast weather,

el fA. esas everybody left feeling happy and

a. r invigorated after the walk. The

os numerous butterfly host plants

Black Jezebel larva identified, along with information

provided on the day, I’m sure will

prove invaluable in the future

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 41

‘

. .

especially for those wanting to grow host plants 1n their gardens to attract butterflies.

Various butterfly host plants are available through the club and also from some

specialist plant nurseries.

Stay tuned for exciting news regarding upcoming field trips in the coming months and

we hope to see you along at the next one. Meanwhile, happy bug hunting.

All photos, except where otherwise credited, Paul Klicin

IN THE GARDEN

We have a large Banksia Rose that sprawls over a

trellis adjacent to our back verandah. It’s a favourite

resting place for small birds, a food source for hairy

moth caterpillars as well as Spiny Stick insects, and

many wasp species trawl its branches for prey.

Periodically I tip stick insect eggs at its base.

Recently we were delighted to discover a mature,

large green female Spiny, fat with eggs, so well

disguised she had remained unnoticed amongst the

ereenery. Spotting the Big Green Lady, as we

affectionately named her, became our daily ritual for

many months.

Macleay’s Spectre (Extatosoma Glancing up from my drawing, | noticed a

tiaratum tiaratum) Spiny Stick Kookaburra perched on the cross arm of the

insect — painting by Lois Hughes = Wisteria-covered power pole, a favourite lookout, as

they scan the paddock for prey. Imagine my dismay, when I next glanced up to see

the bird bashing something large and green on the fence adjacent to the Banksia Rose!

It was our Big Green Lady! There was nothing I could do to rescue her but as I

watched, I had an ahh! moment.

It had always puzzled me how the wingless females had mysteriously arrived on our

apple tree many years ago. Could it be, as I just witnessed, that an egg-laden female 1s

taken by a bird, which perches in a tree and as it bashes the insect on a branch, eggs

are flung onto the ground? Alternatively, are the eggs swallowed and passed through

the bird’s gut untouched and are then deposited on the ground in its poo and

eventually hatch? Maybe the mystery has been revealed. What do you think?

i i i ee i ie ie Lois Hughes

Correction: In issue #81 June 2016 — In the Garden — it was said that the “Spotted

Katydid, Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata”’ ate male cicadas. Actually the katydid that

has been observed to lure cicadas to their death is the Spotted Predatory Katydid,

Chlorobalius leucoviridis Tepper.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 42

Also the beetles referred to in the same issue, in the excursion report to the Boondall

Wetlands, as Ladybirds were in fact Leaf Beetles (Dicranosterna sp. and

Paropsisterna sexpustulata).

BUTTERFLY AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES CLUB PROGRAMME

Presentation by Michelle Gleeson, author of the recently published book

Miniature Lives — Identifying insects in your home and garden

When: Tuesday 20" September, 2016 — 6.30 pm for 7 pm start

Where: CWCN Centre, 47 Hepworth St, Chapel Hill (UBD 178 Al11)

RSVP: Jutta Godwin ph. 3378 1929

Field Trips organized for the period October to December 2016 - Paul Klicin —

Field Trip Co-ordinator

RSVP for all events to (07) 3808 2930 Mob: 0411 031 406 - paulez2@hotmail.com

October: (Saturday 15th) — Springbrook National Park

This is a fantastic location and definitely a trip you don't want to miss.

Meet at 10am at Tallabana picnic area which 1s near Canyon lookout which 1s off

Canyon Parade.

Lunch at midday — Members are requested to pay $5 each before the day (please pay

Paul ahead of time so lunch can be arranged and provided) ($10 non-members).

Reasonable level of fitness required for this walk.

Please wear good walking shoes and a hat.

Make sure you bring plenty of drinking water.

Walk will take approximately 2 hours in total then arrive back at the picnic area for

lunch.

What we expect to see - Birdwing butterflies, waterfalls, plenty of plant species,

eround mullet and invertebrates.

Carpooling recommended. I can take 3 passengers (maybe 4).

November: (Saturday 12th) —Skywalk Mount Tamborine

If you have never been to the Mount Tamborine Skywalk before then you are in for a

treat. Meet there at 10am.

I have arranged a group discount for this trip. Cost for all attending is $13.20 per

person which is a real bargain and well worth the money as the usual cost 1s normally

$19.20.

There is a café on site 1f you wish to purchase lunch.

Carpooling recommended. I can take 3 passengers (maybe 4).

December: (Saturday 3rd) — Daisy Hill forest walk

Park across the road from 12 John Markwell Parade. There 1s no dedicated parking

but this 1s the meeting point. Meet there at 10am.

There is a lot to be seen and a real hotspot of activity for both butterflies and other

invertebrates at the edge of the forest. What you may expect to see there: Evening

Brown, Leafwing, Monarch, Blue Triangle, Orchard Swallowtail butterflies and

their host plants.

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — 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 1s 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

e Lois Hughes who provided the cover painting

e Daphne Bowden who works on layout, production and distribution

John Moss, Rob Whyte and Frank Jordan for scientific referencing and proof

reading of various articles 1n this issue of the magazine

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.

Next event — Presentation by Michelle Gleeson, author of the recently published book

Miniature Lives — Identifying insects in your home and garden - Tuesday 20"

September, 2016

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Magazine of the Butterfly and Other Invertebrates Club #82 — Page 44