Out for a quick walk, I didn’t take my macro lens with me. Pity, because I came across a luminescent insect about 2cm in length, sitting on a broken acacia trunk. Turns out it was a large parasitic fly. According to Museum Victoria, the Tachinid Fly larvae feed on Scarab Beetle larvae. The adults also … Continue reading Tachinid Fly (Rutilia lepida)
Category: Insects
Yellow Admiral Butterfly
Lately I have been looking back through my photographs. Over the years my knowledge about species has grown, so I recognise some that are not included in my A – Z Native Species List. The Yellow Admiral Butterfly is one of these. The Yellow Admirals have been plentiful every year in Spring and Summer. … Continue reading Yellow Admiral Butterfly
Abantiades hyalinatus
This blog began with the question “What is it?” and I still find myself asking this question most days. The other night we came back from a meeting, and found this beautiful moth fluttering around on the path. It seemed to be in the act of dying, as it couldn’t get off the ground … Continue reading Abantiades hyalinatus
Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa Kershawi)
Along with the Common Brown butterflies, the Australian Painted Lady butterflies are plentiful at the moment. I’ve photographed this one on a 1.5 m high Xanthorrhoea (grass tree) flower spike. These flowers are a magnet for butterflies and honeyeaters. According to the field guide I am using, ‘Butterflies: Identification and life history‘ by Ross P. Field, … Continue reading Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa Kershawi)
Common Brown Butterfly (Heteronympha merope) Male
I’m only beginning to look at butterflies from an identification perspective, so here is one to start me off – the Common Brown Butterfly. It seems the air is alive with butterflies at the moment – tumbling, paired butterflies – and each time I put my foot down when walking through grass, I seem to … Continue reading Common Brown Butterfly (Heteronympha merope) Male
Battered Butterfly
Yesterday I had my first opportunity to use my macro lens to photograph a butterfly. Consulting the field guide, I think it could be a Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea). Despite its battered state, the butterfly was flying from one plum blossom to the next without trouble. I wanted to take more photographs but just as the … Continue reading Battered Butterfly
Granny Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)
We found this moth in October 2013. It seemed quite willing to sit still while we photographed it. Since then, I’ve been trying to work out the species. Most of the moth identification websites I’ve found seem to be organised around the scientific names of species, so if (like me) you don’t know what you’re … Continue reading Granny Moth (Dasypodia selenophora)
Gum Leaf Katydid (Torbia viridissima)
Yesterday, as I stepped out to get the mail, I noticed a large green insect on the deck. It turned out to be a “leaf insect” or Katydid. Initially I took photos with my standard lens, but I soon realised it was an ideal subject for my new macro lens. The insect kept moving, so … Continue reading Gum Leaf Katydid (Torbia viridissima)
Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
The four days of intense heat have played havoc with the butterfly population. We saw many around the perimeter of the house, seeking a cooler spot. Some of them perished in the process. When I took the first of these two photographs, this Spotted Jezebel butterfly was alive. Unfortunately, we found it dead the next day. … Continue reading Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe)
Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura Klugii)
For months now, it has puzzled me why so many butterflies hover low to the ground above bark and leaf litter, and in thick grassy areas with no flowers in sight. I’ve always associated butterflies with flowers. Thanks to a wonderful book given to me by my sister for Christmas, I can now answer that … Continue reading Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura Klugii)
Hairy Caterpillar
I found this very hairy caterpillar a week or so ago. This morning, I thought I might identify the species, but I can’t find an exact match. My best guess is that it belongs to the ARCTIIDAE family, otherwise known as ‘Woolly Bears’. In Australia, there are quite a number of ‘Woolly Bears’ so I wasn’t able … Continue reading Hairy Caterpillar
Arhodia lasiocamparia
I’m starting to look more closely at leaves, bark and buds in an attempt to work out the precise mix of tree species on our land. Often it is clear that something has been munching on the leaves and if so, I am beginning to look for caterpillars and larvae. There are still so many … Continue reading Arhodia lasiocamparia
Four Spotted Cup Moth Caterpillar (Doratifera quadriguttata)
It has been very humid here for the last few days. This means we get some rain later in the day, but not much. Just enough to make it hot and moist the next morning. So it came to be that I was walking more slowly than usual, and taking a look at some of … Continue reading Four Spotted Cup Moth Caterpillar (Doratifera quadriguttata)
Golden Stag Beetle (Lucanidae, Lamprima aurata)
Every time we venture into the garden we come across another unusual find – a bird, insect or plant always captures our attention. This weekend, Richard found a beautifully coloured Golden Stag Beetle. It has taken me a few days to find out what it was (thank you Google). I managed to narrow it down … Continue reading Golden Stag Beetle (Lucanidae, Lamprima aurata)
Moth – Zygaenoidea Genus
A friend came to visit, and as I was showing her the wild flowers which grow near the dam when a flash of blue caught my eye. After a few seconds of following the low flying irridescent flashes of blue, a moth settled on the grass, and I was able to take these photographs. I … Continue reading Moth – Zygaenoidea Genus
Ants Nests
The soil here is a sandy loam. This, combined with the lack of cultivation means it is a haven for ants. Thankfully, we don’t have ants in the house, nor do they seem to come into the cultivated back yard. Howeve, once we begin walking on the uncultivated bushland, there are anthills, or ant nests … Continue reading Ants Nests
Dragon Fly
Over the warmer weeks of Spring, I’ve been watching the Dragon fly’s skim over the surface of the dam. Sonetimes alone, and sometimes in a dance with a partner, they zoom from the reeds growing on the edge, to the shade beneath the jetty, circling around, and rising and falling through the air as they … Continue reading Dragon Fly
Stick Insect
While cutting down the Banksia Rose which covered the old trellis fence, we found this gorgeous Stick Insect. We let it go into a section of the Banksia Rose which we are retaining.
Blue Ant
We were putting up a new fence to form part of the cat enclosure, and noticed a rather large and fearsome-looking ant-like insect walking at a fast pace across the paving. Neither of us had any idea what it was, so we took photos for later identification. We later identified this to be a Blue … Continue reading Blue Ant
Fifteen Acres 