Mount Gravatt Environment Group

By: Michael Fox

I had never heard of Vampire Moths before I found this cute caterpillar feeding on Tape Vine Stephania japonica. The Vampire Moth Calyptra minuticornis pierce fruit to suck the juice, and this species along with other moths in the genus Calyptra are known as the Vampire moths because they have been observed to pierce the skin of animals such as buffalo, zebu and tapir to suck blood.

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The rainy weather has kicked 2022 off to amazing start with ten new species added to Flora and Fauna of Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve. My daughter Anthea found this truly bizarre Wattle Bizarre Looper Eucyclodes pieroides feeding on fruit of the Pink Euodia Melicope ruba.

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This attractive Acacia Golden Green Leaf Beetle Calomela juncta fell off a Brisbane Wattle Acacia fimbriata when I tried to photograph. It is very positive to find new insect species in the Reserve because the more insects the more insect eating birds like the Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus.

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A new species of Ladybeetle found in the Reserve Yellow Shouldered Ladybird Apolinus lividigaster found in the Reserve ready to protect our gardens from aphids.

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A Yellow Migrant Catopsilia gorgophone is a particularly special find which brings our count of butterfly species in the Reserve to fifty one.

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I was excited when I found a new snail. However, unfortunately, the Asian Tramp Snail Bradybaena similaris is not a native but rather a serious pest in nurseries, market gardens and vineyards.

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A miss-named Wingless Grasshopper Phaulacridium vittatum. The adult grasshopper has full sized wings so this, with its very small wings, is most probably a nymph.

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Not the most attractive of our insects, the Wattle Pig Weevil Leptopius sp. is still part of the wildlife diversity in the Reserve. These Weevils feed on Acacia species.

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The rain also bought out several plants of Native Yam Dioscorea transversa. Another exciting discovery which brings the number of native plants found in the Reserve to 285 species or 20% of all native plant species in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Want learn more about the species in Mt Gravatt Conservation Reserve visit our Flora and Fauna research files.