Bellbird Hollow Diary

All quiet on the southern front.

Birds have been relatively sparse here. We still mange to record between 70 and 100 species every month

 but there have been none of the sexy ones: the Wompoo and rose-crowned fruit doves, the rifle bird and the pitta – but we have had topknot, white headed and wonga pigeons, as well as whipbirds and a fleeting visit from a yellow-tufted honeyeater.

All in all though, we’ve had to work hard to keep the numbers up.

The same can’t be said for butterflies. Like everywhere else, we imagine, they are here in their bucketsful. And they are completely ignoring social distancing recommendations. So, following Annette’s request for photos of butterflies we decided to see what we have here.

The start wasn’t difficult because we’d already noticed that a large Bumpy Ash (Flindersia schottiana) had been denuded by a host of beautiful and huge caterpillars.

Lepidoptera expert, Don Herbiston-Evans, identified them as Emperor Moth caterpillars. They’ve chomped their way through just about every leaf on the tree.

As stunning as they are, they cause some damage. 

But nothing like the destruction that another moth has caused. The fruit-piercing moth has been around in plague proportions in recent times and has ruined our citrus fruits, despite the trees being netted.

And now on to the butterflies. This exercise has been a quick learning curve; we’ve been delighted at the sheer variety of species that we have here and hadn’t noticed before. We recognised the ubiquitous Blue Tigers of course, but were pleased to add Leafwings, Varied Eggflies, Long-tailed Pea-blues, Australian Gulls, Meadow Arguses, Lesser Wanderers, Orange Ringlets, Grass Yellows and Grass Blues to the list, as well as a half dozen others.

                                                        

On our Lockdown Butterfly Hunt we then hit the jackpot -a Humming Bird! A tiny humming bird !

Naturally, we realised in micro-seconds that it couldn’t be an actual humming bird but the frisson of excitement was there because it was certainly doing a wonderful imitation of the real thing. But what was it? We could see that it was some kind of flying insect……. Was it a butterfly, a moth, a beetle? This cute little creature was feeding among the flowers. And, just like a hummingbird, it never landed - simply hovered with wings beating at a furious rate and used its long proboscis to suck nectar. An astonishing sight.

Thanks to Google we discovered that it was the Hummingbird Hawkmoth. Next day it was back busily feeding on the flowers of a Swamp Bloodwood (C. phytocarpa). We now understand that hummingbird moths are fairly commonplace in Gympie. But we’ve never seen one before. Birdwatching is on hold for the moment; we are Hummingbird hunting.

I have uploaded an updated and much improved version of the DVD that we made a while ago.
It had to be split into two parts to be acceptable to YouTube.
Anyone interested may access these via the following web addresses or, alternatively, by searching YouTube using the search words below:

(Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uouh65br-ZA
 Or
 Search YouTube:  Wildlife Mary Valley Qld Australia

 (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMn-6Bny0cc
 Or
 Search YouTube:  Wildlife Mary Valley Qld Australia

There is also a little video on the Hummingbird Hawkmoth (Macroglossum sp.)
This may be accessed with:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8KNkaJLpuI
 Or
 Search YouTube:  Hummingbird Hawkmoth Qld Australia

Text and photos : Contributors Allan & Diane Pratt.

Late Summer extravaganza of Butterflies- Installment 1 Nymphalidae

The late Summer season has seen an explosion in the number of species of butterflies being observed in the Gympie area.  . After a request to members to share their photos, the response was overwhelming. What had started out as a short resume of species has turned into a photographic catalogue of the many species, some unfamiliar, which have filled our skies with colour.  One blog could not accommodate the range of photos to be published. Therefore, a decision was made to group butterflies into family groups.  Some of these groups loosely follow similar tones of colour but there are, of course, exceptions.  

Nymphalidae.

Medium-sized to large butterflies that are generally brown or orange, although some butterflies appear in a variety of colours.  Variable colours and patterns are also evident.

Dave Walter

Dave Walter

Australian Painted Lady(Vanessa kershawi)

Common, migratory.  M 43mm, F 47mm.  Rapid flight, close to ground. Wide range of habitats. 

Host plant Paper Daisy ( Xerochrysum bracteatum), Billy Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum).

Peter & Bevly Hughes

Allan Pratt

Gerard Kipping

 

Cecile Espigole

Ian Smith

John & Bev McKay

Blue Tiger (Tirumala hamata)

Some years common.   As a result, vast numbers migrate along the East Coast.

M 72mm F 72mm. Recorded in Numabulla Magazine 15.04.1974 in large numbers on Brampton Island.

Host plant Peanut vine (Cynanchum carnosum), Corky Milk Vine (Secamone elliptica) N.Q.

Ian Smith

Ian Smith

Ian Smith

Border Rustic/ Orange Rustic (Cupha prosope)

Uncommon.  Reappeared in Western Brisbane suburbs in good numbers since 2011. M 47mm, F 53mm.  Migrant from Central and North Queensland.  Wingspan 60mm. Slow flight, often close to ground.

Host plant Flintwood (Cupha prosope), Xylosma (Xylosma terrae-reginae)

Ian Smith

Brown Ringlet (Hypocysta metrius)

Common.  M 31mm,  F 31mm. Slow flight, often close to ground. Open and closed eucalypt forests, rainforest edges.

Host plant Green Couch (Cynodon dactylon), Forest Grass (Ottochloa gracillima), Pademelon Grass (Oplismenus hirtellus).

Cecile Espigole

Chequered Copper (Lucia limbaria)

Uncommon, endangered in S.A. Brightly coloured. 23-25mm.  Symbiotic relationship with ants.  Fly close to ground. Moist grassland or very open woodland.

Host plant Native sorrel/ creeping yellow oxalis (Oxalis perennans), introduced Oxalis.

Cecile Espigole

Ian Smith

Common Crow (Euploea core)

Common. M 69mm, F 72mm.  Slow flight, usually fairly low.  Bright silver or gold chrysalis

Host plant Monkey Rope vine (Parsonia straminea), Corky Milk Vine (Secamone elliptica), Mangrove Milk Vine Cynanchum carnosum), Native figs (Ficus spp.).

Allan Pratt

Ian Smith

Evening Brown (Melantis leda)

Common.  M 60mm,  F 63mm.  Often active at dusk.  When disturbed, flies erratically then settles with wings closed.

Host plant Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra), sedges (Cares spp.)  and other grasses (Poaceae).

Ian Smith

Allan Pratt

Cecile Espigole

Glasswing (Acraea andromacha)

Common. M  53mm,  F56mm.  Gliding flight, toxic to birds.  Females fly lower than males, searching for host plants on which to lay their eggs.

Host plant  Native Passion Vine (Passiflora aurantia), Spade Flower (Hybanthus stellarioides), Corky Passion Vine (Passiflora suberosa) exotic.

Dave Walter

Leafwing (Doleschallia bisaltide)

Uncommon orange and brown butterfly with rapid flight. M 62mm,  F 65mm. Open wings reveal bright, orange patches on the wings. Lowland rainforest, parks and gardens. Displays a fake midrib and stalk.  Often confused with Evening Brown. 

Host plant Love flower (Pseuderanthemum variabile).

Cecile Espigole

Cecile Espigole

Allan Pratt

Lesser Wanderer (Danaus chrysippus)

Common M 60mm,  F 60mm.  Slow flight, usually close to ground. Coastal areas, open eucalypt forests and woodlands.

Host plant  Mangrove Milk Vine (Cynanchum curassavica), Red Head Cotton Bush (Asclepias curassavica) exotic , tylophoras (Tylophora spp.)

Dave Walter

Meadow Argus (Junonia villida)

Common M 40mm, F 43mm.  Migratory butterfly with rapid flight,often close to ground.  Appears in diverse environments.

Host plant  Exotic Lantana, plantains (Planatago spp.), goodenias (Goodenia spp. ).

Allan Pratt

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Wanderer. Common.  M 93mm,   F 92mm.   Gliding flight. Slow motion clapping wings. Widespread.  Arrived in Australia from the Americas in late C19. Poisonous (not deadly) to predators.

Host plant Milkweed- exotic

Ian Smith

Orange Ringlet  (Hypocysta adiante)

Common but local. M 28mm F 22mm. Slow flight, almost always close to ground.  Grassy areas in open, drier forests and woodlands.

Host plant Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) and other grasses (Poaceae).

Purple Crow (Euploea tulliolus)

Common but local.  M 56mm, F 60mm. Brown wings exhibit a purple sheen (especially in males).  Slow flight, usually fairly low.

Host plant   Burny Vine (Trophis scandens), Bitter Vine (Mikania cordata).

Cecile Espigole

Ian Smith

                                                    Swamp Tiger (Danaus affinis)

Locally common.  M 65mm, F 62mm.  Slow flight usually close to the ground.  Coastal areas ( mangroves, brackish creeklines and paperbark wetlands).

Host plant  Mangrove Milk Vine (Cynaanchum carnosum)

.

                                             

Three photos - Peter & Bevly Hughes

Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius)

Common. M 75mm, F 85mm. High flying and fast moving except after it has been drinking fermented sap oozing from tree trunks. Beautiful and distinctive pattern on underwing and two pointed tips on each hindwing. Four horns on head.

Host plant Brachychiton sp., Sennas,, Acacias, Native Celtis (Celtis paniculata).

John & Bev McKay

Nonie Metzler

Allan Pratt

Cecile Espigole

Common / Varied Eggfly (Hypolimnas bolina)

Common.  M 76mm, F 86mm.  Gliding flight, usually close to ground.  Distinctive appearance.  Male has blue and white pattern on upperwing.  Moist areas- creek banks, parks and gardens, wetter forests.

Host plant Love Flower (Pseuderanthemum variabile), Karamat (Hygrophila augusstifolia), Sida Retusa – exotic, Lesser Joyweed (Alternanthera denticulata).

Ian Smith

Varied Sword-grass Brown (Tisiphone Abeona)

Locally common.  M 52mm, F 59mm.  Slow erratic flight, usually low to ground.  Males patrol on the hilltop on the lookout for females.  Wet areas- heath lands, swamps, riparian areas etc. 

Host plant  Stocky Saw Sedge (Gahnia sieberiana), Swamp Saw Sedge

(G. clarkei).

Annette Bourke

Cecile Espigole

Annette Bourke

              White-banded Plane (Phaedyma shepherdi)

Common.  Similar to the Common Crow. M 55mm, F 57mm.  Has gliding style of flight.  Distinctive straight white band and spots on upperwing are very evident when seen in flight. Parks, gardens, riparian, dry vine scrubs, rainforest edges.

Host plant Koda (Ehretia acuminate), Black Booyong (Argyrodendron actinophyllum), Flame Tree (Brachychiton  acerifolius).