Iridomyrmex ants in a frenzy over a still-moving tail of a large gecko.
Blistered Grasshoppers
Blistered Grasshoppers, also known as Inland Painted Grasshoppers or Blistered Pyrgomorphs (Monistria pustulifera) seen near Beltana in March.
Stink Bug nymphs
Newly hatched Stink Bug nymphs with their eggs, at Mt Lyndhurst. A gallery of the many Stink Bugs of South Australia can be seen at iNaturalist.
Convolvulus Hawk Moth pupa
The Convolvulus Hawk Moth larvae pupate underground. The distinct spiralled form is due to the proboscis of the pupa not fusing to the body.
Praying Mantis nymphs
Praying Mantis nymphs under observation by junior field naturalists at Mt Lyndhurst. These day old nymphs look like adult mantids but have no wings or reproductive organs. The egg sac, or ootheca, is 3cm long and the nymphs are approximately 1cm. If the nymphs are not separated soon, they may start cannibalising each other in their second instar.
Moth caterpillar on Acacia
About 10cm long, this moth caterpillar is yet to be identified. It is feeding on a Broughton Willow in early March and seems to be carrying parasites or eggs. Send us an email if you can tell us about more!
Chequered Swallowtail Butterfly
Chequered Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio demolius, sighted in ephemeral floodplains near Farina in the Far North Flinders Ranges.
Further information about Chequered Swallowtails can be found on the website managed by Butterfly Conservation SA.
Bookworms! Hawk-moth caterpillars in the library
The butterfly breeding project in the Leigh Creek School Community Library has branched into the wonderful world of Hawk-moths. These fat babies feed vigourously on local Boerhavia groundcovers and daily donations sweet potato vines, growing up to 12cm.
Continue reading “Bookworms! Hawk-moth caterpillars in the library”Butterfly breeding at the Leigh Creek Library
The Leigh Creek School Community Library in the Northern Flinders Ranges is hosting a live display of locally cultivated Milkweed plants that are home to a dynamic microcosmic world of Milkweed Aphids, Ladybugs, Australian Lesser Wanderer Butterfly caterpillars and more. The insect lifecycles have captured the imagination of many people in the community, young and old.
The installation has tied in with STEM and English studies at the school, and has already expanded into host and nectar plant cultivation in the school nursery, and an outdoor butterfly enclosure. The project has also grown to include the emergence of various Hawk-moths and other insects found in the local area.
The star of the show, however, has been the stunning Australian Lesser Wanderer Butterflies, which after pupating in surprising places around the library are emerging day by day in the Library.
Continue reading “Butterfly breeding at the Leigh Creek Library”Hawk-moth caterpillar swimming
Various Hawk-moths are proliferating in the Flinders Ranges after heavy rains, including the Vine Leaf Hawk-moth and this Convolvulus Hawk-moth caterpillar caught in the rather surprising act of swimming.