…..grow banks of Goodenia ovata, and when the flowers are producing nectar they are a magnet for many types of insect and their predators. Bees, both native and feral, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and others, etc. etc. etc.

Some pictures from a recent excursion, firstly native bees, Exoneura and Lasioglossum species.

Exoneura sp.

Lasioglossum sp.

Butterflies were in numbers, Painted Ladies in the main, but there were also some that were much more interesting, eg. Doubleday’s or Lilac Grass-skipper, Toxidia doubledayi, family Hesperidae. The wing markings show that these are male butterflies.

Two blue species, family Lycaenidae, were nectaring, the Fringed Heath-blue, Neolucia agricola agricola, and the Common Grass-blue, Zizina labradus labradus. The larval food plants of the former are Daviesia species and D. leptophylla is common along the track.

Fringed Heath-blue.

Common Grass-blue.

Moths in the Noctuid family eg. Helicoverpa sp.were nectaring, although elusive, this small Oecophorid, Ocystola paulinella was cooperative, although pretending it wasn’t there.

A brightly coloured flying creature was followed until it landed, a leaf eating beetle.

And the predators, a robber fly with native bee prey,

And a wasp that had just dropped its wingless female.

Click images to enlarge the wonderful world of invertebrates.

 

 

Callistemons are some of the best shrubs to have in a garden, reliable, showy in flower, and  great suppliers of nectar and pollen for birds and insects alike. Bogong moths are very partial to callistemon nectar, using it to build up fat reserves to tide them over their summer aestivation in the shelter of the mountain caves and rocky outcrops.

Butterflies too like callistemons, in this case Painted Ladies on the mauve callistemon that grows at the Avon River Channel.

The Caper White butterfly seems to be only a rare visitor to this area, one has just appeared nectaring on a callistemon where it proved too elusive for the camera, but perseverance paid off and it was photographed clinging to a westringia in strong winds.

Insects visit many other native flowers for nectar and pollen, the hoverflies that are so numerous at the moment are feasting on the Leptospermum macrocarpum.

The white Digger’s Speedwell is popular too, in this case with a small pollen beetle.

A nice Australian Admiral has been visiting the callistemons but has also proved too elusive, so a photo from the archives will fill the gap for now. Nectaring on Grevillea Honey Gem.

Click images to enlarge.