By: Michael Fox
Clearing Guinea Grass Weeds busted
Red Natal Grass Busted
I welcomed the Australia China Youth Association (ACYA) team yesterday to weed the 2015/16 National Tree Day planting.
The Small Bird Planting is thriving, however, the Guinea Grass Megathyrsus maximus and Red Natal Grass Melinis repens that covered the site before restoration are still regrowing from seed. By clearing the weed grasses before a new crop of seed sets we will break the cycle of infestation.
The team got stuck right in bagging the seed heads for removal off site before they removed the grasses.
Common Crow sex brand
The ACYA team are always interested in finding native wildlife when they come to Bushcare.
The first find was a handsome male Common Crow Euploea core butterfly. I explained that some male butterflies have sex brands they use to store pheromones impress the girls.
Blue Tiger butterfly claws
Common Crow butterflies use their claws to scratch the leaves on Parsonsia vines. Butterflies taste with their feed to check they have the correct species of plant and males store alkaloids from the leaves to help with breeding.
Imperial Hairstreak butterflies
We also found lots of Imperial Hairstreak Jalmenus evagoras butterflies at the 2018 National Tree Day planting site.
We found Imperial Hairstreak chrysalis on the Brisbane Fringed Wattle Acacia fimbriata planted in July 2018. The caterpillars and chrysalis are protected by native Small Meat Ants in return for sugary extrusions.
Variable Ladybird Beetle
A number of Variable Ladybird Beetles Coelophora inaequalis were found by Wento.
It is very encouraging to find bugs visiting the replanted habitat. The more insects the more insect eating small birds will return.
Stingless Native Bee hive
To finish the morning I showed the team a Stingless Native Bee hive in an old log.
Stingless Native Bee
They had heard about our Stingless Native Bees but they were surprised to see how small they are: small than a house fly.
While these tiny bees are stingless they have very powerful jaws.
ACYA team
Thank you team. It is always a pleasure to welcome you to Bushcare, hear your stories and share my knowledge.
Help build on our success. Register for 2019 National Tree Day.
Mount Gravatt Environment Group 