Tiny Boxer

 Noticed a movement on the floor at the entrance to our garage and a closer look revealed a small Mantis hunting ants.

 At about 3cm in length it is one of the smallest mantis and as this is wingless it is a female and a very adept hunter as as I watched it quickly caught and devoured two ants.

It is one of the Boxing Bark Mantis of the genus Paraoxypilus, and the large forelegs when held out resemble boxing gloves and give its common name.

They are widespread around the coastal regions of Australia.

Many Blue Tigers seen today

Today we had numerous Blue Tigers Tirumala hamatus flying around and only alighting briefly to take in some sun. It was quite an occasion as I have rarely seen them on our property and I was keen to get a photo or two as the only time of managed to photograph one it was partly hidden by foliage. Today the first one that I saw taking a break from flying only stayed long enough for a shot with wings together.

 After some time seeing many flying around but not stopping I finally saw one rest on acacia foliage and spread its wings to the sun.

I only managed to get the one photo before it was on the wing again but pleased with the result. These butterflies are found from northern Australia to as far south as eastern Victoria, however they are more numerous in northern regions, sometimes in large numbers.

Return visit with partner

The ripening fruits on the Strawberry Guava Psidium cattleianum are proving attractive to the bower birds, the Regent and the Satin, but this visit it was the female bird that I noticed in the bush feeding on a piece of fruit.

However it until I looked at the photo I wasn't sure which species, as both are brownish but the Regent has the black patch on the crown and the mottled back where as the Satin is more olive coloured and mottled on the breast.

Shortly after she was joined by the male back to enjoy the fruit.

Exciting regal visit.

This afternoon we were discussing some fruit in the orchard when I happened to get a glimpse of a bright yellow splash of colour at the top of the Strawberry Guava bush. First thought was a bird with a fruit from the adjacent calamondin bush, then suddenly thought, Regent Bower Bird and dashed for the camera.

The bush is some distance away and the zoom is at full 65x optical and the photo quite heavily cropped.

Definitely a male Regent Bower Bird Sericulus chrysocephalus and only the second time I have seen one on our property. They are generally found in the rainforest and adjacent forest areas of coastal Queensland and NSW.

The female is not brightly coloured being olive green to fawn with mottled and scalloped markings.

Their natural food are the fruits of rainforest trees but they are very partial to exotic fruits much the the chagrin of orchardists.

It quickly flew off into the trees where I managed to get another photo before it left the area.

 

Difficult ID

Another moth photograph taken last week and I had a difficult time trying to identify the species as there are a number of similar coloured and patterned moths.

Finally I thought I had it nailed but then I was worried as there had been few sightings so had to ask an expert. He thought it was a different species and looking at the reference he gave I found a better match. A female moth in the CATOCALINAE family  Ericeia plaesoides.

Moth rescue

Working on the pool this morning and noticed a moth floating and when I scooped out it was quite fine and not needing resuscitation.

It looked like a new species for me to add to the list of visitors to the property.Got the camera and took a couple of photos.

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 It was resting on my camera strap which is 20mm wide, so it is a reasonable size moth and the very distinctive markings I thought would make identification reasonably easy. From the shape and size I thought it would be found in the Catocaline family and it didn't take long to ID it there as Dysgonia solomonensis (also known as Bastilla s)..

This species is found in Queensland and NSW as well as New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

In Australia the caterpillar has been seen feeding on a native plant Breynia oblongifolia and we have quite a few growing around the property.

 

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The other half

Walking back from the orchard I noticed what I thought was unusual dead leaf, on a vine among the banana plants but on closer look it was revealed as a moth.

With the distinctive patterns and shape of the wings I expected would make identification reasonably easy.

Checking the Australian Moth Family site, I thought it may be in the ANTHELIDAE family but the reference photos didn't have a match. However I did click on the Common Anthelid page that displayed a photo of a moth like one I posted in 2012, although it looked nothing like this moth.

2012 photo

. The difference was explained, today's moth is the female of the Common Anthelid Moth Anthela acuta  whilst the 2012 photo is of the male.

They are found in most states of Australia and the caterpillars feed on acacia species and grasses.

 

Sip on a guava

There are a number of fruit piercing moths and this one is partial to guavas although it must have been taking shelter from the rain on our verandah where it was found this morning.

It is a moth of the EREBIDAE family in the sub-family CALPINAE species Ophiusa disjungens  Australian Guava Moth. This can be confusing as there is another Australian Guava Moth Coscinsptycha improbana, that is a major pest in guava and feijoa orchards in Australia and New Zealand but due to its larva spoiling the fruit.

 As with a number of moths in the CALPINAE family the dull upper wings hide the colour and pattern on the lower wings.

The caterpillars feed on a number of plant species including Eucalyptus and the following if a photo previously posted in 2018.feeding on a peppercorn tree.

They are found in many countries in SE Asia and Queensland, Northern Territory and NSW in Australia. 

Shining in the sun

Spangled Drongos are still around which is late in the season for them to be in our area but the days have been quite warm and insects are very plentiful.

They are residents in the tropical coastal areas and a bit further north than here but with climate change we may see them here year round.

 

A taste for Castor Oil

Found another moth on the verandah this morning and it didn't take long to identify it as the Castor Oil Looper Achaea janata, 

I had to disturb it to see if I could see the rear wings for any markings and there was just enough showing to confirm the ID.

The common name results from the caterpillars favourite food, the Castor Oil Plant although there are many more food plants that they have been found on.

When castor oil was in demand the caterpillars caused substantial damage in the plantations, however in Australia the castor oil plant is a recognised weed so the moth now maybe in favour 

They are widespread in Australia and also found in Indian and Pacific island countries as well as some SE Asian areas..

Highrise living

Termites are a major problem on Australia causing huge damage and costs to many home owners but not all of the 300 odd species are troublesome.

Many of the trees on the property have arboreal nests of termites and this species, Nasutitermes sp,   tend to feed on dead wood in the vicinity of the tree and also on the dead heart wood of the tree.

This nest is about 10m from the ground and the tunnels go to the nest and other feeding points on the tree. making an opening in the tunnel has the soldier termites, . swarming to deter intruders.

 

Targeted Brown

Another butterfly that I haven't posted before even though it is a reasonably frequent visitor is the Sword-grass Brown Tisiphone abeona and as the name suggests there is a relationship with with sword-grass species, Gahnia a tall clumping sedge with very sharp edges to the leaves. There are a number of Sword-grass species that the butterfly larvae feed on but the one we have growing on our property is Gahnia sieberana.

There are a number of variations of this butterfly and they range from South east Queensland through to south east South Australia. This form ranges from the mid-north coast to the south coast of New South Wales.

Not your common garden variety

A frequent visitor but I realised I hadn't posted a photo before, so here is today's critter.

 This is not the Garden Mantid but the False Garden Mantid Pseudomantis albofimbriata and is one of the most common mantids with widespread distribution in Australia.

He flies she doesn't

A fly in visit from a stick insect and I had a brief flash of brilliant violet colour when I disturbed it and the wings opened for a second. but I could not get a photo with the wings on display. The other identifying feature is a spur on the hind leg which is where the common name derives, Spur-legged Phasmid (or stick insect). Didymuria violescens gives more weight to the wing colour and the other common name Violet Stick Insect.

This one is a male, as only the male flies and has the spur on the legs, where as the female only has very small wings and stays put in the tree tops feeding on gum leaves and waiting for a mate to fly in.

They are found in Eucalyptus forests in Eastern Australia and at times are a problem  when found in large numbers in timber plantations.

Like Lychee

The young of the moth I found on the ceiling of our verandah this morning are partial to Lychee leaves, as well as those of Longan, Rambutan, Tamarillo and various other tropical fruit trees.

 The caterpillar which is quite colourful gave the common name to the moth, Conspicuous Looper, Oxyodes tricolor but the moth likes to hide its colours which are on the rear wings, half black and bright orange, that you can just see peeping through. The fore wings have a span of about 40mm and are quite variable in pattern and colour .

The range of the moth is through south and south east Asia and  coastal  Queensland and NSW in Australia. As their preferred food trees are tropical to sub tropical fruits we are at the southern end of the range.

 

Aloe Aloe have a sip

An Eastern Spinebill visited one of our Aloes that is profusely flowering at present and spent some time visiting each of the flowering stalks having a sip at each.

 

Beautiful Texture

A moth that visited last night spent the day on the side of the house, under the shelter of the verandah.

Beautiful colours and texture enabled me to identify it quite quickly as a Textured Emerald  (or Common Brown Looper) moth Hypodoxa muscosaria  of the GEOMETRIDAE family.
However to be certain I disturbed it to enable a photo of the underside which has distinctive markings.

After the photo it was quite happy to go its place on the wall for the rest of the day.

This moth has a wingspan of between 30 to 40mm and is found along  eastern Australia.

A fuel stop

The number of butterflies around the garden is still high and one species that I see a lot is the Common Grass Yellow, Eurema hecabe but they are fast flyers flitting along close to the ground and not stopping long when they alight.

Today I was lucky to see one land on a flower to tale a sip of nectar before resuming flight and giving me enough time for a photo.

These butterflies are found mainly in the northern areas of Australia with their south eastern range to about the Sydney area.

Do not disturb

These little critters are and important part of the environment as they are busy visiting plants to feed on the nectar and at the same time pollinating the plant. They are also very busy finding food for their larvae,  caterpillars, aphids and other small insects. 

These are one of the paper wasp species, White Faced Brown Paper Wasp Ropalidia plebiana and smaller than their more well known relative Australian Paper Wasp Polistes humilis  but their sting is just as painful. Fortunately they are not aggressive and people generally are stung by inadvertently disturbing their nest.

Australian Paper Wasp Polistes humilis

 

Not a dune in sight

This is a year for butterflies and dragonflies they are flitting around all day some fats moving others just seem to float with just the occasional flutter of wings.

One very striking dragonfly species that I have not seen before is quite accommodating for photos as it keeps on coming back to the same spot after a short flight. I took a some photos a couple of days ago and was going to post them but couldn't identify the species. I posted on another blog (iNaturalist.org) where there are lots of observers that will usually give you the correct Id and I did get the answer. The following day I manage to get better photos of the Dune Glider Tramea eurybia.

This species if found mainly to the north of Australia in the Andaman Islands, Sumatra, Sulawesi, New Guinea and Fiji. In Australia it is normally found around the dune lakes of Eastern Australia

 

Dainty or Dingy

Lots of butterflies still around and today managed to get a photo of one that I see at times but it is not as common as its relative, the Orchard Butterfly.

Looking up references for this species I found two common names one seems appropriate, "Dainty Swallowtail"  and I couldn't work out how the other fitted "Little Dingy Swallowtail" given the beautiful colours and markings. It is a member of the PAPILIONIDAE family species named  Papilio anactus and it is found throughout Australia where the caterpillars feed on native citrus, finger limes, desert limes, wild orange as well as cultivated citrus.

Like their large relative they are not a problem in the orchard other than on young plants but I just move them to a larger tree.

Not a jewel or a fruit

Today's wander around the garden and a couple of insects with colour in their name.

First a dragonfly named for the bright colour of the eyes and some markings although the photo doesn't capture the full brightness. The Australian Emerald Dragonfly Hemicordulia australiae is one of the larger dragonflies and spend most of the time in the air hunting prey.

The eye colour gets brighter as the dragonfly matures and also varys depending on the angle of the reflection of sunlight.

Second is the female Orange Palm Dart ( photos of the male posted previously)

Very different colouring compared to the male but an attractive combination.

Butterfly bush and butterflies

Back from a holiday in New Zealand and now in home isolation for a couple of weeks, which for us is not a hardship as there are plenty of things to do around the property. It also gives me plenty of time to observe the wildlife, which I am pleased to say has started to come back since the drought has broken and we have now had rainfall in the three months above the total for all or 2019.

Working in the garden I noticed that the Butterfly Bush  Buddleja davidii has recovered somewhat and the flowers were attracting butterflies, took a break, got the camera and shot a few photos.

Caper White (male)

Caper White (female)

Caper Whites Anaphaeis java teutonia are wide spread thoughout mainland Australia with migratory flights between many areas as the larval food plants tend to be found in the northern regions. 

Meadow Argus

 

 

Meadow Argus Junonia villida sub species calybe is a quite  commonly seen butterfly and found throughout Australia where the larvae feed on a wide range of both native and exotic plants.

Orange Dart (male)

 The Orange Dart Cephrenes augiades sperthias range through coastal Australia, Indonesia through to the Solomon Islands. If you are growing palms in your garden they can be a bit of a pest, as the larvae chew their way through palm fronds on species such as Bangalow, Cabbage Tree and Kentia.

Although not on the Buddleja this Black and White Tiger  Danaus affinis affinis landed for a short rest almost at my feet as I was taking the photos. This species is generally found further north and we are at the southern edge of where they are often seen although there are sighting as far south as Sydney..An attraction to our area is likely due to significant locations of the food plant that the larvae feed on    Ischnostemma carnosum 

 a trailing plant which grows on the margins of salt creeks and swamps.

Bee-eater catches skipper

A flock of Rainbow Bee-eaters has been in the area and their distinctive twittering calls announce their arrival around the house. Today, late in the afternoon I counted ten individuals on our powerline that provided an ideal perch to swoop on any flying insects.

 None of the birds had the long streamer feather of the adult male so I guess they are juveniles and females. I watched them dive after insects and then come back to the wire where they manipulated the prey in a position to swallow. Most took a short time but one came back with a butterfly in its beak and it took a bit of time to get it into the right position, so I managed a couple of photos.

  

The markings on the butterfly wings indicate a Skipper species and my best guess is  

"iacchoides skipper" Trapezites iacchoides although there are a couple of the skippers that are very similar.

Rainbow Bee-eaters really live up to their name and are among the most colourful of birds.