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Published by The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria since 1884

From the Editors

Of all living things, invertebrates make up by far the largest group. In the state of Victoria alone,
there are estimated to be 50 000 to 80 000 species of invertebrates; this can be compared to only
about 670 vertebrates in the same region. Ironically, this disparity in numerical representation is
paralleled inversely by our level of knowledge— in general terms, we know considerably less about
the more-numerous invertebrates than about vertebrates. This issue of 'Ihe Victorian Naturalist
goes a little way toward redressing that imbalance, reporting work on a variety of invertebrate
species.

The issue is perhaps timely in another respect, in coming at the time of year that sees the greatest
activity by many invertebrate species.

Lack ot space has precluded the inclusion in this issue of ‘Guidelines for authors’ usually a feature
of the December issue of this journal. It is intended that the Guidelines will be published in Febru-
ary 2010. The Guidelines are available from the website at <www.fncv.org.au/vicnat.htm>.

The Victorian Naturalist

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Front cover: St Andrews Cross Spider Argiope keyserlingii. Photo by Dan Carey Photography.
Back cover: Ornate Ochre Trapezites genevieveae. Photo by Dan Carey Photography.

Volume 126 (6) 2009

Victorian

Naturalist

December

Editors: Anne Morton, Gary Presland, Maria Gibson

Editorial Assistant: Virgil Hubregtse

From the Editors 190

Research Report The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola (Meyrick, 1888)

(Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Central Gippsland, Victoria,

by John Wainer and Alan Yen 192

Contributions Some records of non -marine molluscs for Banks and eastern

Bass Straits, Tasmania, by John Whinray 203

A flight and new distribution record of Antitrogus carnei Britton
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), by Ian Faithfull 207

Naturalist Note Silent lodgers and uninvited guests: arthropods found in a

suburban house, by Virgil Hubregtse 210

Book Review Bugs Alive! A Guide to Keeping Australian Invertebrates
by Alan Henderson , Deanna Henderson and Jessie Sinclair,
reviewed by Alan Yen 214

Spiders: Learning to Love them, by Lynne Kelly,

reviewed by Jian Yen 216

The Complete Field Guide to Stick and Leaf Insects of Australia,
by Paul D Brock and Jack W Hasenpusch,

reviewed by Melanie Archer 217

Moths of Victorian Part 1: Silk Moths and Allies - Bombycoidea

by Peter Marriot, reviewed by Lucy Gibson 218

Floodplain Woodland Plants of North East Victoria: Identification of
natives and weeds and practical weed management for bush regeneration
projects, by Helen Curtis and Peter Curtis, reviewed by Angus Martin 219

ISSN 0042-5184

Research Reports

The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola (Meyrick, 1888)
(Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Central Gippsland, Victoria

John Wainer and Alan Yen

Invertebrate Survey Section, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666E, Melbourne, Victoria 3001
Current address: Department of Primary Industries, Knoxfield Centre, Private Mail Bag 15,

Fei ntree Gully Delivery Centre, Victoria 3156 Email: john.wainer@dpj.vic.gov.au; alan.yen@dpi.vic.gov.au

Abstract

Specimens of the Heath Sand-skipper butterfly Antipodia chaostola were found from only three locations in a
survey in Central Gippsland in 1998. The preferred larval food plant, Thatch Saw-sedge Gahnia radula , is com-
mon and widespread but the butterfly appears restricted to areas of Heathy Woodland, which is a very uncom-
mon vegetation community generally occurring on gentle, north-facing lower slopes. The dominant eucalypt
species are stringybarks and peppermints, which commonly are stunted and sparse due to the very infertile,
yellowish, gradational soils. Female Heath Sand-skippers appear to favour small young plants or regrowth of
Saw-sedge, following bushfires, for oviposit ion. As fire may be important or necessary for new growth of Saw-
sedge, it consequently may be important or necessary for the persistence of the Heath Sand -skipper. Using a
9-12 year fuel reduction burn cycle, and staggering the burning of patches of the habitat in a mosaic pattern,
seem necessary to provide a constant availability of appropriate habitat for the Heath Sand-skipper. (7 he Victo-
rian Naturalist 1 26 (6), 2009, 1 92-202)

Keywords: Thatch Saw-sedge, Gahnia radula , habitat, Heathy Woodland, bushfire

Introduction

The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola is
a medium-sized skipper, with a wingspan of ap-
proximately 30 mm for males and 35 mm for
females (Fig. 1). As it is fast flying and dull col-
oured, it is inconspicuous in flight. It is distin-
guished from its congeners by its orange-brown
colour, and differs from hesperilline and other
trapezitine skippers by the presence of scattered
orange hindwing maculation, and in behaviour
by a more open -winged pose when resting in
sunshine (Atkins 1984). Larvae are unlikely
to be confused with other butterfly species ex-
ploiting the same food plant as they have an
unusual habit of positioning head down in a
downward opening shelter, and have an unu-
sual bright red prothorax (Grund 1988). Braby
et al (1997) coined the common name Heath
Sand-skipper to replace the previously accepted
Chaostola Skipper.

Antipodia chaostola is an uncommon or rare
species throughout its geographical range (Bra-
by 2000; Douglas 1993; Dunn et al 1994; Field
1995; Neyland 1994). Sands (1990) regarded the
species as endangered and included it in a cat-
egory he defined as generally widely distributed
but decreasing in abundance to the point where
their survival is threatened’. It has not been listed

or nominated for listing as threatened under
the Fauna and Flora Guarantee Act in Victoria,
although Crosby (1990a) suggested that this
might prove necessary. Sands and New (2002)
regarded the Victorian subspecies, A. chaostola
chares (Waterhouse 1933), as having no nation-
al conservation significance. Couchman and
Couchman (1977) considered the Tasmanian
subspecies A. chaostola leucophaea (Couchman,
1946) rare, and it is listed as endangered under
the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act
1995.

The principal aims of the present study were
to survey for the presence of A. chaostola in
potentially suitable areas of Heathy Woodland,
its preferred habitat, in central Gippsland, and
to investigate the response of A. chaostola to
fire. Recommendations then can be made for
the most appropriate control burning manage-
ment regimes in Heathy Woodland necessary
to maintain habitat suitable to encourage the
butterfly’s persistence.

Biology

The genus Antipodia , as currently recognised,
contains three species (Braby 2000). They are
separated from nearby genera by a number

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Research Reports

Fig. 1 . The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola. Photo: Ross Field.

of distinctive characteristics. One is their lar-
val habit of occupying and pupating in a head
downward position within downward opening
shelters on their food plant. Saw-sedge Gahnia
spp. (Braby 2000). Three shelters are normally
constructed by each larva as it grows (Quick
1991). Other species assigned to close genera
(e.g. Hesperilla and Motasingha) shelter and
pupate in an upright position. Another unusual
feature of A. chaostola is its two-year life cycle, a
feature it shares with other members of the ge-
nus but with no other Australian skippers (Braby
2000). The larval stage lasts up to 20 months or
more (Braby 2000). Atkins ( 1 984) reported that
A. chaostola tlies each year, and that there are no
discernible constant differences between speci-
mens in odd and even years. Their pale, striped
head and bright red prothorax easily distinguish
larvae of A. chaostola (Atkins 1984).

Adult butterflies can be found flying dur-
ing October and November, and occasional
specimens have been recorded in September
and December. They are generally active only
when the ambient temperature reaches 16°C or
above, or the humidity is high (Crosby 1990a).
Between 10 am and noon appears to be the
best time of day to see adults; the afternoon is
generally less profitable (D Crosby pers. comm.

Vol 126 (6) 2009

1998). Activity is reduced when conditions
are windy or overcast (D Crosby pers. comm.
1998). Individuals will often sun themselves on
leaves in sheltered spots. Males defend terri-
tory from a perch on a prominent twig or leaf
to which they return after inspecting or attack-
ing nearby flying insects. These occasionally are
other skippers, and often include the Austral-
ian Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi y or even the
large, flower-feeding Jewel Beetle Stigmodera
macularia , both of which can be common dur-
ing Spring months. The Heath Sand-skipper
feeds on nectar from a range of low bushes or
herbs including Common Rice Flower Pimelea
humilis , Prickly Teatree Leptospermum con-
tinentale , Heath Teatree L. myrsinoides , and
Milkmaids Burchardia umbellaia. Males occa-
sionally have been observed flying near ridge-
tops (Atkins 1984). Females are less active than
males and flit close to the ground in the sun,
or sit and sun on leaves, especially those of the
larval food plant preferred in eastern Victoria,
Thatch Saw-sedge G. radula . It is probable that
females, especially gravid individuals, fly many
kilometres in search of suitable food plants in
new patches of appropriate habitat (N Quick
pers. comm. 1998). Soon after emergence, both
sexes seek nuptial’ flight-areas that are shel-

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Research Reports

tered, warm and humid. These areas are gener-
ally in physical depressions. Soon after pairing,
females depart to seek nectar and oviposit in
the much wider breeding habitat or ‘dispersal
area’. Males on the other hand, appear to remain
largely within the flight area. Together, the flight
area and dispersal area constitute a 'habitat cell’
The two areas may adjoin or be in close prox-
imity but, in general, the breeding (dispersal)
area appears to extend 50-200 m or more out-
side the very sheltered and humid flight areas
(Quick 1991).

The Headi Sand-skipper is a temperate cli-
mate species known from a very low number of
sites in the Blue Mountains, NSW, and eastern
coastal areas of Tasmania, and in Victoria, it is
rare throughout its range and much of its habitat
has been cleared (Atkins 1984; McCubbin 1971;
Neyland and Bell 2000). The subspecies chares is
found only in Victoria and is currently known
from the Grampians region of western Victoria,
the Anglesea area, locations immediately to the
east of Melbourne, Central Gippsland and near
Nowa Nowa in East Gippsland. The Blue Moun-
tains (New South Wales) locations of the Heath
Sand-skipper, from Katoomba to Lithgow, are
up to 1000 m in altitude (Atkins 1984), whereas
most locations in Victoria and Tasmania are
near sea level or in the foothills below 300 m.
An exception is the summit of Mt William in the
Grampians, at 1167 m, in an atypical microhabi-
tat where it exploits atypical food plants - Red-
fruit Saw-sedge Gahnia sieberiana and Slender
Saw-sedge G. microstachya (Common and Wa-
terhouse, 1972).

Other than at the Grampians, most records
from Victoria up until the 1950s were from
locations close to Melbourne (e.g. Beacons-
field, Frankston, Heathmont, Macclesfield,
Mt. Evelyn, Ringwood, Wandin), or in Central
Gippsland (e.g. Moe, Yallourn, Yinnar), where
the habitat has been largely alienated and the
Heath Sand-skipper probably now has been
eliminated (McCubbin 1971; D Crosby pers.
comm. 1998). Very few collections were made
in the 1960s. The increase in records during the
1970s, 1980s and early 1990s reflects the dis-
covery of new localities, such as 10 km south-
west of Nowa Nowa, Anglesea and at sites in
the foothills of Central Gippsland (e.g. Laber-
touche, Moondarra Reservoir area, Sweetwater
Creek area about 1 7 km north of Yarragon, and
Tynong North). The Nowa Nowa site appears to

be another location that has suffered destruc-
tion and probable elimination of the skipper (D
Crosby pers. comm. 1998).

For successful management of the Heath
Sand-skipper and its habitat, it is important for
land managers to know precisely where it oc-
curs. Accurate knowledge of colony locations,
including flight and dispersal areas, would pro-
vide for effective fire management as well as
for repeated monitoring of the skipper. Over-
collecting of rare species of butterflies was once
considered a major threat, but lack of appropri-
ate land management considerations is now re-
garded as more important.

Habitat requirements

The Heath Sand-skipper is generally very scarce
and local, apparently dependent on very spe-
cialised habitats near sheltered headwaters and
marshlands within stringybark and pepper-
mint Dry Sclerophyll (Heathy) Woodlands and
Sandy Heaths (Atkins 1984). This habitat typi-
cally is at the head of a shallow gully, in gently
undulating areas or sloping ground, especially
on north-facing slopes that are wet to very wet
in winter. Because of the high leach rate, soils
are invariably impoverished, characteristically
supporting scattered but stunted stringyba-
rks with thickets of Leptospermum spp. and
Hakea spp., and a heavy groundcover of vari-
ous sedges and grasses. During the skippers
brief flying-season (October and November),
these conditions provide shelter from winds
and form suntraps in which humidity levels can
be high (Quick 1990). Adult butterflies favour
these small, warm, open patches.

Larvae in Victoria feed principally on small
plants of Gahnia radula growing in sheltered,
warm, damp locations in Heathy Woodland
on poorly drained but sunny sites. Food plants
selected for oviposition by female butterflies
are generally healthy but dwarfed, probably
because of slow growth caused by soil compac-
tion. Slow growing, depauperate plants grow-
ing on highly leached, impoverished soils may
be chosen to avoid the necessity of continually
reconstructing the shelter as the Gahnia leaf
blades grow. Although the food plant is very
widespread in Victoria, only select specimens
growing in very specialised microhabitats may
be suitable to support larvae to adulthood. This
situation may have contributed to a natural rar-
ity of the species. If there is little opportunity
for larvae to move from one plant to another,

194

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Research Reports

they each may be confined to only one small
and slow growing host plant. If larvae can slow
their feeding and extend it over a two-year pe-
riod, then this may allow for new plant growth
to replace leaves and keep pace with the larval
consumption rate. C McCubbin (pers. comm.
1998) has proposed that the Heath Sand-skip-
per breeds in margins of swampy areas, where
other Gahnia feeding Lepidoptera do not oc-
cur, suggesting interspecific competition and
subsequent niche separation.

The study area

Within Central Gippsland, areas surveyed for
butterflies were generally in the foothills of the
Great Dividing Range below 200 m altitude
with an average annual rainfall of approxi-
mately 1000 mm. These areas are encompassed
within the catchments of the Latrobe River,
Tanjil River and Tyers River. In addition, other
areas assessed and searched for butterflies were
in similar foothill country in the catchments of
the Bunyip and Tarago Rivers, in the adjacent
Central Highlands region, and to the south of
the Princes Highway. Gullan et al (1984) de-
scribed twenty vegetation communities for
their South and Central Gippsland study area,
but noted that large areas of native vegetation
were cleared for pasture and pine plantations
since settlement.

Methods

The Heath Sand-skipper food plant in Central
Gippsland, Gahnia radula is very abundant
and widespread. As larval shelters are very well
concealed toward the base of these plants, and
larval chew marks down the sides of leaves are
very difficult to see, it was considered more
practical to focus primarily on searches for
adult butterflies rather than larvae. Based on
previous records of the dates of capture of the
Heath Sand -skipper in Gippsland, the present
survey of adult butterflies was confined to
the months of October and November 1998.
Searches for larvae, with an experienced lepi-
dopterist (Dr R Field), in the Sweetwater Creek
area in April 1999, failed to locate any Heath
Sand-skipper larvae, and only two specimens
of another Gahnia -feeding skipper (probably
Varied Sedge-skipper HesperiUa donnysa ) were
found. As adults show greatest activity during
the two hours before noon, butterfly searches
included this time period. As the butterflies
require a minimum ambient temperature of

16-20°C and high humidity to become active,
searches within flight areas occurred particu-
larly during warm weather.

Information on altitude, aspect, slope and
vegetation preferred by the Heath Sand-skipper
was obtained by visiting sites where the but-
terfly previously had been collected. Colour
aerial photographs, 1 :25 000 topographic maps
and ecological vegetation class (EVC) maps,
where available, were used in an effort to pin-
point further areas of Heathy Woodland that
were potentially suitable habitat for the skipper.
These locations were then visited to determine
whether the vegetation and other environmen-
tal conditions matched those of known Heath
Sand-skipper sites and to search for adult but-
terflies.

At sites where a specimen was located, a GPS
reading of latitude and longitude, notes on
weather conditions, time of day, and a struc-
tural and floristic vegetation assessment were
made. Voucher specimens of the Heath Sand-
skipper were pinned and lodged with the De-
partment of Entomology, Museum Victoria.

Results

The Heath Sand-skipper was captured at five
sites during this survey. Figure 2 shows all re-
corded A. chaostola sites in Central Gippsland,
at three of which (sites 1, 4 and 5) specimens
were captured during the current survey. Sites 2
and 3, a large expanse of suitable habitat along
Hard Up Haul Track in the Sweetwater Creek
area, are the only new locations found during
the present survey. Sites 2 and 3 are approxi-
mately 1 km apart.

The locations and some details of each site are
provided below.

1. Location: Tynong North Road, at junction
with Ferres Track, Tynong North, Bunyip
State Park, 7 km north of Princes Freeway
(Fig. 3).

GPS: 38°00.17'S; 145°37.01'E. Map grid ref-
erence: 784928 (1: 25000 Garfield North).
Map altitude: 150 m. Aspect: W. Date: 30
October 1998.

Canopy: Mealy Stringvbark Eucalyptus ce-
phalocarpa , Broad-leaved Peppermint E.
dives. 8-10 m high, 20-30% cover.

Midstorey: Bushy Needlewood Hakea de-
currens, Furze Hakea H. ulicina y Hairpin
Banksia Banksia spinulosa , Silver Banksia
B. marginata , Leptospermum continentale , L.
myrsinoides , Spike Wattle Acacia oxycedrus ,

Vol 126 (6) 2009

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Research Reports

Fig. 2. Map of Central Gippsland showing known sites of A. chaos tola. Lines indicate major and minor roads.
Stars (sites I -5) indicate locations at which the species was found during the present survey. The species previ-
ously has been recorded at all sites except sites 2 and 3. Sites: 1 - Tynong North Road, Tynong North, Bunyip
State Park; 2 - Hard Up Haul Track, 1.5 km east of Beards Road, Harold Creek forest block, Latrobe State
Forest; 3 - Hard Up Haul Track, 0.5 km east of Beards Road, Harold Creek forest block, Latrobe State Forest;
4 - Seninis 1 rack, Moondarra State Park (MSP); 5 - Tyers River crossing, MSP; 6 - Labertouche area; 7 - Sweet
water Creek Nature Conservation Reserve; 8 - Seninis Track, MSP; 9 - Junction of Walhalla and Moondarra
Reservon Roads, MSP; 1 0 - Anderson Track, MSP; 1 1 - Early Road, via Moondarra Reservoir Road; 12 - Moe;
13 - Yallourn; 14 - Yinnar.

Sweet Wattle A. suaveolens , Spreading Wattle
A. genistifolia. To 3 m high, up to 40% cover.
Groundcover: G. raclula , Wiry Spear Grass Aus-
trostipa muelleri , Wiry Bauera Bauera rubioides ,
Rosy Baeckea Euryomyrtus ramosissima , Com-
mon Heath Epacris impre$sa y Tall Sundew Dros-
era peltata , Pouched Coral-fern Gleichenia dicar-
pa, Grass Triggerplant Stylidium graminifolium ,
Pimelea humilis , Matrush Lomandra sp. Up to 1
m high, 100% cover.

Specimen details: One female taken 12.00
pm; 25°C, clear, medium north wind.

2. Location: Hard Up Haul Track, 1.5 km east of
Beards Road, Harold Creek forest block, La-
trobe State Forest, 21 km north of Yarragon.
GPS: 38°00.98’S; 146 U 05.07'E. Map grid ref-
erence: 195918 (1: 25000 Springsure Hill).
Map altitude: 230 m. Aspect: NW. Date: 6
November 1 998.

Canopy: Yertchuck Eucalyptus consideniana.
To 10 m high, 10% cover.

Midstorey: Occasional Narrow-leaf Wattle

196

Acacia mucronata , H. decurrens , B. spinulosa.
Groundcover: G. radula , L. continentale , L.
myrsinoides , A. muelleri , Swamp Selaginella
Selaginella uliginosa , Burchardia umbellata.
1 00% cover.

Specimen details: One female and one male
taken 3.00pm; 22°C, clear, light south breeze;
four other specimens seen nearby; Trapezites
phigalia common.

16 November 1998: one male taken 1 1.00 am;
20°C, overcast, no breeze; T. phigalia common.
3. Location: Hard Up Haul Track, 0.5 km east
of Beards Road, Harold Creek forest block,
Latrobe State Forest, 21 km north of Yarra-
gon Fig. 4).

GPS: 38 ,> 01.14'S; 146 U 04.63'E. Map grid ref-
erence: 189916 (1:25 000 Springsure Hill).
Map altitude: 240 m. Aspect: N. Date: 25
October 1998.

Canopy: Messmate Stringybark Eucalyptus
obliqua. 5 m high, 10% cover.

Midstorey: L. continentale , L. myrsinoides,

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Research Reports

Fig. 3. Heath Sand-skipper habitat at site 1 (Tynong North Road, Tynong North, Bunyip State Park), 30
October 1998.

B. marginata , B. spinulosa , H. decurrens, A.
mucronata , G. dicarpa , Pink Swamp Heath
Sprengelia incarnata .

Groundcover: G. radula , A. muelleri , £ /iu-
milis , Gahnia sieberiana , S. uliginosa , B. um-
bellata. 100% cover.

Specimen details: Two males taken 1.30pm
and 2.00pm; 25°C> clear, very windy; one
other specimens seen nearby.

4. Location: Seninis Track, 3 km west of Wal-
halla Road, Moondarra State Park, 18 km
north of Moe (Fig. 5).

GPS: 38°00.89'S; 146°19.09'E. Map grid ref-
erence: 402919 (1:25000 Moondarra). Map
altitude: 240 m. Aspect: N. Date: 3 Novem-
ber 1998.

Canopy: Narrow-leaved Peppermint Euca-
lyptus radiata. 3-10 m high, 10% cover.
Midstorey: L. continentale , L myrsinoides ,
H. decurrens , H. ulicina , B. spinulosa , Burgan
Kunzea phylicoides, A. mucronata, S. incarnata.
Groundcover: G. radula , S. uliginosa , G. d/-
carpa, Lomandra sp., Screw Fern Lindsaea
linearis , grasses. 100% cover.

Specimen details: One male taken 12.30pm;
25°C, clear, light west wind.

5. Location: Walhalla Road, 0.5 km south-west
of Tyers River crossing, Moondarra State
Park, 16 km north north-east of Moe.

GPS: 38°02.39'S; 146°19.5TE. Map grid ref-
erence: 408897 (1: 25000 Moondarra). Map
altitude: 200 m. Aspect: N. Date: 31 October
1998.

Canopy: E. obliqua , E. consideniana. 15-20 m
high, 20% cover.

Midstorey: L. continentale , B. spinulosa , K.
phylicoides.

Groundcover: G. radula , P. humilis , S. mazr-
Wflta, Lomandra sp., grasses. 100% cover.
Specimen details: One male taken 11.30 am;
25°C, clear, light west wind; two other speci-
mens seen nearby at 1 1.00 am.

Discussion

Habitat preference in Central Gippsland
In Central Gippsland, and in the adjacent Cen-
tral Highlands region, the Heath Sand- skipper
appears to be a habitat specialist, being restrict-
ed to areas of Heathy Woodland, an uncommon
vegetation community occurring on gentle,
north-facing lower slopes. Heathy Woodlands
have developed on yellowish gradational soils,
sandy at the surface, with a clay or coffee rock

Vol 126 (6) 2009

197

Research Reports

Fig. 4. Healh Sand-skipper habitat at site 3 (Hard Up Haul Track, 0.5 km east of Beards Road, Harold Creek
forest block, Latrobe State Forest, 21 km north of Yarragon), 29 Febuary 2008.

impeding layer at some depth, and are thought
to be very old and now infertile remnants of an
old erosion surface (Land Conservation Coun-
cil 1991). Soils may be seasonally wet, but gen-
erally dry out in summer.

In areas where the skipper w r as recorded, the
tree canopies of the Heathy Woodland con-
sisted of a range of stringybark and peppermint
eucalypt species that could grow to a height
of 20 m, but generally were stunted and only
5-10 m tall and with a canopy cover of 10-30%.
The midstorey generally consisted of a range
of low shrubs, including Leptospermum, Aca-
cia :, Hakca and Banksia y and was most diverse
and dense in areas that were long unburnt.
Frequent, low intensity fires favour species that
resprout from rhizomes such as Gahnia radula
and Austrostipa mueUeri , which provided close
to 100% ground cover at the Heath Sand-skip-
per sites. Other ground layer plants included
Bauera , Gleichenia , Lomandra , Pimelea , Selag -
inella, Sprengelia and Burchardia ,

A band of Heathy Woodland straddles the
lower foothills to the south of the Great Divid-
ing Range, at altitudes generally below 300 m,
from the Cardinia-Gembrook area eastwards

to north of Moe. Representative examples are
reserved within Bunyip State Park, Moondarra
State Park and Sweetwater Creek Nature Con-
servation Reserve. As the Sclerophyll (Heathy)
Woodland habitat is rare, Gullan et ai (1984)
designated the following locations as sites of
botanical significance: the Old Tanjil-Tyers

River (Moondarra) region (state significance),
the catchment of the Latrobe River south of
Stoll Road (in the south-east section of the La-
trohe State Forest e.g. Sweetwater Creek Nature
Conservation Reserve) and the Bull Beef Creek
catchment (in the Bull Beef Creek Nature Con-
servation Reserve), north of Old Tanjil, (both of
regional significance), and a small area at Seven
Mile Creek Road, in the Latrobe State Forest (of
local significance).

Numbers of Heath Sand-skippers sighted at
one location, on a single day, were very low,
ranging from just one individual, at sites 1, 2
(16 November) and 5, to a maximum of six
counted at site 2 (6 November). On other oc-
casions during the flight season, at some of
these locations, no specimens were sighted. Al-
though specimens in the field are inconspicu-
ous and easily overlooked, it is felt that the low

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Fig. 5. Heath Sand-skipper habitat at site 4 (Seninis Track, 3 km west of Walhalla Road, Moondarra State Park,
18 km north of Moe), 29 February 2008, two years after burning during the Moondarra bushfire.

numbers reflect small population size. At some
sites, including where the Heath Sand-skipper
was observed, another skipper. Heath Ochre
butterfly Trapezites phigalia of similar size, col-
our and habits, appeared relatively abundant in
the same location. At previously recorded sites,
where populations of the Heath Sand-skipper
have been regarded as strong, but where none
was found during the current survey (e.g. in
the Sweetwater Creek Nature Conservation
Reserve, and along Anderson Track in the
Moondarra State Park) it is possible that the
species persisted but avoided detection. It so,
then the populations must be small. Further
searches in these areas to establish the status of
the species would be worthwhile.

Management considerations
Given the absence of fire in Heathy Woodland,
vegetation successional change would probably
never result in a true forest association. The
poor, often waterlogged and compacted soils
of this habitat may prevent the development
of forest to some extent, such that some open
patches of heath remain, a condition apparently
necessary for the persistence of the Heath Sand-

skipper. Nevertheless, fire regimes play an im-
portant role in determining the species compo-
sition and abundance in this Heathy Woodland
community. Fires, particularly the relatively
frequent fuel reduction burns, inhibit the de-
velopment of climax vegetation. As the skipper
favours early successional stages of vegetation
structure, the prevention of mature vegetation
may not, per se, eliminate it. Elimination of the
early stages (larvae and pupae) of the butterfly
by fire is the threat. Fire represents the greatest
threat to the viability of colonies due to their
restricted area, the slow rate of breeding and re-
sultant changes in the composition and physi-
cal structure of the habitat (Crosby 1990b).
Because there are larvae present throughout
the year, there is no time when a fire will not
result in losses. Maintaining a full range of
fire regimes by burning in a mosaic pattern
with different patches experiencing a range
of fire histories, including unburned areas,
would probably assist flora and fauna con-
servation, both inside and outside biological
reserves. As the Heathy Woodland habitat is
slow growing, the impact of excessive veg-
etation growth on butterfly colonies also is

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slow. This allows small infrequent burns to
achieve the desired effect of clearing exces-
sive growth and fuel accumulation.

The response of the Heath Sand-skipper to
fire is poorly understood. After the Sweetwater
Creek Nature Conservation Reserve experi-
enced fire in late 1979, it was eight years before
the skipper was re-recorded. Allowing for the
two-year life cycle, this indicates re-entry six
years after the fire, or earlier (Quick 1990). A sig-
nificant portion of the habitat burned again early
in 1987, but this time the butterfly colony began
recovery after only tour years (Crosby 1990a,
b). The Heath Sand-skipper site adjacent to the
Walhalla Road in the Moondarra State Park (site
5) was burned during a wildfire in March 1994,
and the Seninis Track site (site 4) was control
burned in April 1993. Therefore, after four and
five years respectively, the butterfly colonies had
already re-established, given the assumption that
the presence of butterflies implies an established
colony. I he Tynong North Road site (site 1) was
along a cleared line, recently slashed, parallel
with the main road, suggesting an opportunistic
use of an artificially maintained open, treeless,
low heath habitat.

Crosby (1990a) suggested that the Fire Pro-
tection Plan for the Sweetwater Creek Nature
Conservation Reserve should allow for a five-
year burn cycle on some peripheral areas (pro-
tection priority 1 zone), and that an 8-12 year
program would be acceptable in the remainder
of the reserve (priority 4 zone). This would be
subject to limitation of the extent of the burns
and to assessment of the recovery rate since
the last burn. A burn cycle of 5-7 years is prob-
ably the minimum frequency capable of main-
taining Heath Sand-skippers (N Quick pers.
comm. 1998). Burning in a mosaic pattern
would be preferable, to allow for recolonisation
by butterflies from nearby unburned areas. Fe-
males may fly large distances, laying one or few
eggs in many different locations, and therefore
may move into recently burned areas where
there is new Gahnia growth (A Atkins pers.
comm. 1998). Each female has the potential
to lay 35-50 eggs, and up to 60 under excep-
tional conditions (Quick 1991). Females ap-
pear to favour small young plants or regrowth
following bushfires for oviposition (Atkins
1984). Fire generally does not eradicate Gah-
nia radula and after fire the plant regenerates
well, providing good conditions for the skip-

per. In fact, fire may be important or necessary
for new growth of Gahnia, and consequently
for the persistence of the Heath Sand-skipper.
For the New South Wales subspecies of the
Heath Sand-skipper A. chaostola chaostola
(Meyrick, 1888) natural fluctuations in adult
numbers occur because of the interactions of
fire and parasitoids (Sands and New 2002). The
immature stages naturally are attacked heavily
by parasitoids. However, soon after bushfires
when the food plants have recovered, recolo
nising adults from unburned areas are tem-
porarily able to increase in abundance due to
low densities of the natural enemies, mostly
parasitoids. dhe species subsequently subsides
to very low densities, which persist until after
further burning and recolonisation.

During this survey, no Heath Sand-skippers
were located in the Sweetwater Creek Nature
Conservation Reserve (1240 ha), although a col-
ony was found about 2 km north of its northern
boundary and about 3.5 km north of previous
Heath Sand-skipper records within the reserve
(Crosby 1990a). This colony was located in the
Latrobe State Forest, along Hard Up Haul Track,
in the large Harold Creek forest block (1890 ha),
most of which has been provisionally recom-
mended for softwood production (Land Conser-
vation Council 1982). There is a large expanse of
Heathy Woodland (at least 400 ha) in this forest
block (Land Conservation Council 1982), where-
as the area of similar habitat, preferred by the
1 leath Sand-skipper, is relatively small within the
Sweetwater Creek Nature Conservation Reserve
(Department of Primary Industries 2008). Only
two small areas within the Harold Creek forest
block have been designated Special Protection
Zones by the Department of Sustainability and
Environment (2008), a forest management zone
where timber harvesting is excluded. However,
neither of these zones encompasses the main are-
as of Heathy Woodland habitat, particularly those
south of Hard Up Haul Track, towards Stoll Road
and south of Stoll Road towards the north bound-
ary of the Sweetwater Creek Nature Conservation
Reserve. Except for these small Special Protec-
tion Zones, the entire Harold Creek forest block,
as well as a strip of land roughly 1 km in width
between the forest block and the Latrobe River, is
included within the General Management Zone,
a zone where sustainable timber harvesting is a
major use (Vic Forests 2008).

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Research Reports

The Heath Sand-skipper has been recorded
from six areas within the Moondarra State Park.
Before creation of the park, three, perhaps four
of these may already have disappeared due to
various causes (Quick 1991). The Early Road
colony (site 2a of Crosby 1990b), a once-strong
population, is believed to have been lost be-
cause of its proximity to a plantation of Pinus
radiata (Quick 1991). The combined effects
of reduced ground-water availability, dust and
pine-pollen contamination of the Gahnia foli-
age, and overshadowing, may have lead to the
decline. Before the 2006 Moondarra bushfire
the vegetation at this site had been long un-
burned as it was completely enclosed by pines,
and therefore became very dense and tall, prob-
ably contributing to its unacceptability for the
Heath Sand- skipper. The colony at site 2 of
Crosby (1990b), at the junction of Walhalla and
Moondarra Reservoir Roads, may have disap-
peared because the location had been regularly
slashed, and was degraded by the construction
of road cuttings and embankments, as well as
the laying of an underground water pipeline
in the early 1980s. During the present survey
it was discovered that colonies had persisted at
the Seninis Track and Tvers River sites (sites 3
and 6 together, and site 4 respectively of Crosby
1990b) but after extensive searching no speci-
mens were observed at the Anderson Track lo-
cation (Crosby s site 1). Further searches at this
site would be worthwhile in order to establish
the current status of the skipper. The proposed
nine year fuel reduction burn cycle, and stag-
gering the burning of patches of the habitat in a
mosaic pattern (James 1991) in the Moondarra
State Park is probably suitable to provide a con-
stant availability of appropriate habitat for the
Heath Sand- skipper.

At all three localities at which the Heath Sand-
skipper was found during this study (in 1998),
strong colonies were found at sites 1, 3 and 5 in
the flight season of spring 2005, and at site 1 in
spring 2006 (R Field pers. comm. 2008). A re-
visit to these sites in early 2008 found that only
the Moondarra State Park had experienced fire
since the 1998 survey. This was the Moondarra
bushfire of January 2006 that burned an area of
over 1 5 000 ha. It would be valuable to resurvey
the Moondarra sites for skippers during suc-
cessive future butterfly flight seasons (October-
November), to discover if and when the species
will re-establish post fire.

Conclusion

In Central Gippsland, the Heath Sand-skipper
may persist at only three separate localities,
viz. Tynong North, the Sweetwater Creek area
north of Tarragon, and the Moondarra State
Park. The species appears to be lost from other
recorded localities within the region, as well as
from some sites in the Moondarra State Park.

During the 1998 survey, no sightings were
made in the Sweetwater Creek Nature Conser-
vation Reserve, although the skipper was found
in an extensive patch of the preferred Heathy
Woodland vegetation community in the Harold
Creek forest block, immediately north of the
Reserve. As significant suitable habitat for this
butterfly occurs mostly outside the Reserve, the
management of these non-reserved areas needs
to be assessed for successful conservation of the
butterfly

Using a 9-12 year fuel reduction burn cycle,
and staggering the burning of patches of the
habitat in a mosaic pattern, are probably suit-
able strategies to provide a constant availability
of appropriate habitat for A. chaostola.

Acknowledgements

This project was funded as part of the Common-
wealth-State Regional Forest Agreement. Environ-
ment Australia was the primary funding body and
the then Victorian Department of Natural Resources
and Environment commissioned the ensuing re-
port (Wainer 1999). For their valuable information
about the biology and geographic distribution of A.
chaostola , we would like to thank Andrew Atkins,
David Crosby, Charles McCubbin, Tim New and the
late Nigel Quick. John Morey, Ross Field and Nigel
Quick generously provided guidance at A. chaostola
locations in the field. We thank Ken Walker and Pe-
ter Lillywhite for their technical assistance, and Ross
Field for helpful comments on the manuscript and
for the photograph of Anti podia chaostola. The as-
sistance and information provided hy the following
DNRE officers is greatly appreciated: John Crain,
Alison Schmidt and John Davies.

References

Atkins A (1984) A new genus Antipodia (Lepidoptera: Hes-
periidae: Trapezitinae) with comments on its biology and
relationships. Australian Entomological Magazine 1 1 , 45-
58.

Braby MF (2000) Butterflies of Australia. Their Identification,
Biology and Distribution. (CSJRO Publishing: Melbourne)
Braby MF, Atkins AF. I )unn KL, Woodger TA and Quick NB
(1997) A provisional list of common names for Australian
butterflies. Australian Journal of Entomology 36, 197-212.
Common 1FB and Waterhouse DF (1972) Butterflies of Aus-
tralia. (Angus and Robertson: Sydney)

Couchman I.B and Couchman R (1977) The butterflies of
Tasmania. In Tasmanian Year Book No. 11, pp 66-96. (Aus-
tralian Bureau of Statistics: Hobart)

Crosby DF (1990a) The butterfly fauna of the Sweetwater

Vol 126 (6) 2009

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Research Reports

Creek Flora and Fauna Reserve and its management. (Un-
published report to the Department of Conservation and
Environment, Victoria)

Crosby DF ( 1 990b) Comments on the proposed Management
Plan for Moondarra State Park and Tyers Park. (Depart-
ment of Conservation and Environment files: Traralgon)

Department of Primary Industries (2008) Victorian Resourc-
es Online, West Gippsland, Detailed KVC Maps, Ecological
Vegetation ('lasses, 1:25000 CIS Base Maps. URL. http://
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/wgregn.nsf/pages/vvg_vegeta-
tion_res_evc detailed [accessed June 2008].

Department of Sustainability and Environment (2008) Cen-
tral (iippsland Forest Management Area Wood Utilisation
Plan. URL http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenfor.nsf [ac
cessed June 2008].

Douglas F (1993) Ihe national conservation status, distribu-
tion and habitat requirements of diurnal Lepidoptera in
central and western Victoria. Part 3: Family Hesperiidae.
(Unpublished report to Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources: Victoria)

Dunn KL, Kitching RL and Dexter EM (1994) The conserva-
tion status of Australian butterflies. (Unpublished report to
the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, Can-
berra).

Field RP (1995) Conservation of Victorian butterflies. Vie
Victorian Naturalist 112, 43-46.

Grund R (1998) The identification of Gahnia Forst. & Forst.
F. (Cyperaceae) eating Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera) using
immature stages. Victorian Entomologist 28, 20-32.

Gullan PK, Earl GE, Forbes SJ, Barley RH and Walsh NG
(1984) Sites of botanical significance in Central Gippsland.
(Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands
Publication No. 400).

James M (1991) Interim Species Management Guidelines
for the Chaostola Skipper Butterfly ( Antipodia chaostola
chares) in Moondarra State Park. (Department of Conser-
vation and Environment files, Traralgon)

Land Conservation Council (1982) Proposed Recommen-
dations. Special Investigation. Melbourne Area. Hill End.
(Land Conservation Council: Melbourne)

Land Conservation Council (1991) Melbourne Area District

2 Review. Descriptive Report. (Land Conservation Coun-
cil: Melbourne)

McCubbin CW (1971) Australian Butterflies. (Nelson: Mel-
bourne)

Neyland M (1994) Ihe ecology and conservation status of
three rare hesperiid butterflies in Tasmania. Wildlife Re-
port 94/3, Parks and Wildlife Service, Tasmania. (Depart-
ment of Conservation and Land Management, Hobart)

Neyland M and Bell P (2000) Ecology and conservation of
the Chaostola Skipper Butterfly ( Antipodia chaostola leu
cophaea ) in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Naturalist 122, 47-
54.

Quick NB (1990) Butterflies and their habitat in the Central
Gippsland Region. (Department of Conservation and En-
vironment files, Traralgon)

Quick NB (1991) Comment on Interim Species Management
Guidelines for the Chaostola Skipper Butterfly ( Antipodia
chaostola chares) in Moondarra Stale Park. (Department of
Conservation and Environment files, Traralgon)

Sands D (1990) Australia’s endangered butterflies. Entomo-
logical Society of Queensland News Bulletin 18, 63-68.

Sands DPA and New TR (2002) The Action Plan for Austral
ian Butterflies. (Environment Australia, Canberra)

VicEorests (2008) Central Gippsland Forest Management
Area, Noojee District, Timber Release Plan Modification:
Coupe boundary modification Approved ( Process 1 839),
Harvest Years 2006/07 to 2010/11. URL http://www.vic-
forests.com.au/documents/2006%20TRP%20change%20
23%2())an%202008/NoojeeBoundary -Change 1839.pdf
[accessed June 2008)

Wainer ) (1999) The 1 loath Sand-skipper butterfly (formerly
the Chaostola skipper) Antipodia chaostola (Meyrick)
(Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in the Gippsland Regional for-
est Agreement area, Victoria. (Unpublished Museum Vic-
toria Invertebrate Survey Report prepared for the Depart-
ment of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria)

Received 31 July 2008; accepted 5 February 2009

One Hundred and One Years Ago

Lepidoptera of the Victorian Alps; two new butterflies for Victoria

BY G. I.YELl., F.E.S., Gisborne

On the 10th February we drove to Mt. Hot ham, six miles distant, and the highest point on the Omeo
road. Here, on the extreme summit (6,100 feet) we found another butterfly new to Victoria in Xenica
orichora. 'Ibis was named by Meyrick from Mt. Kosciusko in 1885, and has since been several times
taken in the same spot, but not elsewhere. Anderson and Spry, in “Victorian Butterflies”, mention it as a
possible Victorian species likely to be taken near Bright — an opinion now verified. This species was fairly
abundant, though not in the best condition, and the preponderance of females showed we were rather
late for it.

From The Victorian Naturalist XXV, p. 32, June 4, 1 908

202

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

Some records of non-marine molluscs for
Banks and eastern Bass Straits, Tasmania

John Whinray

Flinders Island, Tasmania 7255.

Abstract

The collecting of invertebrates was a minor interest during visits to 100 islands of Banks and eastern Bass
Straits. Thirty-one species of non-marine molluscs were recorded from twenty-two of the islands. The distribu-
tion of these species is discussed. ( The Victorian Naturalist 126 (6), 2009, 203-206)

Keywords: Non-marine molluscs, Tasmanian islands, Banks Strait, eastern Bass Strait

Introduction

Thirty-one non-marine molluscs have been
recorded on 22 of 100 islands visited in Banks
and eastern Bass Straits, Tasmania, from Hog-
an Island, near the Victoria-Tasmania border,
to Swan Island, just off the north-eastern tip of
the Tasmanian mainland. Nine snails and slugs
are exotics. This contribution discusses the
distribution of the species and presents a table
showing the islands on which they have been
found to date.

The names of the described species follow
Smith (1992). The undescribed Tasmapkena
sp. and Charopidae sp. are taken from Bonham
(2003). Mention of the Physa sp. cf. hainesii is
a pers. comm, from Dr Kevin Bonham (7 June
2007). He noted that ‘it is not clear whether
Physa hainesii is present in Tasmania.

Native and exotic snails of fresh water

Seven species are confined to streams, swamps
or lagoons. Only Deal, Flinders, Cape Barren
and Clarke Islands have streams. The latter
three also have many swamps and lagoons of a
wide range of sizes.

Just one stream on Flinders Island has been
searched, being the section of North Pats River
where it runs through the authors bush block
about 500 m upstream of the confluence with
South Pats River. Only Potamopyrgus antipo-
darurn , a very invasive species from New Zea-
land, was found. No streams on Cape Barren,
the second largest of the eastern islands, have
yet been searched. Assiminea buccinoides was
collected in Maclaine’s Creek, the north-west-
ern stream of Clarke Island, the third largest of
the eastern islands. Deal Island has three creeks
that all cease running in very dry years but can
retain pools. The three freshwater species col-

lected there, Fluvidona sp. cf. dunrobinensis ,
Austropyrgus gunnii and Potamoprygus antipo-
darum are likely to be the only ones present.

The main area of fresh lagoons and swamps
that has been examined on Flinders Island is
the strip of about 2500 ha of Crown land by
Five Mile Road in the north-eastern part of the
island. More than 80, of a wide range of sizes,
have been reached so far. The only snail found
was Glyptopkysa gibbosa and it was in a few of
the largest swamps and lagoons to the east of
the road. This species also occurs in the eastern
drain and dies in large numbers when it dries
each year.

Two lagoons of the south-eastern part of
Flinders Island have also been inspected. They
have seldom carried much water since the El
Nino of 1982 and no live snails were found in
them. Parts of the margins of the major one, E-
Shaped Lagoon, show many shells of G. gibbosa ,
but they are old and weathered, and had been
scratched out by wombats. Almost the whole
surface of Bennetts Lagoon is turned over
regularly by the same marsupials, and shells
whiten it. All are weathered and the five species
point to three periods in its recent history. The
first period is represented by two bivalve spe-
cies. Anapella cycladea occurs in littoral mud or
sand (Lamprell et al. 1992). Katelysia scalarina
occurs in littoral sand (Lamprell et al. 1992)
or sand in bays and estuaries (Wilson 2002).
The Salinator fragilis and Coxiella striata shells
would date from its time as a saline lagoon
when it was probably an arm of the adjacent
Logans Lagoon. The G. gibbosa results from its
recent period as a freshwater lagoon. It certain-
ly held water during Charles Bennetts time in
the 1920s. He dug, or had others dig, a drain by

Vol 126 (6) 2009

203

Contributions

using shovels. The drain runs from the swampy
flat west of the lagoon, through it— with feeder
drains— and on to Logans Lagoon, a distance of
almost a kilometre.

While the largest lagoons of the smaller is-
lands occur on Long and Badger Islands, none
is permanent. Badger has just one, near the
mid- north coast, but it was reduced to a tiny
pool during the visit and so the sole species
obtained, Austropeplea tomentosa y may not be
the only one present when the lagoon is brim-
ming. One of the three lagoons on Long Island
was reached during a plant collecting trip and,
while Physa sp. cf. hainesii was collected, the
area was not examined thoroughly. Hie shal-
low lagoon behind the western beach of Vansit-
tart Island is much smaller and no snails were
noticed during plant collecting. There are very
small lagoons on Rum, Goose, Preservation,
the Inner Sister and Boxen Islands, but no trace
of any freshwater species was noticed. These
sites are probably too small and temporary to
support breeding populations.

Native snails of saline water

Only one of the five major saline lagoons of the
south-eastern coast of Flinders Island was in-
spected. Logans Lagoon is generally not open
to the sea but receives much water over the low
dune at its mouth, especially during gales. Sali-
nator fragilis was common in the two minor la-
goons that open to the channel near the mouth
of the main lagoon, and was also noticed in its
major arm. Coxiella striata was widespread in
the latter area and leaves small banks of dry
shells when most of the arm dries. Only the lat-
ter species was noticed in the southern arm in
August 2006. In dry years it is a separate body
of water.

Smith (1992) records S. fragilis as ‘ ... detri-
tus-feeder, supra-littoral, littoral, mangrove;
mud-flats.’ So its occurrence in Logans Lagoon,
which has not been open to the sea since the
1970s, represents an unusual extension of the
species’ habitat. Only S. fragilis was recorded
in the extensive saltings by the mouth of Deep
Bay River on the northern coast of Cape Barren
Island in November 2007.

Native land snails

The most widespread of the 13 native land snails
is Pernagera officeri , which was collected on 17
islands. It even persisted on Bass Pyramid, a
huge isolated rock about 12 nautical miles west

of the north-western point of Flinders Island.
Its vegetation is very sparse and covers no more
than about 60 nr. Helicarion cuvieri , which
usually occurs in damp scrub and gullies, has
been found on only four islands. While there
is a tree fern gully on Green Hill at Clarke Is-
land, it was only searched for plants. It has been
much damaged by fires, and drier than it would
have been before the cover was thinned, but the
species may yet be found there.

The richest small area for native snails was
found, by chance, on Preservation Island when
the author was unable to leave the island, in the
4.2 m boat, during a strong gale that lasted for
10 days. A patch of ancient Coast Currant Leu-
copogon parvijloruSy on a planed -down old lime
sand dune behind the southern end of Horse-
shoe Bay, was worked for lichens. When they
were being examined by using a lOx magnifica-
tion glass, some tiny snails were noticed. Four
species were identified at Museum Victoria and
three of them had not previously been found
on any of the other islands. 'Lhey are Paralaoma
caputspinulae , Magilaoma penolensis and Tor-
natellinops jacksonensis. The latter was a new
record for Tasmania.

In mapping the distribution of T. jacksonensis ,
Smith and Kershaw (1979) showed it as occur-
ring throughout the islands of the eastern end
of the Straits. However, there is as yet no basis
for assuming such a widespread distribution on
the eastern islands. Smith and Kershaw (1981)
mapped the Tasmanian occurrence of the spe-
cies accurately. The snail is so small, up to 2 mm
long, that it could easily be overlooked. It is not
known whether any of the three species per-
sists on Preservation Island. The leaseholders
cleared a substantial part of the ancient Coast
Currant bushes in about 2001 in order to en-
large the cattle yards.

Native slug

Cystopelta petterdi was found by accident on
the high western slope of Mount Munro, the
summit of Cape Barren Island, when sections
of a tussock-grass clump Poa labillardierei were
pulled up during plant collecting. Among the
bases of the haulms were what resembled, at
first, woody capsules from the nearby teatree. A
closer look showed that they were slugs. Later,
the species was found on Flinders Island. Just
one was noticed, during thirty visits to the vi-
cinity of Strzelecki Peaks, on a day when the
peaks were cloud-capped and all the rainforest

204

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

shrubs were dripping. There was also a possible
record in a dense patch of the moss Dicranolo-
ma billardierei by the confluence of Summer
Camp Creek and its unmapped main eastern
tributary.

Exotic snails

Five exotic snail species have been found so far.
The most widespread is the Swollen Snail Pri-
etocella barbara. Its presence on Flinders and
Deal Islands, both settled in the 19th century,
is easy to understand. The population on Ro-
den Island was probably introduced when tim-
ber was shipped to the island for the building
of stockyards. The snail has reached two more
islands, the Inner Sister and Hogan, since the
authors collecting began in the early 1970s. It
was taken to the latter on second-hand build-
ing materials that were shipped from Flinders
Island in order to construct a hut for the lease-
holders who run cattle there.

The Garden Snail Ilelix aspersa had reached
Little Dog Island by the time of the author s first
stay there in the early 1970s. As this island was
inhabited by the 1860s, and worked for mutton-
birds until about 1970, the building materials
brought in for huts and birding sheds are the
likely source of the infestation.

The Dune Snail 'Iheba piscina was already es-
tablished on Deal Island by the author’s first
long visit in November-December 1970. It has
since spread from the heavily-infested Browns
Bay area, near the Lower Quarters of the light-
house, to the gully leading to Farm or Garden
Cove. Dune Snails reached Killiecrankie Bay,
on the north-western coast of Flinders Island,
by the early 1990s. The most likely source
is snails settling on a dinghy, or dinghies,
beached in the vegetation at the head of the
beach at Browns Bay. A live snail was found
on the road verge at Pine Scrub on Flinders
Island in September 2006. It might have fallen
from a dinghy towed from Killiecrankie Bay.
A local fisherman told me that on wet days
Dune Snails would even settle on the tyres of
cars parked on the beach at Killiecrankie Bay
(Bruce Wheatley, pers. comm.). The species
has the potential to extend its range through-
out the discontinous, limy, western coastal
zone of Flinders Island.

The other two exotics, Oxychilus cellarius and
Microxerornagna armillata , seem to have a very
limited range on Flinders Island so far.

Exotic slugs

Four exotic species have been recorded to date.
Milaxgagates is restricted to the Inner Sister Is-
land and is likely to have reached it with plants,
etc. shipped directly from Launceston. Avion
intermedius has been noticed only on Flinders
Island. It occurs north of Whitemark by North
Pats River and was also found in a minor south-
ern gully of the western spur of Walkers Hill. At
the latter spot it was under very tall Tasmanian
Blue Gums Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus ,
beside the road.

Derocems reticulatum has been found on five
islands, including Badger and Big Dog, that
were first settled before 1860. Lehmannia nycte-
lia appears to be widespread on Flinders Island.
It was introduced to the Inner Sister in the
1990s when the old farm-house was renovated
extensively.

Discussion

The collecting has been part of general sur-
vey work and so has not been the result of a
thorough examination of any of the islands
concerned. It was considered that Deal Island
had been worked fairly well. However, two new
records were made - on a dry, very exposed
western headland - during a visit late in 1987.
One of these, Pedicamista coesus , was the au-
thor’s first record of the species. Austropyrgus
gunnii , found in the islands western stream
during the same visit, was also novel to the au-
thor. So other native species may yet be found
on the eastern islands.

These records are being published now as a
report of work in progress and to show poten-
tial collectors how much remains to be done.
A more detailed account may be written when
the author’s collecting in the region comes to an
end. The bulk of it was done between 1970 and
1981 with only occasional extra records being
made since then. Most of the specimens were
lodged at Museum Victoria. The exceptions
were three late collections from Deal Island,
and the one from North East Island; they are
held at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
in Hobart.

Acknowledgements

When he was the Curator of Invertebrates at the Na-
tional Museum of Victoria, the late Dr BJ Smith en-
couraged my collecting and also named most of the
specimens. RJ Plant, also of the National Museum of
Victoria, kindly made her records for Deal and Erith
Islands available to me. Miss AJA Green, the some-

Vol 126 (6) 2009

205

C ontrwutions

time Curator of Invertebrates at the Tasmanian Mu-
seum and Art Gallery, named the four last specimens
from Kent Group. Elizabeth Turner, Curator of Inver-
tebrates at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery,
determined the bivalves from Bennetts Lagoon. Dr
Kevin Bonham, as referee, made various very help-
ful and pertinent comments on the submitted draft.
Maureen Christie was very helpful during the period
1967 to 1972. Several light-keeping families on Deal
and Swan Islands helped in various ways. At least
twenty others assisted with transport to islands.

References

Bonham K (2003) Biogeography of Tasmanian Land Snails.
(Unpublished PhD thesis. University of Tasmania)

Lamprell K, Mealy JM and Whitehead T (1992) Bivalves of
Australia , Vol 1 (Crawford House Press: Bathurst, NSW)
Smith BJ (1992) Non-Marine Mollusca. In Zoological
Catalogue of Australia, Vol 8, 405 pp. Ed WWK Houston
(AGPS: Canberra)

Smith BI and Kershaw RC (1979) Field Guide to the Non-
Marine Molluscs of South Eastern Australia. (Australian
National University Press: Canberra)

Smith B) and Kershaw RC (1981) Tasmanian Land & Fresh-
water Molluscs. Eauna of Tasmania Handbook No. 5 (Uni-
versity of Tasmania: Hobart)

Wilson BR (2002) Handbook to Australian Seashells. (Reed
New 1 full and: Sydney)

Received 22 Scptember2005 ; accepted 22 March 2007

Appendix. Table of non- marine molluscs for Banks and Eastern Bass Straits, Tasmania. The species are listed
in the order given by Smith and Kershaw (1981). The islands are listed from north to south, x = Specimens
collected, r = record by Rhyllis Plant, o = observed occurrences, * = Exotic species.

Hogan

Erith

Dover

Deal

North East
Craggy
Bass Pyramid
Inner Sister
Roden

Flinders

Babel

Mile

Mount Chappell
Badger
Long
Little Dog
Great Dog

Cape Barren
Preservation
Sea Lion
Clarke
Swan

Coxiella striata

Austropyrgus gunnii

Fluvidona sp.cf.

dunrobinensis

* Potamopyrgus

antipodarum

Assiminea buccinoides

Salinator Jfagilis

A list ropeplea tomen tosa

Glyplophysa gibbosa

Physa sp. cf. hainesii

Succinea australis

X X

rornatellinops

jacksonensis

Pupilla sp.

Tasmaphena sp.

r x x x

Paralaoma caputspinulae

Laomavix collisi

XXX

Pedicamista coesus

Magilaoma penolensis

Pernagera officeri

X X X X X X X

X X X XX

XXX X

*Arion intermedius

'Oxy chilus cellarius

Thryasona diemenensis

XX X

X X

Charopidae sp.

*Derocera$ reliculatum

X XX

* Lehmannia nyctelia

* Mi lax gagates

Cystopelta petterdi

Helicarion cuvieri

X X

* Prietocella barbata

x ox

* Helix aspersa

X X

*Vieba pisana

* Microxeromagna

armillata

206

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

A flight and new distribution record of Antitrogus carnei Britton
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Ian Faithfull

Ecology and Sustainability, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Victoria University
Address: c/- Department of Primary Industries, PO Box 48, Frankston, Victoria 3199

Abstract

The rare beetle Antitrogus carnei Britton (Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Melolonthini) known from Canberra,
ACT, and Yea, Victoria, is here recorded from a third locality, Laverton North Grassland Reserve, Victoria.
Observations of a late afternoon flight are reported. The biology of the species is compared to that of other
Antitrogus species. ( The Victorian Naturalist 126 (6) 2009, 207-210)

Keywords: Antitrogus carnei , canegrub, Melolonthini, Laverton North, grassland

Introduction

Antitrogus Burmeister is an endemic Australian
genus of large chafer beetles that includes some
better-studied pests of sugarcane and pastures,
and some rarely collected species, such as A.
carnei Britton (Fig. 1), about which very little
is known. Twenty-three species of Antitrogus
have been described, of which six are recorded
from Victoria (Allsopp 2003). Antitrogus car-
nei is one of the smallest, 16-18 mm long, with
a black head, pronotum and scutellum and
strongly contrasting red -brown elytra (Brit-
ton 1978; Allsopp 2003). Published biological
data on A. carnei were first provided by Brit-
ton (1978) as part of the species description.
Allsopp (2003) reviewed the genus but gave no
additional details.

The holotype male was reared by PB Carne of
the CSIRO Division of Entomology from lar-
vae collected at Westridge (the original name
for Yarralumla), Canberra, ACT, by P Rothery
on 3 December 1948, as was the single known
female. Additional specimens noted by Britton
were all from Canberra except for four males
(ex the collection of Queensland coleopterist
JG Brooks) collected on 8 January 1971 at Yea,
Victoria. The other Canberra material consisted
entirely of adult males: six additional specimens
bred from the larvae collected by Rothery in
1948; adults collected in May 1949 and 13 Feb-
ruary 1957; an adult bred from a larva collected
in a lawn at Campbell on 17 December 1968;
and an adult collected flying low over lawns at
dusk on 5 December 1972. All specimens men-
tioned were in the Australian National Insect
Collection (Britton 1978).

Adult Melolonthini have a ‘brief life span and
many species have a ‘brief flight period’, so ‘the
acquisition of study material [is] very much a
matter of chance’ (Britton 1978 p. 3) and much
of their biology remains to be discovered.
Known life cycles in Antitrogus occupy one or
two years (Allsopp 2003). Larvae live in the soil
where they feed on the roots of grasses and oth-
er plants (Allsopp 2003). Adults are attracted to
lights but reportedly fly only for a brief period
(c. 0.5 hr) at dusk on a few days in the year (Brit-
ton 1978). Flights mainly occur during spring
and summer after rain, and the adults do not
feed (Allsopp 2003). Adult Antitrogus females
fly rarely, disperse poorly, are not attracted to
lights and are much rarer in collections than
males (Allsopp 2003).

Antitrogus species display strong sexual di-
morphism in the size and shape of the anten-
nae (Britton 1 978) and the densities of antennal
sensilla (Allsopp 1990), with females having
small antennae and reduced numbers of sen-
silla. Males are believed to use their superior
odour detection capabilities to locate the more
sedentary females by orienting on female phe-
romones (Allsopp 1990) as occurs with the
closely related Rhopaea magnicornis Blackburn
(Soo Hoo and Roberts 1965). Females therefore
have little need to fly and, in some species, may
not fully emerge from the soil. Female A. par-
vulus Burmeister, ‘seem to just poke their abdo-
mens out of the ground, mate and then go back
down to lay their one batch of eggs’ (Allsopp
pers. comm. 10 February 2009). Allsopp (pers.
comm.) has noted that females of that species

Vol 126 (6) 2009

207

Contributions

Fig. 1 . Antitrogus carnei male from Laverton North
Grassland (image by Ken Walker, Museum Victoria,
courtesy of http://www.padil.gov.au).

seem to turn off any pheromone very quickly’
and that he has never seen more than one or
two males at each female.

These behaviours and lifecycles of Antitrogus
species combine to make them ‘more vulner-
able to localised extinction than similar large
Melolonthini (Allsopp 2003 p. 175). Successive
generations tend to occur in the same patches
(Logan 1997), the populations have little mobil-
ity, and the whole adult population may be si-
multaneously vulnerable to locally catastrophic
events.

Observations

Adult A. carnei were observed on a single oc-
casion in the south-western corner of the Lav-
erton North Grassland Reserve, Altona North,
15 km west of Melbourne, Victoria (37°51’S,
144°48’E), on 25 November 2007. The Reserve
is a remnant Basalt Plains Grassland domi-
nated by Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra
with subdominant grasses including Wallaby
Grasses Austrodanthoni a spp., the Spear Grass
Austrostipa bigeniculata and the exotic Chilean
Needle-grass Nassella neesiana. The soils are
basaltic clays and clay loams that crack deeply
when dry, and surface basalt rocks were once

abundant (Craigie 1993). The area was first
temporarily reserved in 1983 and has a com-
plex history including a long period of live-
stock grazing before 1978 and management by
fire (Craigie 1993; hunt and Morgan 1999). The
area in which the observations were made had
been deliberately burnt on 6 April 2007 and
carried little plant biomass.

The first adult was observed in flight, low
over the grassland at 6:06 pm summer time
and another at 6:07 pm, in sunny, cool condi-
tions well before sunset. Four were seen flying
simultaneously at 6:09 pm and numbers then
continued to increase gradually, with flying in-
dividuals continually present. 'I he beetles flew
rapidly and continuously in erratic sweeping
curves at heights mostly below 0.5 m, i.e. not
far above the sparse grassland canopy. Suspect-
ing that females would be present, the ground
was repeatedly searched without success. No
flying adults were seen to land. At the peak
of the flight, scores of beetles must have been
participating. Flight activity continued at least
to 7:03 pm, when observations ceased. Local
time of sunset was approximately 8:15 pm. The
flight of A. carnei occurred over an area of at
least 2 ha, extending from the edge of Kororoit
Creek Road northwards for c. 150 m and east
from the corner of Burns Road. No flight ac-
tivity was observed in rank, unmanaged grass-
land on privately owned land traversed by an
oxygen pipeline immediately to the west of the
Reserve. Two flying males were collected by
sweep net (6:06 pm and 6:15 pm). Other males
were netted and released. Flying females were
not detected. One of the specimens was kept
alive until 2:00 pm on 27 November and failed
to produce any excreta.

When the site next was visited, on 29 Novem-
ber 2007, there was no afternoon or dusk flight
and no A. carnei were seen from 4:00 pm to 8:45
pm (summer time). Despite the recent abun-
dance of adults none was found in deliberate
ground searches. Instead there was a mass dusk
flight of Sericestkis hard (Sharp) (Melolonthi-
nae: Scitalini). Repeated ground searches asso-
ciated with botanical studies on 4, 5, 6, 10 and
18 December failed to reveal any A. carnei or
their skeletal remains and no flight activity was
observed.

No rain was recorded at RAAF Williams air-
base, Laverton (3.2 km to the SW of the col-
lection locality) on 24 and 25 November, but

208

The Victorian Naturalist

Contributions

16.6 mm fell on 21 November, 11.6 mm on
22 November and 0.8 mm on 23 November
(Bureau of Meteorology 2007). Recordings at
that station on 25 November include 15.8°C
and relative humidity (RH) of 74% at 9:00 am,
18.2° and RH of 61% at 3:00 pm, a daily mini-
mum of 14.6°, a daily maximum of 19.7°, and
a maximum wind gust of 37 km/h from the
south at 5:21 pm. The observations at Laverton
North Grassland were made under a clear sky,
relatively cool temperatures and variably breezy
conditions with some moderate winds from the
south-west.

Discussion

The specimens differ somewhat from the de-
scription provided by Britton (1978 p. 22)
in possessing rather bright reddish brown
(rather than ‘dark brown to black’) elytra, and
antennae of a similar but paler colour (rather
than ‘yellowish brown’ with the lamellae very
pale’). Additional colour images of a Laverton
North specimen have been provided by Walker
(2009).

A. carnei may be a species restricted to native
grasslands and grassy woodlands. The grass
species composition of the Canberra lawns
from which it was collected in the past is not
known, but many mown areas in Canberra
currently retain native Austrodanthonia species
and many are dominated by volunteer exotic
grasses such as Nassella neesiana. Much of the
lower lying parts of Canberra were originally
covered with natural grasslands and significant
remnants remain in Campbell and Yarralumla
(Environment ACT 2005). The habitat at Yea,
Victoria, is uncertain, but much of the Yea area
was considered to be very open woodland (<5%
tree cover) in 1982, consisting of improved and
semi -improved pastures with smaller areas of
native grasses (Paine 1982). Cherry and All-
sopp (1991) demonstrated that A. parvulus has
a distinct preference for clay and silt soils and
this may also be the case with A. carnei.

The mass flight was observed c. 3 days after
substantial rainfall, corresponding with activity
records for other Antitrogus species. The flight
period observed (c. 1 hr, in the afternoon) ap-
pears to be markedly different from that re-
corded for other species, daytime flight being
unusual; however, observations concluded well
before sunset, so flight activity may have con-
tinued through dusk. The rather striking red/
black facies of the specimens is suggestive of

aposematic colouration and might be indicative
of a more diurnal activity pattern than is usual
in the genus. The Laverton North flight extends
the known adult activity period slightly: adults
occurred 1 1 days earlier in the season than the
Canberra specimen collected on 5 December
1972. Lack of defecation by the captive speci-
men for a period of 44 hours after collection
adds further weight to the generalisation that
adult Antitrogus do not feed.

It appears probable that the flying adults con-
sisted only of males. Their apparent failure to
land suggests that receptive females releasing
pheromones were not present, or that condi-
tions were otherwise unsuitable for pheromo-
nal location. Perhaps activity in preceding days
had resulted in the mating of most females and
a cessation of their receptivity. Female A. par-
vulus prefer soils with moisture levels close to
field capacity for oviposition (Logan 1997), so
possibly the soils at the site had dried sufficient-
ly to be no longer suitable for egg-laying and
females were therefore unreceptive. Wind con-
ditions may have affected male detection capa-
bilities: Soo Hoo and Roberts (1965) found that
steady breezes of c. 8-1 1 km/hr enabled male
Rhopaea rnagnicornis to fly upwind to calling
females, but that winds that were unsteady or of
low speed prevented male orientation. Higher
wind speeds and substantial gustiness at Lav-
erton North may have had a similar detrimen-
tal impact. Alternatively, mating may occur at
dusk or after dark.

The Laverton North Grassland suffered major
degradation before reservation, losing a large
proportion of its native forbs (Craigie 1993)
and possibly therefore of its native insects. The
presence of a population of this rare beetle in
the reserve reinforces its continued high value
in the conservation of grassland biota and will
hopefully ensure the continued survival of the
species in Victoria. The specimens have been
deposited in the Museum of Victoria.

Acknowledgements

The work reported is part of a study funded
by the Australian Government’s ‘Defeating the
Weed Menace Programme and supported by
the Victorian Department of Primary Indus-
tries. Specimen collection was permitted under
Department of Sustainability and Environment
Research Permit No. 10004227. I thank Peter
Allsopp for confirming the identity of the speci-
mens and providing comments on the observa-
tions. Ken Walker (Museum Victoria) provided

Vol 126 (6) 2009

209

Naturalist Notes

the photograph, which is available along with
other photographs of the species in the Pests and
Diseases Image Library.

References

Allsopp PC] (1990) Sexual dimorphism in the adult anten-
nae of Antitrogus parvulus Britton and Lepidiota negatoria
Blackburn (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae).
Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 29, 261-
266.

Allsopp PC ’. (2003) Synopsis of Antitrogus Burmeister (Cole-
optera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthini)." Australian Journal of
Entomology > 42, 1 59- 1 78.

Britton EB (1978) A revision of the Australian chafers (Co-
leoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) Vol. 2. Tribe Mel-
olonthini. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary
Series No. 60 .

Bureau of Meteorology (2007) Laverton, Victoria. Septem-
ber 2007 Daily Weather Observations, http://www.bom.
gov.au/c limate/dwo/2007 1 1 /html/1 DCJ PW3043.2007 1 1 .
shtsml [Accessed 27 June 2008].

Cherry RH and Allsopp PG (1991) Soil texture and the dis-
tribution of Antitrogus parvulus Britton, Lepidiota crinita
Brenske and L. negatoria Blackburn (Coleoptera: Scara-
baeidae) in South Queensland sugarcane fields. Journal of
the Australian Entomological Society 30, 89-92.

Craigie V (1993) Laverton North Grassland Reserve Draft
Management Plan. (Department of Conservation and Nat-
ural Resources, Melbourne)

Environment ACT (2005) A Vision Splendid of the Grassy
Plain Extended. ACT Lowland Native Grassland Gonser-
vation Strategy. Action Plan No. 28. (Arts, Heritage and
Environment, Australian Capital Territory Government,
Canberra)

Logan DP (1997) Effect of soil moisture on ovipositlon by
Childers Canegrub Antitrogus parvulus Britton (Coleop-
tera: Scarabaeidae). Australian Journal of Entomology 36
175-178. 67

bunt ID and Morgan JW (1999) Effect of fire frequency on
plant composition at the Laverton North Grassland Re-
serve, Victoria. Ike Victorian Naturalist 116 , 84-89.

Paine DWM (1982) Vegetation. In Atlas of Victoria, pp. 49-
56. Ed JS Duncan. (Victorian Government Printing Office,
Melbourne)

Soo Hoo CP and Roberts RJ (1965) Sex attraction in Rhopaea
(Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Nature 205, 724-725.

Walker, K. (2009) Canegrub Antitrogus carnei Britton 1978.
Pests and Diseases Image Library, http://www.padil.gov.au

Received 6 August 2009 ; accepted 10 September 2009

Silent lodgers and uninvited guests:
arthropods found in a suburban house

We share our home with many different kinds
of arthropods. The silent lodgers (mostly spi-
ders) generally live inside, while the uninvited
guests (mostly flies and moths) enter from
time to time via the external doorways, and of-
ten end up as food for the lodgers.

When we moved in, silverfish, clothes moths
and carpet beetles abounded. I did battle with
them for a long time, with minimal effect. Then
one day I saw a Daddy Long-legs spider feast-
ing on a silverfish. From then on I let the Daddy
Long-legs have the run of the house (well, up
to a point). After a while it was extremely rare
to see a silverfish, while the number of clothes
moths was also greatly reduced. Once these
prey had become scarce, I discovered that Dad-
dy Long-legs also prey on other spiders, such
as White-tailed spider, Black House spider,
wrap-around spider (Fig. 1), young huntsman
spiders, and even other Daddy Long-legs (Fig.
2). They in turn are preyed upon by spitting
spiders (Fig. 3). Nothing seems to eat carpet
beetles, however, and although we threw out
the carpet more than 10 years ago, a few still
remain.

White-tailed spiders put in an appearance dur-
ing warm, dry weather, usually at night; Black
House spiders, though present, are secretive
and not often seen; tiny greyish brown spiders
(Oecobius sp.) live on the cornice, windowsills
and behind the skirting boards; and various
species of jumping spiders manage to make a

Fig. 1 . Wrap-around spider.

210

The Victorian Naturalist

Naturalist Notes

Fig. 2. Daddy Long-legs feeding on another Daddy
Long-legs.

Fig. 4. Spitting spider.

living on the window frames. There are numer-
ous other small spiders, including several that I
have seen only once.

One type of small spider, a spitting spider, used
to live in a drawer in our kitchen. When I dis-
covered it I was amazed at the number of moth
wings under the dish I was about to use: until
that moment I hadn’t realised that any moths
were present! Needless to say I was very grateful
to this spider. Spitting spiders don’t build a web,
but immobilise their prey with a shower of sticky
spittle produced in special glands in the cepha-
lothorax. Some of these spiders have an abdo-

Fig. 3. Spitting spider with Daddy Long-legs.

Fig. 5. Huntsman.

men similar in size to the cephalothorax (Fig. 4),
while others have a smaller abdomen (Fig. 3).

Huntsman spiders, because of their relatively
large size, are the most conspicious spider visi-
tors (Fig. 5). They enter the house occasionally,
usually when rain is imminent. Their habit of
keeping at least a couple of legs on the cornice
ensures that they stay - often for several days -
until they venture to a spot where I can catch
them easily. I used to leave them inside, but now
that the weather is drier and fewer suitable prey
enter the house, I prefer to put them outside
where they have a better chance of survival.

Vol 126 (6) 2009

211

Naturalist Notes

Fig. 6. Black cockroach with dusty feet.

Over the past six years, black cockroaches have
become increasingly common here. During dry
weather they come inside looking for moisture,
and sometimes drown in buckets of grey’ wa-
ter. When disturbed in an open area such as on
a wall, these insects play dead’, dropping to the
floor and lying motionless on their backs. One
black cockroach had the misfortune to fall into
a dusty glass bowl that had been left outside the
back door. Fibres in the dust collected on three
of the insects legs (Fig. 6) as it repeatedly tried
to climb out and then slipped back. It was very
slow-moving when I found it, maybe from ex-
haustion caused by trying to escape, or because
the fibres on its legs slowed it down, or a com-
bination of both.

Fig. 8. Moth.

Fig. 7. Moth fly.

At Christmas time in 2006, about 20 green
praying mantid nymphs came inside on the
potted Pinas radiata that we bring inside each
festive season. We didn’t notice them until they
climbed onto a wall. Since the weather was hot,
they welcomed a drink of water before being
returned to the garden. Unfortunately I missed
one and later found it dead on a windowsill.

The sudden appearance of numerous blow-
flies inside invariably indicates that a rat has
died under the house. On one such occasion
we found that the flies were entering through
a small gap between the skirting board and the
wall behind the lounge. A Black House spider
was quick to take advantage of the situation,
guarding the gap and catching some of the flies
as they came through.

Perhaps our most surprising visitor was a
small fly resembling a cranefly but with furry
antennae. I wasn’t aware of its presence until I
started icing a chocolate cake. It suddenly ap-
peared, settled purposefully on the plate and
fed from the chocolate icing! Although I would
have liked to know how long it would feed for,
my time was limited, so after taking a number
of photographs of the insect I shooed it away
and - regrettably - never saw it again.

The most puzzling ‘uninvited guests’ are tiny (2
mm long), hairy-winged moth flies that appear
at the back door, enter as soon as it is opened,
and end up dead on the windowsill. Since these
insects live and breed in damp places, I find this

212

The Victorian Naturalist

Naturalist Notes

Fig. 9 Moth.

behaviour difficult to understand. By contrast,
a larger (approximately 3 mm long), dark grey
moth fly (Fig. 7) that spent a day in our bath-
room was in an appropriate habitat.

Mosquitoes are particularly annoying at night
when we are trying to sleep: that unmistakable
high-pitched whine near our heads soon has
us leaping out of bed in search of the culprits.
Their ability to disappear completely until the
lights are out again is quite amazing.

Small black or brown ants, always a nuisance,
periodically invade the kitchen and bathroom.
A mixture of sodium tetraborate and honey
usually sees them off, but for ants that aren’t
interested in honey, meat juices make a reliable
substitute.

The most unwelcome ‘uninvited guests’ we
ever had were hundreds of Honey bees that set-
tled into a wall cavity via ventilation holes in
the external brick wall, and proceeded into the
kitchen through a small gap in the windowsill. I
felt a bit sorry for them because they were only
looking for somewhere to live, but we couldn’t
have them staying with us!

I have discovered that the variety of visitors
is actually far greater than casual observations
would suggest. From time to time, prior to do-
ing the dusting, I collect dead creatures from
the windowsills, place each one in methylated
spirits in a container labelled with the date,
and store the containers in boxes. The result-
ing collection contains a tiny orange mite, a

Fig. 10. Moth.

dozen types of spiders, two types of cockroach,
a green praying mantis nymph, four different
bugs, a green lacewing, a Brown Lacewing, 1 1
tiny beetles, a small black beetle, a darkling
beetle, about 30 types of flies, a similar number
of moths, 14 wasps and two ants. Many of the
beetles, flies and wasps are only two or three
millimetres long.

There are also many uninvited guests’ that
don’t end up dead on the windowsills. I pho-
tograph as many of these as I can before evict-
ing them. Some of the most beautiful are the
moths, with their intricately patterned wings
(Figs. 8-10). I certainly don’t have to travel very
far to find an abundance of natural wonders.

Virgil Hubregtse

6 Saniky Street
Notting Hill, Victoria 3168

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the Discovery Centre Staff at Museum
Victoria (especially Simon Hinkley), and Dr Alan Yen
for information about some of the arthropods seen.

Vol 126 (6) 2009

213

Book Reviews

Bugs Alive! A Guide to Keeping Australian Invertebrates

by Alan Henderson, Deanna Henderson and Jessie Sinclair

Publisher: Museum Victoria, Melbourne, 2008. 200 pages, paperback
ISBN 9780975837085. RRP $32.95

Invertebrate husbandry includes the mass pro-
duction of species for agricultural or medical
research, production of food for vertebrates
such as frogs, lizards and birds, for educational
display purposes, and as a pursuit by natural-
ists. This book is a most welcome and timely
addition to the literature to assist the latter in-
terest group.

Readily available information for the inter-
ested naturalist has been limited. For example,
Stone and Midwinter (1975), Murphy (1980),
Stone (1992) and Clarke (2000) are often cited
as general popular guides to keeping terres-
trial invertebrates. Specialist books have been
available, although until the spread of internet
shopping, they were often difficult to access.
These include hobbyist books on tarantulas
and scorpions, stick insects, and booklets by
the UK based Amateur Entomologists Society
on stick insects, hawk-moths, praying mantids,
and butterflies. The Sonoran Arthropod Stud-
ies Institute (based in Arizona) magazine Back-
yard Bugwatching and the Proceedings of their
annual Invertebrates in Captivity Conferences
(held annually since 1993) contain a lot of gen-
eralist and specialist invertebrate husbandry
advice.

With a few exceptions, all these books involve
overseas species of insects that would not be
permitted to be kept in Australia without spe-
cial permits. The exceptions are several species
of Australian stick insects (e.g. the Giant Spiny
Stick Insect Extatosoma tiaratum) which have
been bred in captivity for several years, prima-
rily in the USA and in the UK. The literature
produced on Australian species is minimal: the
Densey Clyne (1978) book on keeping insects
as pets, and Charles McCubbins (1985) booklet
on breeding butterflies.

Hence my pleasure in reviewing a book on
keeping primarily Australian invertebrates in
captivity. The approach of Bugs Alive! is similar
to Clarke (2000) in that it provides detailed in-
formation on keeping selected species alive in
captivity: information on the feeding, biology,

routine care and observations of captive be-
haviour. It starts off with information on suit-
able enclosures (physical design, temperature,
humidity and lighting requirements). Luckily,
there are a number of standard food mixtures
that can be prepared to reduce the reliance on
obtaining food from the wild (and in some spe-
cies, not even knowing all the dietary elements
required). The requirements for maintaining
invertebrates is thoroughly covered, although I
am surprised that there is no mention of the use
of cool temperatures (such as the refrigerator)
to slow down active invertebrates if required
when handling them.

Information is presented on 91 species of in-
vertebrates: ants (5 species), beetles (11), but-
terflies and moths (5), cockroaches (5), grass-
hoppers, crickets and katydids (17), mantids
(4), stick insects (6), bugs (4), wasps (2), spi-
ders (15), scorpions (4), centipedes (3), milli-
pedes (3), and slugs and snails (7). Not all of

214

The Victorian Naturalist

Book Reviews

these species are suitable for the naturalist or
for children - some species can be dangerous,
(e.g. Sydney funnel-web spiders) and are not
recommended, while others are highly threat-
ened, (e.g. the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect,
which is kept in only a couple of institutions as
part of a captive breeding programme). Hie in-
formation provided can be applied to a much
larger number of species and the authors name
some species with similar husbandry require-
ments in each entry.

The book is thorough, and more comprehen-
sive than all the general books available in terms
of the information and guidance it provides.
The presentation is clear and easy to read, al-
though it is not spelled out that technical terms
in bold type are defined in the glossary.

There are a few minor points that need to be
mentioned. From a conservation and quaran-
tine perspective, a comment is required about
purchasing invertebrates; while there are out-
lets in Australia to purchase native species, no
mention is made that it is illegal (and danger-
ous to our environment) to purchase live ma-
terial from overseas without the approval of
proper authorities. Also, I think the text could
have been a bit stronger on controlling the
escape (or the disposal of excess numbers) of
native species that are not endemic to the area
in which they are being kept. Already there are
native Australian species that have become es-
tablished in parts of Australia where they are
not normally found; this has been primarily
due to the nursery trade, but the pet trade has
the same potential. While the rearing of species
under consideration is well presented, the rear-
ing of some of the live food items is not thor-
oughly covered (e.g. rearing aphids on page 25
and mealworms on page 170). One minor error
is the statement that the Giant Rainforest Cen-
tipede Ethmostigmus rubripes is found in the
wet forests of northern Australia; its distribu-
tion is more widespread and this species occurs
in parts of Victoria.

The authors provide a common name and a
scientific name for each of the species listed.
Some of the common names are those that are

officially recognised (under the CSIRO Hand-
book of Australian Insect Names), but I suspect
the authors have made up some of the names
simply because the species did not already have
a common one. This is fine as long as the sci-
entific name is the one used for accurate iden-
tification. On this point, there is one error in
the use of scientific names: the Australian ta-
rantulas are listed as Phlogius species, but the
ones commonly kept and traded are species of
Selenocosmia.

The authors could have included a few images
of immature beetles, butterflies and caterpillars.
Images of adults are presented, but certainly in
the case of butterflies and moths, it is the lar-
val stage that is kept in a husbandry situation.
Surprisingly, the book does not include earth-
worms, any sap-sucking plant bugs (Homop-
tera), some of the common eucalypt insects
(e.g. Saunders casemoth, chrysomelid beetles,
Christmas beetles, sawflies) or, except for the
water spiders, any aquatic invertebrates. Per-
haps these will be in the next edition.

In summary, this is an excellent and most wel-
come addition to the naturalists’ library It is a
book that should also be in every school library.
Basic life history information is not available
for much of the Australian invertebrate fauna,
and this book provides a solid background for
life history studies, something that naturalists
of all ages can observe and record (and even
write about in The Victorian Naturalist !).

References

Clarke D (2000) Keeping Creepy Craw lies. (Collins: London)
Clyne D (1978) How to Keep Insects as Pets. (Angus & Rob-
ertson: Sydney)

McCubbin C ( L985) How to Breed Butterflies. (Friends of the
Zoo Inc/Zoological Board Victoria: Parkville)

Murphy F ( 1980) Keeping Spiders, Insects and Other Land In-
vertebrates in Captivity. (Bartholomew: Edinburgh)

Stone JLS (1992) Keeping and Breeding Butterflies and Other
Exotica. (Blandford Press: London)

Stone JLS and Midwinter HJ (1975) Butterfly Culture . (Bland-
ford Press: Poole, Dorset)

Alan Yen

Department of Primary Industries
621 Bur wood Highway
Knoxheld, Victoria 3156

Vol 126 (6) 2009

215

Book Reviews

Spiders: learning to love them

by Lynne Kelly

Publisher: Allen & Unwin , Crows Nest, 2009
264 pages , paperback, 38 colour plates
ISBN 9871741751796. RRP $29.95

Spiders are a fascinating, yet often misunder-
stood group. They are feared by many, and often
for completely unjust reasons. In Spiders: learn-
ing to love them , Lynne Kelly attempts to address
the misunderstandings surrounding spiders,
and introduce the reader to the amazing world
of spiders. She does this quite successfully.

Beginning with a discussion of why we fear
spiders, the book then covers the diversity of spi-
ders, followed by a detailed, yet highly readable
overview of spider biology and ecology. Finally,
a chapter titled ‘Changing the image’ wraps up
the book with a discussion of the public percep-
tion of spiders. This structure does bear some
superficial resemblances to Paul Flillyards The
Book of the Spider , yet Kellys writing style and
anecdotal approach clearly separate the two.
Appendices following the main text are partic-
ularly informative, including guides to discov-
ering and recording spiders in your own back-
yard, identifying different types of spider webs,
and a table relating common names to spider
families. Of particular use is a concise glossary,
covering terms that may be less familiar to the
reader.

Spiders: learning to love them could be used
solely as an introductory book on spiders.
However, such books already exist, for example
Main (1976) and Simon -Brunet (1994). The real
strength of this book lies in Kellys anecdotal
approach. She charts her journey from extreme
arachnophobe through to (possibly obsessed)
spider-lover. These personal accounts add an
element not found in other spider books, par-
ticularly good for those who are not keen on
spiders. By taking this journey step-by-step,
readers uncomfortable around spiders can be
slowly introduced to the world of spiders, while
simultaneously reading about the authors own
experiences. That said, for a true arachno-
phobe, the sheer number of pictures early on
(including the front cover) will probably prove
too much of a deterrent.

Criticisms are few and far between. Despite
one minor inaccuracy in the glossary, compar-

ing haemolymph to haemoglobin, the book ap-
pears to be technically correct. The only other
negative comment is that if this book is to be
used as an authoritative book on spiders’, as
suggested in promotional material, there are
other books available that cover spider identi-
fication and biology in more detail. These in-
clude Clyne (1969), Main (1976) and Simon-
Brunet (1994).

For any amateur spider-enthusiast, Spiders:
learning to love them will provide interesting
reading. For anyone who is uncomfortable
around spiders, this book is essential reading,
fhe same applies for arachnophobes, although
some work may be required before tackling the
images presented. Finally, for those who know
all there is to know about spiders, this book
presents a very interesting personal tale about
learning to love spiders. In summary, Spiders:
learning to love them contains something for
everyone, and is written in a style that is not
only easy to read, but enjoyable as well.

Jian Yen

52 Brushy Park Road
Wonga Park, Victoria 3115

References

Clyne D (1969) A Guide to Australian Spiders. (Thomas Nel-
son Australia: West Melbourne)

Millyard P (1995) The Book of the Spider. (Pimlico: London)
Main BY (1976) Spiders. (William Collins Publishers: Sydney)
Simon-Brunet B (1994) The Silken Web. (Reed Books: Chats
wood, NSW)

216

The Victorian Naturalist

The Complete Field Guide to Stick
and Leaf Insects
of Australia

by Paul D Brock and Jack W Hasenpusch

Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, 2009
216 pages, paperback, colour photographs
ISBN 9780643094185. RRP $44.95

This excellent book serves an unusually wide au-
dience: it manages to be accessible to beginners,
whilst informing professional entomologists. It
also acts both as a field guide and an aid to cultur-
ing stick insects (phasmids) in captivity. Phasmids
fulfil an important role as invertebrate ambas-
sadors because they seem to inspire less fear and
revulsion than many other taxa. I used to keep sev-
eral species on my desk at work, and was amazed
at how easily they won over even the most hard-
ened entomophobes. They are also popular pets
at many kindergartens and primary schools. It is
therefore important that a reasonably priced and
approachable book, such as tills one, be available
to fuel the interest of budding entomologists. This
book should also be welcomed by those who want
a summary of current taxonomic and biological
knowledge about Australian phasmids.

The introductory section provides information
mainly on phasmid anatomy and lifecycle. The
text is chatty and well suited to beginners, although
the grammar could be improved in places. The
second chapter covers habitat and ecology, and
the third chapter discusses collecting, preserving,
photographing and rearing phasmids. This sec-
tion includes some interesting information about
the history of phasmid research in Australia, and
mentions certain influential workers (e.g. Dodd
and McCoy) who will be more familiar to natural-
ists for other reasons.

The guide to species (Chapter Four) forms the
major part of the book. A quick reference guide
to families and subfamilies is first presented, and
is a handy short-listing tool for anybody attempt-
ing an identification. The actual species guide fol-
lows, conveniently presented in the same Fam-
ily and Subfamily order as the quick reference
pages. Strangely, the subfamily Extatosomatinae
is omitted from the quick guide, although it is
listed as a subfamily in the species identification
pages (albeit within the Tropidoderinae, from
which they were apparently recently separated).

Book Reviews

The pages devoted to each species are excellent,
and often include useful culture notes. Austral-
ian distributions only are given for most of the
few species also present overseas, but it would
have been better if their entire known distribu-
tions were listed. Apart from this very minor
point, the reader could not want more.

Keys to genera and species are found in Appen-
dix 1, and Appendix 2 presents information on
phasmid systematics that will be useful for begin-
ners. This section also contains a list describing
the contributions made to phasmid studies by key
literature (full details of each work, and additional
literature, are given later in a reference section).
Appendix 3 contains a checklist of Australian spe-
cies. The book also includes a glossary, a list of as-
sociations catering to phasmid enthusiasts, and an
index of common names.

The book is packed with good quality colour
photographs, especially throughout the species
guide section. The sheer body length of many
species makes it difficult to capture the entire
phasmid whilst showing detail sufficient for
identification, but the insects are nevertheless
clearly depicted here with judicious use of close-
ups for diagnostic features.

This book is a ‘must have 5 for any stick insect
enthusiast, whether amateur or professional. It
is also suitable for a worldwide audience, given
that several Australian species are kept as pets
overseas, and that some of the background in-
formation and taxonomic sections of the book
can be generalised outside Australia.

Melanie Archer

Department of Forensic Medicine,
Monash University, 57-83 Kavanagh St
Southbank, Victoria 3006

Vol 126 (6) 2009

217

Book Reviews

Moths of Victoria
Part 1- Silk Moths and Allies -
Bombycoideae

by Peter Marriott

Publisher: The Entomological Society of
Victoria , Bentleigh , Victoria , 2008
32 pages , paperback, colour photographs
ISBN 9780980580204 . KKP #22

The thing I like most about this moth identifi-
cation book and accompanying CD is how the
author, Peter Marriott, has taken what is quite
complicated scientific information and made it
accessible to anyone, whether naturalist, stu-
dent, scientist or enthusiast.

Aimed at anyone seeking to identify moths
around their homes and countryside’, this book
is user-friendly. Despite the title, it is not re-
stricted to use in Victoria and could also be
used in South Australia, New South Wales and
Tasmania. It is a handy size for using in the field
and very visual with over 300 photographs pro-
viding most of the detail in the book and CD.
Over the next decade approximately 10 more
books will be released in this series, covering
most Victorian macro and micro moths.

The introduction gives the reader a general
understanding of the diversity of moths in Vic-
toria and relevant information pertaining to
naming and data collection for this book. The
book is then set out in six chapters, each cover-
ing a family of the super family Bombycoidea.
This book and accompanying CD cover about
150 species across the six families.

Photographs are the major feature of each
chapter and deserve a special mention. They
add to the practicality of the book and make
comparisons between individuals easy. There
are two types of photographs: those of pre-
served specimens from museum or private col-
lections and those of live specimens, in situ. The
former depict information such as size, details
of torewing and hindwing, variation between
individuals, and sexual dimorphism. The pho-
tographs of live specimens show eggs, larvae,
pupae and adults, and give an idea of how par-
ticular moths and their life stages may appear
in nature.

Identifications of moths to family level are
made simple with the photographs and descrip-

« //ot/w YC/o/wr

tions in each chapter. The accompanying CD
provides further detail and may help with identi-
fications to lower taxonomic levels. Marriott has
used his knowledge to try to overcome common
misidentifications.

The layout of the book is very deliberate:
species that are easily mixed up are put close
together along with descriptions of their differ-
ences. However, problems may arise with iden-
tifications if important diagnostic features are
present on areas that have not been presented
in the book such as the underside of wings and
genitalia.

The CD is a series of PDF files containing
photographs and information on Bombycoidae
species which should be used in conjunction
with the book, not separately. This information
includes more descriptions, Victorian distribu-
tions, flight periods, and behavioural informa-
tion of particular species.

Peter Marriott is a renowned expert on
moths, with a deep understanding of their tax-
onomy and relationship with the natural world,
this publication shows Peters desire to share
his passion with anyone who is interested. It is
wonderful to know that this book will inspire
many people with a curiosity for moths to go
and have a look around outside to see what they
can find.

Lucinda Gibson

Entomology Department, Museum Victoria
GPO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001

218

The Victorian Naturalist

Book Reviews

Floodplain Woodland Plants
of North East Victoria:
Identification of natives and weeds
and practical weed management
for bush regeneration projects

by Helen Curtis and Peter Curtis

Publisher: Wangaratta Urban Landcare Group

PO Box 465, Wangaratta , 3676, 2008
112 pages , paperback. ISBN 9780646487427
RRP $16.00 including postage

Wherever you travel in Victoria you see evidence
of revegetation projects, commonly marked by
armies of triangular plastic sleeves enclosing
shrubs and saplings. This book stems from one
such undertaking: the restoration, by the Wan-
garatta Urban Landcare Group, of Kaluna Park,
5.2 ha of degraded riverine forest in the heart
of Wangaratta. In 1995 it was an impenetrable
jungle of exotic trees, shrubs and ground cover
weeds ... a neglected unmanaged wasteland' Af-
ter 13 years of Thursday morning work sessions
by the group (which includes Helen and Peter
Curtis; its not altogether clear how many others),
gone are the weeds such as Box Elder, 1 Iawthorn,
Privet, Honeysuckle, Blackberry and Wandering
Jew. And in their place: ‘the majesty and beauty
of the old Red Gums, the maturing of the young
ones, the native seedling regeneration, the mossy
logs, the vistas through the woodland . .

Two thirds of the book focuses on identifi-
cation of the native and weed species that the
Group dealt with, separated into Trees; Herbs
and Climbers; and Grasses and Grasslike Plants.
An additional seven pages provide side-by-side
photographs and distinctive features of native
and alien ‘look-alikes, such as Windmill Grass
(native) and Couch Grass (weed). Throughout,
names of natives are printed in green; those of
weeds, in red: smart idea! For each species scien-
tific and family names are given, with a brief de-
scription including growth form, flowering sea-
son and characteristics of fruits and seeds. For
natives there are comments on particular values
such as riverbank stabilisation or provision of
food or habitat for fauna; for weeds, how they are
dispersed and how they can be managed. There
are up to five colour photographs and in some
cases drawings of every species listed.

Methods of weed management are indicated by
brief acronyms; details are spelled out on pages
82-89, with special cautions about the use of
herbicides. But coverage is not limited to spray-
ing; methods and equipment for hand- removal,
smothering with black plastic, injecting and
cutting-and-painting are described and illus-
trated in sufficient detail to allow you to tackle
them even if you lack experience. The remain-
der of the book provides a brief history of the
project, with spectacular before-and-after pho-
tographs and useful advice on planting, work-
ing methods and ongoing maintenance.

Do I wish Id had this book when I began my
own revegetation project in north-east Vic-
toria? Emphatically, ‘Yes’ But what if you live
elsewhere and are not involved in bushland
restoration work: will the book be of interest
to you? Id say ‘Yes' again. Many of the natives
and weeds are widespread; similarly, the princi-
ples of landscape restoration and weed control
are universal in their application. But there is
a special pleasure to be found in the book just
because it has been so intelligently put togeth-
er: spiral binding so that it opens flat; attractive
design; comprehensive illustration; clear, prac-
tical advice. No-one with an interest in nature, I
suspect, could fail to be heartened by what this
small group of enthusiasts has achieved. Inspi-
rational project - inspirational book!

Angus Martin

42 Fairfield Avenue
Camberwell, Victoria 3124

Vol 126 (6) 2009

219

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