“Moths are buff coloured with dark brown elongated spots on each forewing and light margins. Wingspan around 6cm. Found on Red Ironbark at the wildlife refuge.
Further reference; http:www.lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/anth/ocell.html
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This secretive and rarely seen large rodent had met it’s end by raptor attack ( probably Owl) in the riparian zone along Sportsman Creek. They hunt invertebrates, molluscs and frogs at night using partially webbed-hind feet and water proof fur. Once commercially hunted for their fur, Water Rat are widely dispersed through Australia and are usually a good indicator for water quality and invertebrate numbers. Water Rat should not be confused with Bush or Black Rat and live completely different lives.
Found on Sportsman Creek wildlife refuge. “The adult males have well developed feathered antennae, are brown with blurred dark patches and sparse subterminal arcs of black dots. Caterpillars are loopers with two pair of prolegs”. (No common name) I.D. and reference courtesy of Don Herbison-Evans. Further reading; http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/enno/melanop.html
Glossy Black Cockatoo are specialist feeders, relying on casuarina seeds. On the wildlife refuge they feed exclusively on Black She-Oak (Allocasuarina littoralis). Usually found in small groups of 3 or 4.
“Saw Fly larvae are not true caterpillars but are the larvae of various species of wasps. They have 3 pairs of true legs and up to 8 pair of prolegs (true caterpillars only have up to 5 pair of prolegs).” Different varieties feed on varied tree species across the wildlife refuge. Further reference available ; australian-insects.com/lepidoptera/none/sawfly.html
Image of a Comb-footed Spider, (Family; Theridiidae) often mistaken for the Red-back Spider. Found in the drier Open eucalypt Woodland on the wildlife refuge, favouring the bark of gum trees. Their bite is not dangerous and they do not build webs. Reference and further reading: Honan, P. A Wild Australia Guide to Spiders.
Also known as the Long-horned Beetle and usually found on Acacia species across the wildlife refuge. They are a large beetle up to 40mm. Their larvae eat wood and can be an agricultural pest in numbers.
Image of a pair of Australian Wood Duck, male on left, female on right of image. These ducks have increased their dispersal right across the continent, following dams and pastures. Common visitors at Sportsman Creek wildlife refuge. |
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