Backyard Biodiversity
Invertebrates up close
Monarch Butterfly
The Monarch Butterfly, native to North America, is also known as the Wanderer Butterfly as it undertakes mass migrations each year. Many butterflies get blown off course and end up in countries, like Australia.
Wanderer Butterflies were known from the early days of settlement but were unable to breed here until some of their native food plants like the Mexican fire daisy and swan plant were grown here.
This species is known as the Balsam Beast as it was first discovered on Balsam flowers. Long-horned grasshoppers are a varied group with some species eating other insects, some eating leaves and some seeds. This species feeds on pollen and nectar.
Cup Moth Caterpillar
This caterpillar is also known as the Chinese Junk due to its resemblence to the boat of the same name. The clusters of erectile bristles along the back cause a stinging sensation if brushed against. The caterpillars spin cup shaped cocoons.
Green Grocer
This is the uncommon blue form of the Green Grocer known as the Blue Moon. Cicadas are true bugs having sucking mouth and an incomplete life cycle. They are sapsuckers and some species remain underground for many years before emerging to live out their brief winged adult stage.
This is one of the long-horned grasshopper group. You will notice that it is flightless as it has no wings. It also has a long sabre-like appendage at the end of its body. This is the egg laying tube or ovipositor that the female uses to hide her eggs deep in the ground or in bark.
This species of cockroach is thought to be the largest in the world. It lives in the dry forests of Northern Queensland were it eats dead dry gum leaves. Out of the hundreds of species of cockroach found in Australia only half a dozen are pests and these are all introduced by us.
Native cockroach
This brightly coloured species of native cockroach is flightless. Its bright colours are a warning to would-be predators that it doesn't taste very nice.
Forest Millipede
This large millipede like the giant cockroach lives in dry forests of the north and eats dead leaves. The nutrients contained in the leaves are rapidly broken down and recycled.
This beetle is a predator and uses its long thin legs to run rapidly after its crawling insect prey. Some species specialise in feeding on snails and slugs. Carabid Beetles, like other insect predators keep the number of potential pest species in balance.
Fiddler Beetle
This beetle is a leaf and flower eater and is sometimes found on roses. The larvae are typical 'curl grub' shaped. They sometimes are found in potting mix. These beetles and some close relatives fly about by day and have a loud buzz.
The Harlequin Bug is another true bug like cicadas, aphids and scale insects. The bright colours warn predators not to eat them, as they are one of the stinkbugs. This species commonly feeds on hibiscus and has become a pest of cotton plants.
Paper Wasps are social wasps, which build honeycomb like nests of tube wood fibre each summer. They will readily defend their nest against any interference. The adult wasps feed manly on nectar but feed their grub-like larvae on chewed caterpillars and other insects.
