a Spotted Swift Spider, hunting (Nyssus coloripes)
another, even faster species of Swift Spider (Nyssus albopunctatus)
so many legs! spiderlings feast on an orange-legged spider ... while the striped-leg mother stands guard below
well, that’s what we think was happening
tiny, hairy lacewing larvae just starting to hatch
Neuroptera - see our earlier blog about lacewing larvae
the Epacris is flowering
Epacris impressa
a new species for the home list!
Pomax umbellata
see iNaturalist record
first glimpse of Variable Bossiaea flowering, post-fire
Bossiaea heterophylla
see iNaturalist record
huge male batwing moth (Chelepteryx collesi)
Family Anthelidae
one of 7 males drawn to the lightsheet during a moth survey this week
another of the Batwing moths
Chelepteryx collesi
Family Anthelidae
drawn to lights at night
a second Chelepteryx makes an appearance, this one C. chalepteryx
Chelepteryx chalepteryx
Family Anthelidae
A single male of this species came to the moth lightsheet this week
winged ant on a mating flight (species unknown ... yet)
lone ant tending aphids on a seeding grass , with honeydew the reward
Grass is Wiry Panic, Entolasia stricta
spiny Dolly Ants massing on a log
Dolichoderus doriae
subfamily Dolichoderinae
an ant harassed this spider wasp as she collected mud for a nest
Fabriogenia
Family Pompilidae
see iNaturalist record
a common hover fly feeding at wattle nectary
Melangyna viridiceps (on Acacia terminalis).
Such extrafloral nectaries are common on Acacia, producing lipids as well as sugars.
see iNaturalist record
seriously tiny flies, hovering in tandem
a fat-bodied Signal Fly, wings waving
Family Platystomatidae
wingless native cockroach, the Common Eastern Litter Runner
Platyzosteria melanaria
see iNaturalist record
the leaf beetles are still around
Paropsis atomaria (?)
Family Chrysomelidae
a native snail, active after the wet weather
Pommerhelix mastersi
Family Camaenidae
see iNaturalist record
a jelly fungus commonly called Witch's Butter or Yellow Brain
Tremella mesenterica
growing on a dead casuarina (Allocasuarina)
see iNaturalist record
a hairy splitgill mushroom, growing on fire-killed tree trunk
Schizophyllum commune
see iNaturalist record
a common leather fungus, Hairy Curtain Crust
Stereum hirsutum
growing at the base of a dead tree
see iNaturalist record
a coral fungus, looking rather like cauliflower
Ramaria, perhaps Ramaria capitata
see iNaturalist record
a mycorrhizal fungus of eucalypt forests across southern Australia
Amanita xanthocephala
see iNaturalist record
a particularly tall species, growing on dead, buried wood
Oudemansiella radicata (‘Rooting Shank’)
see iNaturalist record
yet another mushroom
Laccaria ?
see iNaturalist record
extremely small but hard to overlook ... a waxcap, we think
Hygrocybe firma
see iNaturalist record
I'm so tempted to caption these two ...
Red-browed Finch (left) with Superb Fairy-wren (right)
... but I'll resist
Red-browed Finch (left) with Superb Fairy-wren (right)