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Thursday 14 March 2024
More Moths from Kuranda
Sunday 25 February 2024
And Still They Come: Recent Arrivals at the Light Sheet
Recent extended periods of rain have probably contributed to the large numbers of insects that are coming to our light sheet. The rainy period seems to be responsible for some insect populations to have produced abnormally large numbers of individuals.
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Janson's Stag Beetle Aegus jansoni |
Saturday 24 February 2024
Centipede meets an untimely end
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The recent rainy period has proved a bonus for the local spider population. It seems there are many more insects about and the spiders are taking advantage.
We found an odd situation. A Golden Orb Weaver (Nephila) had caught a fairly large centipede. How the centipede managed to get into the web is conjecture. The web is placed under our deck and maybe the centipede just made a fatal mistake and fell into it.
But that's not the most unusual creature a Golden Orb Weaver has caught. See:https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-05/golden-orb-spider-eats-microbat-far-north-queensland/102235274
This one had caught a small bat. And there are records of this kind of spider netting birds from time to time.
See: https://bunyipco.blogspot.com/search?q=golden+orb+weaver
Friday 23 February 2024
New Book on Australian Jewel
Front Cover |
The physical shape of buprestids is easily recognised. But the colour and patterns are extraordinary in their variability. The authors state in the Preface that the book is "intended to be an introduction to the interrelationships and diversity of Australia's spectacular buprestid fauna, from which we trust will follow a greater concern for the fauna's conservation, and that of the landscapes and plant communities in which buprestids dwell and interact." It will do more than that and may stimulate an interest in both collecting and photographing these living Australian gems.
Both buprestid larvae and adults are plant feeders. The larvae have a distinctive shape are often found under bark where they feed on plant tissue. The adults are usually found feeding in flowers on sunny days. A small number of adults have nocturnal habits.
The book has sections on fossil history, Gondawanan and extra-continental associations, warning colours and defence and predators.
The excellently reproduced colour plates are in three sections. "Beetle Specimens, Live Beetles, Regional buprestid faunas and habitats.
The photographs in the Live Beetles section were done by Kevin Mitchell who utilised "stacked focus" to achieve the terrific results.
The "Live Beetles" section shows some of the beetles in nature. The splendid photographs were taken mostly by Geoff Williams and Alan Sundholm.
DetailS
Australian Jewel Beetles An introduction to the Buprestidae by Geoff Williams, Kevin Mitchell and Allen M. Sundholm. 215 pages. Published by CSIRO Publishing 36 Gardiner Rd, Clayton, Vic., 3168. Price $Au199.
Sunday 7 January 2024
Recent Arrivals!
The rains associated with Cyclone Jasper have prompted many insects to emerge and complete their life cycles. Here are just a few. All from the rainforest in Kuranda, far north Queensland.
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The Large Forest Pyrgomorph, Desmoptera truncatipennis Sjostedt, maleThe Large Forest Pyrgomorph, Desmoptera truncatipennis Sjostedt, female
The Ginger Katydid, Xingbaoia karakara Rentz, female. This is a nocturnal predatory katydid common in rainforests over a rather narrow geographic range from Cape Tribulation to Innisfail and the Atherton Tablelands. The common name relates the association the species has with native gingers. Females oviposit (lay their eggs) in the leaf axils of native ginger plants. The generic name commemorates an honour to a Chinese colleague, Dr Xing-bao Jin and the specific name is derived from an aboriginal word for "gold", an allusion to the discovery of such a unique rainforest insect.
Kuranda Caedicia, Caedicia kuranda Rentz, Su, Ueshima, male. One of the many species in the large genus Caedicia.
Kuranda Speckled Katydid, Diastella kuranda Rentz, Su, Ueshima, female. The spot is distinctive of this and the other two species in the genus. The spot is individually variable in size and colour.