A few from the ACT and the Snowies

[moloch]

Hello all,

Last weekend, I headed south to Canberra to visit my son. He had to work until about 2pm so I spent the morning on Mt. Ainslie, a small hill on the edge of town. This was a great place for butterflies. There were many species at the hilltop and a "swarm" of 20-30 butterflies constantly chased each other over the forest canopy. Red-spotted Jezebels (Delias aganippe) were the most common butterfly in the swarm but there were also a few Imperial Jezebels (D. harpalyce), one Scarlet Jezebel (D. argenthona), many Glasswings (Acraea andromacha), one Blue Triangle (Graphium sarpedon), a few Dainty Swallowtails (Papilio anactus) and a single lovely Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius).

I also found a number of butterflies that visited the flowers of an ornamental bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.). Some of the canopy swarm would occasionally drop to the flowers and feed for a few seconds before heading back up to continue with the chase. Browns of several species were numerous in the grassy forest floor. Some of these and various species of lycaenids would also visit the flowers.

Here is a shot of Mt. Ainslie in the late afternoon:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Canberra4.jpg


... and views of Canberra from the lookout at the summit of Mt. Ainslie early in the morning:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Canberra2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Canberra1.jpg


Parliament House -- looks like a giant bunker to me.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Canberra3.jpg


I think that the following is an Imperial Hairstreak (Jalmenus evagoras). There were several of these at the flowers of the Callistemon.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak1.jpg


Another feeding with what I think to be an Arctiid:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak3Jalmenusevagoras.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak2Jalmenusevagoras.jpg

[moloch]

Glasswings (Acraea andromacha) were abundant:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing2Acraeaandromacha.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing1Acraeaandromacha.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing3Acraeaandromacha.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing4aAcraeaandromacha.jpg


Imperial Jezebel (Delias harpalyce). Unfortunately, the other jezebels only stopped briefly at the flowers and I was not able to take any photos of these at all.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialJezebel1.jpg

... when the day became warm, they left the mixed-species flock and settled high up in the canopy.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialJezebel2-1.jpg


A fresh-looking Bronze Flat (Netrocoryne repanda):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/BronzeFlat1.jpg


Varied Dusky-Blue (Candalides hyacinthina)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/VariedDusky-Blue1aCandalideshyacinthina.jpg

[moloch]

This little blue really bothers me. It looks distinctive and therefore should be easy to identify. So far, I have not really found a good match in the guide. It does resemble the illustration of a Saltbush Blue (Theclinesthes serpentata) but I am not confident of the identification.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/blue3.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/blue4.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/blue2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/blue1.jpg


Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/DaintySwallowtail.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/DaintySwallowtail3Papilioanactus.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/DaintySwallowtail2Papilioanactus.jpg


This is what I think to be a Wide-brand Grass-Dart (Suniana sunias)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Wide-brandGrass-Dart1Sunianasunias.jpg

[moloch]

A new species to me was the Chequered Copper (Lucia limbaria). These were abundant in the summit area.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper4Lucialimbaria.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper6_400Lucialimbaria.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper5_400Lucialimbaria.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper2Lucialimbaria.jpg


Barred Skipper (Dispar compacta):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/skipper2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/BarredSkipper1Disparcompacta.jpg


Long-tailed Pea-Blue (Lampides boeticus). I only saw a few of this species and they were hard to approach.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Long-tailedPea-Blue1Lampidesboeticus.jpg


Wattle Blue (Theclinesthes miskini):
[CORRECTION: This is an Amethyst Hairstreak (Jalmenus icilius)]

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WattleBlue1Theclinesthesmiskini.jpg

[moloch]

Two-spotted Line-Blue (Nacaduba biocellata):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Two-spottedLine-Blue1Nacadubabiocellata.jpg


Once my son was finished with his work, we headed south to the Snowy Mountains. We camped along a river between the ski towns of Jindabyne and Threadbo. The elevation here was about 1200m. Saturday afternoon was sunny but a change unfortunately arrived overnight. Temps remained warm but the skies were grey with frequent rain on Sunday.

This are had been burned by a bush fire a number of years ago. Trees were regenerating but the hillsides were covered with the skeletons of trees that were killed by the fire.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat6.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat7.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat3.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat1.jpg


Grassy areas like these were full of Shouldered Browns (Heteronympha penelope) and Marbled Xenicas (Geitoneura klugii)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat8.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat5.jpg


Walking track that we followed near our campground.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat4.jpg

[moloch]

A new butterfly to me was the Silver Xenica (Oreixenica lathoniella). These are small but nicely marked members of Satyrinae.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/SilverXenica1Oreixenicalathoniella.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/SilverXenica2Oreixenicalathoniella.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/SilverXenica4Oreixenicalathoniella.jpg


What I think to be Shouldered Browns (Heteronympha penelope) were abundant.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ShoulderedBrown1Heteronymphapenelope.jpg


... typical view of one perched on a stem of grass. It was hard to find one that was not obscured by vegetation when resting.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ShoulderedBrown2Heteronymphapenelope.jpg


... under surface:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ShoulderedBrown3Heteronymphapenelope.jpg



Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura klugii) were abundant along the trail.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/MarbledXenica2.jpg


Bark of a Snow Gum:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/SnowGum1.jpg

[moloch]

Here is another one that I cannot identify for certain. I could not get a good shot of the outer underwings but these were spotted with large patches of white. To me, it looks much like a Mottled Grass-Skipper (Anisynta cynone), a species with a fragmented distribution that is known from northern NSW but not from the ACT. I suppose that it must be something else but I am not certain of its identification.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/skipper1.jpg


This beetle looked amazing with its huge antennae.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/beetle1.jpg


Gang-Gang Cockatoo, male:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Ganggang1.jpg

female:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Ganggang2.jpg


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/flower_daisy3.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/flower_daisy2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/flower_daisy1_400.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/flower_daisy1a_400.jpg

[moloch]

Here is the lovely but unresponsive Highland Copperhead (Austrelaps ramsayi) that I found basking along a trail in the afternoon.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Copperhead2.jpg

... watching me before racing into cover:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Copperhead1.jpg


One of the very common Tussock Skink (Pseudemoia entrecasteauxi):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Pseudemoia1.jpg


... that is it for this trip. It was great to have a night in the hills with my son. We did not get for the big bushwalk on Sunday due to the weather but we still had a good time exploring the area.

[bluefin]

Another wonderful series from you David. :cheers:

I especially like the first Imperial Hairstreak feeding on the flowers of the Callistemon against the deep blue sky. :)

[Bluebottle]

Nice series, David. I too like the Imperial Hairstreak shot. The open-wing shots of Bronze Flat, Mottled Grass-Skipper and Dainty Swallowtail are good too. :cheers:

[Silverstreak]

David ,

What a wonderful bag of various species of butterflies !! Which are all new to me!

The Imperial Hairstreak is a show stealer!!!

Thanks for sharing !

:cheers:

[Psyche]

Many of the Satyrids have quite colourful undersides.

I 've read that some of the beautiful Delias can reach pest proportion.

However, the butterfly I am most interested in for a long time is Papilio anactus. I am curious if this is an evolving mimic of Cressida cressida , since they look alike.
Do the females at least flies in the slow manner of mimics. Do their distributions overlap to a large extent ( sympatric ) which will suggest a model - mimic evolution.

TL Seow:cheers:

[moloch]

Thanks very much, guys, for the remarks. Imperial Hairstreaks are one of the very nice butterflies. I've only seen a single member of this species before this trip so it was nice to observe a number of these. I will post more photos from another quick trip to Canberra yesterday.




However, the butterfly I am most interested in for a long time is Papilio anactus. I am curious if this is an evolving mimic of Cressida cressida , since they look alike.
Do the females at least flies in the slow manner of mimics. Do their distributions overlap to a large extent ( sympatric ) which will suggest a model - mimic evolution.
TL Seow:cheers:

Hello Seow,

That is an interesting observation. Acraea andromacha and Cressida cressida are both similar in appearance and in flight but I had not really thought about Papilio anactus. Maybe that is due to my unfamiliarity with the species. I don't see it here on the coast at all and have only seen it a few times in Victoria and recently in the ACT. According to the field guide, P. anactus has a large distribution on the east coast and it overlaps broadly with both C. cressida and A. andromacha, especially in Queensland.

I only saw males on the hilltop so I cannot comment on the flight of females. The males tended to fly slowly back and forth and perched often on stems of grass or shrubs. They were capable of fast flight and at times would join in the mixed species swarm that raced over the canopy. Mostly, though, they remained near the ground. I suppose that they did resemble C. cressida in behaviour.

Here are a few more shots of the three species.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/CressidaFromKakadu2_400.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/CressidaFromKakadu_400.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/DaintySwallowtail5_400.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/DaintySwallowtail4_400.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing6a_400Acraeaandromacha.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing4_400Acraeaandromacha.jpg

[moloch]

I had to return to Canberra yesterday to pick up my son. I decided to make a day of it so I took leave from work and headed down there early in the morning. I spent the morning hours on Mt. Ainslie, then moved to the botanical gardens. I finally the day on the summit of Black Mountain, another isolated hill.

Here are photos of a few from the day.

One of my favourites were these Chequered Coppers. When the day finally warmed, they were everywhere along tracks around the summit of the hill.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper8Lucialimbaria.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper9aLucialimbaria.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ChequeredCopper10Lucialimbaria.jpg


I saw more of these blues that initially confused me last week. I think that the species is Saltbush Blue (Theclinesthes serpentata).
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/blue5.jpg


I originally thought that these were Wattle Blue (Theclinesthes miskini) but now, I am not certain. I will need to do more study. These butterflies were numerous on a few sapling wattles.

EDIT: I found the correct identity on the net. These are Amethyst Hairstreaks (Jalmenus icilius), a wattle specialist.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WattleBlue3Theclinesthesmiskini.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WattleBlue2Theclinesthesmiskini.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WattleBlue4Theclinesthesmiskini.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WattleBlue5Theclinesthesmiskini.jpg

[Psyche]

David,

Thnx for the info. on Papilio anactus. I was intriqued because it seems to be wearing red warning colour prominently.

If a palatable ( which I assumed this to be ) species shows warning colour, then it can only be wearing it under false pretense.

It may be in the early stage of mimicry, but this is all pure speculation.

TL Seow:cheers:

[WillFolsom]

David: I understand you got the Tamron T180mm. You seem to be putting it to good use. It's on my list to buy once the weather warms up. Good to see the good results you are getting as well. william

[moloch]

Thanks, William. These shots were taken with the T180. It is a good lens but the learning curve for me has been a big one. I look forward to yours before too long. When will the butterflies be active again in your area?

Another shot of the political centre of Australia:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat11.jpg


Here are a couple of shots of the habitat at the summit of Mt. Ainslie. The forest here is mostly composed of several species of Eucalyptus and wattles (Acacia sp.).
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat10.jpg


The trees at the summit were not big. This is the area where the mixed-species swarm of butterflies raced back and forth. They usually remained above the canopy but sometimes would drop lower and fly along the road.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/habitat9.jpg


I tried to take a photo of the flock but they were always too fast for me. I did manage this shot of a Red-spotted Jezebel that was in pursuit of a Blue Triangle. When I first saw Red-spotted Jezebels last year in the desert near Bourke, I thought that they were a slow flying species. Here on the summit, however, they were speedsters and they chased each other as well as other species of butterflies that joined in the swarm. I saw several more species of butterflies in the swarm on this second visit. New additions included a Macleay's Swallowtail, a Chequered Swallowtail, and surprisingly, a few Common Browns and Marbled Xenicas. The latter two normally flit around the forest floor so it seemed odd to see them flying high above the canopy with the other butterflies.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/swarm1.jpg


Tailed Emperor (Polyura sempronius) -- our one and only Polyura. There were two of these at the summit on Thursday. They would chase the other butterflies for awhile and then settle on leaves 3m or so up in the trees.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/TailedEmperor1a.jpg


Red-spotted Jezebels (Delias aganippe) were the dominant species in the mixed-species flock. They were colourful butterflies but unfortunately uncooperative for photos. I usually saw them in flight although this one was warming itself early in the morning near the top of a Eucalyptus.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Red-spottedJezebelDeliasaganippe.jpg



Shouldered Brown (Heteronympha penelope):
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ShoulderedBrown4aHeteronymphapenelope.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ShoulderedBrown5Heteronymphapenelope.jpg

[WillFolsom]

David:

Last night the night temperatures were below freezing. Tonight a bit above and tomorrow is scheduled to be warm. March is typically cold/warm/cold. By the end of the month it is definately warmer. Cherry blossoms predicted to come out by March 30th. That means I should begin to spot the first European cabbage white fluttering around (usually the first) followed closely by the odd sulphur and possibly by the spring azure. We'll see increasing numbers of different species slowly come out, but the real season starts in July and ends in September.

I spend my time photographing ice formations and snow scenes, but am now focusing on the crocus and snowdrops that have appeared despite the cold weather. Then Cherry blossoms, daffodils, and tulips before the spring blooms hit in full force towards the end of April.

In May I'm heading off to Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey for a cruise. We return home via London. We'll stay with friends whose daughter resides in Australia. We will chat about possibly visiting Australia with them. Might work. Would fly home via Singapore if I can find a place to stay that doesn't cost US$10,000 a night. Maybe an Elderhostel? Small hotel? Certainly not the big name hotels.

William

[moloch]

David:
We'll see increasing numbers of different species slowly come out, but the real season starts in July and ends in September.

In May I'm heading off to Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Turkey for a cruise. We return home via London. We'll stay with friends whose daughter resides in Australia. We will chat about possibly visiting Australia with them. Might work. Would fly home via Singapore if I can find a place to stay that doesn't cost US$10,000 a night. Maybe an Elderhostel? Small hotel? Certainly not the big name hotels.

William

Hello William,

I have been looking through the Audubon Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Do you see Coppers in your area? If so, I would love to see photos of these. Some, like the American Copper, are very similar to the Jewels here in Australia. They really are stunning.

I hope that you are taking along the camera and lenses to Europe. It would be nice to see photos from that area as well. The following link is to a site that seems quite useful:

http://www.leps.it/

Last year was my wife's 60th. I had a surprise birthday party for her in Melbourne and gave her tickets to Rome as her birthday gift. We will spend 6 weeks in southern Italy in September/October. I've been looking over the above site and it looks like there should still be a few butterflies active in the autumn. I will be lugging the T180 around just in case I find a few leps or herps.

If you come to Oz, let me know. I would be happy to show you around the Sydney area. May is late autumn in Australia and the southern cities such as Melbourne can be quite cool. Sydney is never freezing so there always is some activity albeit subdued in the winter. The northern areas, such as Cairns/Darwin, have butterfly activity in all months so depending upon where you travel, you should still find butterflies to photograph in Australia. This site is quite useful for many species. It helped me sort out the Amethyst Hairstreak:

http://www.purvision.com/butterflies/index.html?http%3A//www.purvision.com/butterflies/Euploea_core/index.html

[WillFolsom]

David:

I'm particularly interested in encountering all kinds of extremely poisonous species of deadly snakes. Your photographs have had a magical affect on me...or maybe not.

In any event, it somewhat depends on our UK friends and my wife. I'll work out our plans with you in mind. Have no idea where or when this might happen. William

[WillFolsom]

David:

Took this in 2004 with my D100, my first digital camera. It was in the Blue Ridge Mountains - Shenandoah National Park. I was giving a lecture on butterfly photography. After class we headed outside for some shooting. I remember it was "brisk" and very windy. These coppers where flying erratically low to the ground and were being blown back and forth. They were in a huge field with few trees, so the wind came through without any breaks or calm spots. I shot at a very high speed for those days to stop the motion and as a result had a shallow depth of field. Couldn't raise the ISO with the D100 without a lot of noise. Considering the equipment and complexities of the weather, I was pleased. They are beautiful butterflies. The intense orange was enhanced by natural sunlight. No flash. William

[moloch]

Thanks, William. They are really beautiful. I hope that you find more this next season.

[moloch]

Here are the final few photos from my second visit. I visited the botanical gardens on Black Mountain in the afternoon. This proved to be an excellent place for butterfly photography. One portion of the gardens was open and planted with low growing Everlasting Daisies. These were attractive to a number of butterflies including many of the beautiful Imperial Hairstreaks.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak7aJalmenusevagoras.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak5_400Jalmenusevagoras.jpghttp://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak6_400Jalmenusevagoras.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/ImperialHairstreak8Jalmenusevagoras.jpg


Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/PaintedLadyVanessakershawi2.jpg


Meadow Argus (Junonia villida)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/MeadowArgus2.jpg


Glasswing (Acraea andromacha)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/Glasswing5Acraeaandromacha.jpg


Barred Grass-Skipper (Dispar compacta) -- female
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/BarredSkipper3Disparcompacta.jpg

[moloch]

The gardens also had a healthy population of Eastern Water Dragons. These were the Gippsland form and they looked quite different to those on the coast. Water Dragons are big lizards with males reaching a length of a meter of so. In natural habitats, they often are shy but here in the gardens, they have become habituated to people. They often did not move as people walked by. It was funny to watch the reaction of people when they realized that there as a huge lizard nearby.

... big male. The light angle was bad but you can get an idea of its nice colours.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WaterDragon1.jpg


... females or immature males:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WaterDragon3.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WaterDragon2.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Snowy%20Mountains/WaterDragon4.jpg


Here are photos of the form that lives along the coast. This one is my "mate". It lives along the trail that I walk on most days up Mt. Kiera. I have watched what I think to be the same male for several summers now. It emerges onto rocks along the trail in December. It also is used to seeing people so often remains immobile while bush walkers are in the area. I found that it loves the succulent annelids that are numerous under logs.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/annelid.jpg

If I held these out, the dragon would run to my feet and wait for me to place the worm on a rock. It would never take the worm directly from my hand.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/replizwaterDragon22.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/replizwaterDragon13.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/replizwaterDragon12.jpg


These two colour forms were originally considered to be different species but they were merged a few years ago.

[Great Mormon]

The imperial hairstreak is a really beautiful butterfly David, and you have manage to capture some good photos of them. A butterfly on a flower, who can ask for more?

[moloch]

David:

I'm particularly interested in encountering all kinds of extremely poisonous species of deadly snakes. Your photographs have had a magical affect on me. William

That is great to hear, William! I can certainly show you these little Eastern Small-eyed Snakes in the winter although their larger more toxic relatives won't be easy. Small-eyes are moderately venomous with only two known fatalities from their bites.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/snEasternSmallEyedSnake1.jpg

... one rather pugnacious individual:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/Smalleye1.jpg


Of course, if you would like, we could go on the 20 hour drive out to Windorah, QLD. That is the home of the #1 elapid in the world, the Inland Taipan or Fierce Snake. It has spectacularly toxic venom. These snakes are easier to find in cool weather since they spend more time basking. That would be exciting and well worth the long drive, right? :grin2:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c386/moloch05/BC/Mt%20Kiera/snakeFierce3.jpg

[moloch]

The imperial hairstreak is a really beautiful butterfly David, and you have manage to capture some good photos of them. A butterfly on a flower, who can ask for more?


Thanks, Anthony.

[atronox]

Would have been better if the earthworms were the Gippsland giants!:grin2: