Spotted Tiger Moth
Amata nigriceps
These moths are a frequent sighting at this time of the year - particularly in the early morning.
Order: Lepidoptera; Family: Arctiidae
Common Dusky Blue
Candalides hyacinthus
Large numbers of these small butterflies have reappeared in the last week - apparently the progeny of the adults that were seen in early Spring.
Order: Lepidoptera; Family: Lycenidae
Scarlet Percher (male)
Diplacodes haematodes
We watched these brilliant red male dragonflies patrolling and defending breeding territories on the Bemboka River.
Order: Odonata; Family: Libellulidae
Common Bluetail Damselfly
Ischnura heterosticta
The males of these strikingly coloured damselflies contrast with the rather drab females.
Order: Odonata; Family: Coenagrionidae
Common Bluetail Damselfly
Ischnura heterosticta
Order: Odonata; Family: Coenagrionidae
Tau Emerald
Hemicordulia tau
Early one morning this week I spotted a dragonfly emerging from its pupal case. This is the first time we've caught a large dragonfly in the act of eclosing. It took its first flight soon after this photo, heading straight up into the forest canopy.
Order: Odonata; Family: Hemicorduliidae
Blue Skimmer
Orthetrum caledonicum
Order: Odonata; Family: Libelluliae
Orange-collared Spider Wasp
Ferreola handschini
Wasps in this family provision their nests with spiders, which may be even larger than themselves.
Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Pompilidae
Orange Legged Robber Fly
Colepia sp.
This robber fly has landed after spearing its prey - a small wasp - in flight with its sharp proboscis.
Order: Diptera; Family: Asilidae
Rutilia Fly
Rutilia sp.
These large, striking tachinid flies are nectar feeders and important pollinators. They are often seen resting on tree trunks.
Rutilia sp. (Order: Diptera; Family: Tachinidae)
Yellow-striped Hunter
Austrogomphus guerini
Another of the many dragonflies we saw on our recent visit to the Bemboka River Reserve. The widely spaced eyes are a feature of the family Gomphidae - our first sighting of a member of this group.
Austrogomphus guerini (Order: Odonata; Family: Gomphidae)
Common Archtail
Nannophlebia risi
There is decidedly nothing "common" about this stunner! We saw several individuals on a small tributary of the Bemboka River.
Nannophlebia risi (Order: Odonata; Family: Libellulidae)
Scarlet Percher (female)
Diplacodes haematodes
Like many dragonflies, this species shows a marked difference between the sexes. Mature males are bright red and have a yellow patch at the base of the wing, rather than the tip.
Order: Odonata; Family: Libellulidae
Aurora Bluetail
Ischnura aurora
A tiny jewel with an entirely appropriate common name. Despite its striking colouration, this damselfly is almost impossible to see until it flies off to rest on another grass stem.
Order: Odonata; Family: Coenagrionidae
Yellow-faced Sand Wasp
Bembix sp.
A fast shutter speed captures the wing movements of this wasp, as it hovers close to the ground over its sandy territory.
Order: Hymenoptera; Family: Cabronidae
Green Lacewing larva
Mallada sp.
This is the unlikely larval stage of a delicate, attractive insect, the Green Lacewing. Think of them as the ugly ducklings of the insect world. The larvae are voracious predators. They display the rather grotesque behaviour of carrying around the corpses of their prey on their backs, stuck to long hairs. This affords them excellent camouflage.
Order: Neuroptera; Family: Chrysopidae
Green Lacewing larva
Mallada sp.
It's not hard to see what's been on the menu of this Green Lacewing larva! Two other corpses, apart from the ant are psyllid nymphs.
Order: Neuroptera; Family: Chrysopidae
Green Lacewing hatchlings
Mallada sp.
Green Lacewing larvae resting on their egg cases after hatching. Several lacewing families deposit their eggs in this fashion, on long silken stalks on a flower stem.
Order: Neuroptera; Family: Chrysopidae
Garden Orb-weaver
Eriophora sp.
This is a small, juvenile form of one of our common orb-weaver spiders.
Order: Aranea; Family: Araneidae
Psyllids with attendant ants
Glycaspis sp.
The sugar cone shaped objects on this Eucalyptus leaf are secreted by small bugs, called psyllids. This covering, called a lerp, protects the soft-bodied insect beneath. The ants swarming around the lerps are collecting some of the sugary substance as the psyllids excrete it. The psyllids are afforded a degree of protection by the presence of the ants.
Order: Hemiptera; Family: Psyllidae
Eucalyptus Psyllid
Glycaspis sp.
This shot shows a psyllid in the act of constructing its lerp - an elegant piece of engineering.
Order: Hemiptera; Family: Psyllidae
