Nightjar in the headlights

Last night on the way up the track I noticed something on the ground and thought it might be a nightjar as I have seen them in this area previously, but not had a chance to get a photo. Unfortunately the phone I had with me does not have a great camera but decided to see if I could get a shot just for the record.

 As you can see a poor photo but enough to identify the bird as a White-throated Nightjar, one of the four nightjar species found in Australia. The White-throated Nightjar ranges from the tip of Cape York in Queensland along the dividing range and east coast through to southern Victoria.

This Common Australian Crow is not a bird

 The first butterfly I can recall seeing was a Common Australian Crow (Euploea core corinna) during a lesson in Primary school, when the class watched a butterfly emerge from its pupa, pump up its wings and fly.

The school had many oleander shrubs in the grounds and the plant is a favourite food of the caterpillars in suburban areas, which give the butterfly its other common name as the oleander butterfly. 

Outside of suburban city areas they range from north Western Australia across to tropical Queensland along the coastal range to South Australia where the caterpillars feed on a wide range of native food plants.

We do not have a lot of sightings of this butterfly on our property and this is the first time I have photographed one.

"Camo" Katydid

 As I was doing some pruning of shrubs I happened to see a movement and on closer look found a well camouflaged Katydid nymph.

 With my iphone in the back pocket I was able to get a couple of photos as I thought by the time I went to get my camera it could have moved on and I would be lucky if I was able to spot it again.

Not having seen one before I had no idea of the identity but after some searching found it to be the nymph of the 32 Spotted Katydid, Ephippitytha trigintiduoguttata .

Their habitat is  the coastal eucalyptus forests from central Queensland down the east coast and as far as Adelaide but much more common in the Queensland.

Not so fiery skimmer

 

 Noticed a dragonfly alight on a plant and managed to get a photo before it moved on to its next stop

. Checking the identity I found it to be a female Fiery Skimmer Orthetrum villosovittatum.and unlike the male that I posted in 2012 lacks the bright red colouring.

 

A name that suits

Digging in our mound of woodchip mulch I brought to the surface a beetle of the species that is the largest in Australia. The suitably named Rhinoceros Beetle (Xyltrupes S) that is found through Islands to the north of Australia and down the coastal regions of Queensland and less common further south.to about Sydney.

 

 Only the male beetles have the horns which they use to fight with other males coming into their territory looking for a mate. The larvae are very large curl grubs that feed on decaying vegetation, rotting timber and in our case woodchip mulch. When disturbed they have an aggressive hissing sound to scare off attackers and also emit a chemical defense.

Renowned for their strength and size (up to 70mm) it is not surprising that they are also called Hercules, Ulysses and elephant beetles.