A Few Nice Moths

Red-lined Geometrid Crypsiphona ocultaria

Light Brown Apple Moths mating Epiphyas postvittana

Red-lined Geometrid showing red-lined underside

Bold Phrataria Phrataria bijugata

Critters in Isolation

April 2020- finding little things in our world outside, but not too far from home, while we are following the new social isolation rules.


Meadow Argus Junonia villida.  A common butterfly and a good poser.




Pasture Day Moth  Apina callisto.  This one is freshly hatched.  The caterpillars that are busy digging little holes in the ground in spring are now these guys.



This is a video of the Apina callisto caterpillar taken late August 2019 digging its hole.  This video taken very close by to where this moth was today.

Caper White Butterfly Belenois java.  This is a female.



This is a male. They were hanging on for dear life in the wind today.




Nine Spotted Leaf Beetle Phyllocharis cyanicornis.  He is just 7mm long.






Another chapter in the story of Apina callisto.  An introduced European Wasp Vespula germanica is tearing into this moth.  We watched as the moths wing fell off.



The wasp continued to attack the moth. We realised that the wasp was removing the wings on purpose, most likely to carry the body back to feed larvae.

The tiny Lucerne Leaf Roller Merophyas divulsana. The caterpillars like Honeysuckle and Abelia, of which there is plenty around here in the suburbs.




White-patch Bark Moth Scioglyptis lyciaria




The same type of camouflage colourings, but this moth is much tinier, and rests with abdomen sticking up, and has bent antennae Nacoleia rhoealis




Mayfly -order Ephemeroptera- the adult lives only about 2 days. The long, white-tipped cerci (tails) indicate this is a male.

Nest of Paper Wasps Polistes humilis from the eves of the house, with grubs visible. The nests never get to a great size, as sooner or later a magpie will come along to pull one down and stab at it for the wasp grubs inside.

Burrill Lake

Pelicans Pelecanus conspicillatus

Zebra Top Shell Austrocochlea porcata

Tapered Ark Shell Anadara trapezia

Also known as Sydney Cockle, Ark Cockle or Blood Cockle as they have red blood

Zebra Top Austrocochlea porcata

Sausage Blubber- the eggs of the Moon Snails Conuber sp. are suspended in this jelly

Tracks of a tiny Hermit Crab at home in a Mud Whelk shell Battillaria australis

Track of a Moon Snail Conuber sordidus

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

Birds of the feeding areas:
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus molucannus
Chestnut Teal Anas castanea
Long Billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris

A wet Rainbow

Tench Reserve

Wattle Blue Theclinesthes miskini

Showing the purplish upperwing colour

Dart butterfly

A baby Huntsman, so cute

Lizard of some kind

Female Conehead Conocephalus sp.

White-banded House Jumper Hypoblemum albovittatum

Nepean River at Tench Reserve

Coppins Crossing

Spiny-headed Mat Rush Lomandra longifolia

A Bluebell Wahlenbergia spp that is not the usual blue, but white.

Native Crowfoot, Blue Storksbill, Blue Herons-foot or Blue Crowfoot Erodium crinitum

Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi

Here's some old Molonglo infrastructure- a stile for getting around down at the river.

Here's something new- a giant footbridge spanning the Molonglo. This wasn't here last time I walked along this section of the river!

The footbridge will be linking new suburbs.

First Fleet Park

The first Meadow Argus I've seen this spring. Meadow Argus Junonia villida amongst the Jacaranda blossoms Jacaranda mimosifolia. Almost all butterflies I've seen this spring in ACT have been Painted Ladies Vanessa kershawi.

Jacaranda mimosifolia flower- the plant originates in Brazil.

Australin White Ibis Threskiornis moluccus with breeding plumes and scarlet skin on the back of the head. The one in front has a healed broken leg.

Views of Harbour Bridge, giant cruise ship and Opera House all at once.