DIARY - February, 2008

20/2/2008

Yesterday I was finally able to pin down, metaphorically speaking, one Meadow Argus for a bit of a photo session.

Although the Meadow Argus may be a common butterfly throughout Australia, it is poorly represented in my area.

The weather was very hot (34deg) with northerly winds but this butterfly was quite taken with the Pineapple Lily (Eucomis comosa). It was also feeding on Buddleia davidii.

The photos are not particularly good because of the distance between the subject and the camera and I was really desperate to get a few shots.





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19/2/2008

We had days of southeries and once the winds abated, a few butterflies made an appearance. The Cabbage White, Common Grass-blue and the Meadow Argus being the ones I was able to quickly identify.

I have Buddleia and Rosemary in flower at the moment and these are attractive nectar plants.

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10/2/2008

We have been experiencing unseasonably cold nights followed by cool days with strong southerly winds. There have been no butterfly or moth sightings, apart from one Common Grass-blue butterfly.

I've found only one Grevillea Looper caterpillar since my discovery on the 5th.

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5/2/2008

At about 9.30am this morning I found a number of Oenochroma vinaria caterpillars in different stages of growth on various Grevilleas. The weather was warm, although overcast with a S/E wind.

I had made a "lookout note" to myself to check the Grevilleas in April as it was that month last year I first encounted the Grevillea Looper caterpillars.

See Caterpillar Page for photos

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I’ve managed to glimpse the Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea) twice over the past few days. My last sighting of this butterfly was on the 29th August, last year.

Friday the 1st February was a warm, sunny day with no wind. At 3.05pm, one flew past me at about waist height. At about 10.50am, on 3/2 probably the same butterfly flew past. The weather was warm, overcast and a slight wind.

Until I find what this butterfly is feeding on, the likelihood of my obtaining a photo is extremely remote. I do, however, have a larval host food plant, Baby’s Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) nearby which I am watching like a hawk.

I am quite surprised, if not concerned at the small number of Common Grass-blues (Zizina labradus) around. This time last year, there were heaps.

The Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) is way down in numbers this year as well. I have quite a few host food plants this butterfly likes, but there is no indication of egg or caterpillar activity that I am able to detect.

Very few moths to be seen. There are a few of the minute ones around, but as yet, I have been unable to photograph them. I saw one vine moth (Phalaenoides glycinae) at about 7pm on 3/2/08.