Mud construction

Around the house some of the most evident insect activity is the presence of mud wasp nests, as the wasps take advantage of shelter from the weather that is provided under eaves, around windows, doors and any convenient niche.

Most nests are small but one wasp, the Large Mud-nesting Wasp Abispa splendida, builds quite large constructions to store the caterpillars on which their eggs are laid, as the ready food supply for the larva.

The nests contain a number of individual cells and once the new wasps have emerged from their pupa they excavate their way out of the nest. This must be quite a feat as the nest is like concrete. The body of the wasp is about 25mm and the size of the nest is most often about 150mm in length, 75mm wide and 50mm thick. 

This nest is one of two that are being competed at the moment by two pair of these wasps. On the top right of the photo below there are two old mud nests made by one of the smaller species of mud wasps.

Jewel netted

Scooping leaves out of the pool and noticed a fluttering on the surface, so netted the critter and saw a brilliant flash of iridescent blue.

A small butterfly but its wings did not seem to be fully formed, leading me to think that it had just emerged from its pupa and been blown into the pool by the afternoon's very gusty wind.

I took some photos with my Iphone and then place the butterfly on a spray of Buddleia flowers then got the camera for some more shots to enable the identification.

Although the wings were not fully extended there was enough detail for me to identify the butterfly as a male Diggle's Jewel or Blue Hypochrysops digglesii. The larvae feed on various mistletoe species, many of which are on our Eucalyptus near the pool area. Pleased to make this rescue and add this butterfly to my list of species found here.

No sting in the tail

I found another muncher on the Slender Grape vine today but a decidedly larger and duller critter than the caterpillar of the Joseph's Coat Moth.

This caterpillar is in the SPHINGIDAE family and the moth is the Pale Brown Hawk Moth Theretra latreillii and is found in tropical and sub-tropical Australia and various sub species are found throughout Asia. The Slender Grape vine is one of a number of food sources for this species.

Coat of many colours

Lately I have regularly observed Painted Vine Moths, Agarista agricola one of the NOCTUIDAE family, but have not been able to get any photos as they haven't remained still enough to enable focusing. But today I found one caterpillar on a Slender Grape vine Cayratia clematideo a thin scrambling native that is growing amongst our banana plants.

It is one of the most dramatic patterned caterpillars and like many of the showy ones it says to predators "you can see me but you won't like the taste"

As I was taking photos one of the moths arrived and was busy marking out her territory around the vines and on the bananas,  marking with a scent to discourage any others from depositing eggs. 

The other name for this moth is Joseph's Coat Moth  which as you can see from the photo is quite apt. It is a day flying moth and as well as the native vines that are the food source for the caterpillars they will also feed on the cultivated grape vines. Found it the Northern Territory, Queensland, NSW  and Victoria as well as in Papua.

 

Moths

I have taken a few moth photo but have had a bit of difficulty in identification so haven't posted them but thought I should put them up regardless.

 This tiny moth about 1cm was on the screen door and I am reasonably confident on the identification as James Kershaw's Concealer Moth Heleroteucha kershawi that has a range through Queensland, NSW and Western Australia.

Today I manage a photo of a moth that I also took a photo of a few weeks ago, but unable to get the identification, but today I feel more confident and the closest I can find is Eulrichopidia latinus,  one of the NOCTUIDAE family.