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Moggill Creek

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Butterflies

Richmond Birdwing Butterfly

February 2, 2020 by mccgadmin

The spectacular Richmond birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera richmondia) is the largest butterfly in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

The colourful male has a wingspan of 12-13cm, with a black body, brilliant green stripes and spots on both sides of its wings, green patches on its hind wings and a bright red splash on its thorax.

©  Paul Wright

Declining populations

Sadly the numbers of this strikingly beautiful insect have been in decline since the late1880’s. Its numbers and its geographical range have contracted alarmingly.  In Queensland it is now listed as a vulnerable species.

The reasons for its decline are both man-made and natural. The ideal habitat for these butterflies is in lowland subtropical rainforests where the birdwing butterfly vine (Pararistolochia praevenosa and P. Laheyana) is available to support the butterflies during their immature stages as larvae.

Birdwing butterfly vine © RBCN

Habitat loss

The destruction of habitat to make way for forestry, agriculture and urban development has decimated wide areas of habitat for these butterflies, particularly in south-east Queensland.  

Pararistolochia praevenosa has been displaced by many exotic vines but one exotic in particular has had a devastating effect on local populations.

The Dutchman’s pipe vine (Aristolochia elegans) is an exotic species introduced from South America. It is similar in appearance to Pararistolochia praevenosa and attracts the female butterflies who lay their eggs on its leaves. Those leaves are highly toxic to any larvae which emerge. Sadly Dutchman’s pipe is more attractive to female butterflies than Pararistolochia praevenosa. Despite efforts to eradicate it, Dutchman’s pipe continues to thrive in gardens. It has escaped and now proliferates many bushland and waterway areas. It is very prevalent in the western suburbs of Brisbane.

Periodic instances of prolonged drought have also damaged habitat, reducing the availability of soft leaves for food and denying essential moisture from growing pupae. The net result has been the isolation of a number of viable Richmond Birdwing Butterfly populations, leading to in-breeding due to population decline. In many areas, local populations have become entirely extinct.

A united conservation effort

For the past thirty years or so, a group of conservationists led by Dr Don Sands have quietly been tracking South East Queensland Richmond birdwing butterfly populations, re-establishing Pararistolochia praevenosa vines and removing Aristolochia elegans. Their efforts have paid off with a resurgence of the butterfly in the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterland regions.

Now the focus is on Brisbane. In an outstanding demonstration of collaboration many conservation groups and local residents have united with Brisbane City Council and the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network (RBCN) in a determined effort to save the Richmond birdwing butterfly from extinction within the Brisbane environs.

In 2017 the “Bringing the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Back to Brisbane” project was launched.

This is one of several projects which aim to systematically map the spread of Aristolochia elegans, map the current range and future range of the Richmond birdwing butterfly as a result of climate change, as well as co-ordinating  plantings of Pararistolochia praevenosa in “corridors” throughout Brisbane.

The intention is that these “corridors” will allow separate colonies to breed and thrive, encouraging the likelihood of mating between non-related insects to produce stronger, more viable populations. Several corridors have been identified as being critical to the survival of the Richmond birdwing vine and butterfly. These include sites in the Gold and Sunshine Coast hinterlands and in the western suburbs of Brisbane.

The MCCG and residents of the catchment are contributing greatly to help establish these corridors. The aim is to join up with current and future plantings in other council areas both north and south of Brisbane.

Cody Hochen is a Wildlife Conservation Partnerships Officer with Brisbane City Council. He has provided the MCCG with a wonderful description of the project, its goals and successes so far (January 2019).

To read Cody’s article, please click here: Bringing back the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly


What YOU can do to help

There are MANY things you can do to help bring back the Richmond birdwing butterfly.

You can plant Pararistolochia praevenosa vines to attract larvae and remove Aristolochia elegans in your own garden or you can volunteer to join bushcare groups who work in wider areas. Pararistolochia praevenosa requires moisture, so there is often a call out for volunteers to water vines during dry spells.

There are a number of species you can plant which will attract adult Richmond birdwings as well. For more info, please see the following guide produced by the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network: Australian Nectar Plants for Adult RBB

Other activities you can join include:

  • Restoring Richmond birdwing habitats
  • Supporting scientific research
  • Hands-on school projects
  • Creating flagship corridors by planting vines
  • Educational publications
  • Removing Dutchman’s pipe vines.

The Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network has a wealth of information to help you find you a part to play. Call them on 3844 0129 or visit their website or Facebook page (highly recommended!)

Or, for starters, refer to the following fact sheets:

  • Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Factsheet
  • Birdwing Butterfly Vine Factsheet
  • Cultivation of Birdwing Vine Factsheet

Let’s bring back the Richmond birdwing butterfly!

 

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Filed Under: Butterflies

Butterfly attracting plants

February 2, 2020 by mccgadmin

Specific local butterflies need specific native plants – not for themselves as beautiful flower-sipping adults, but for their caterpillar leaf-munching stage.

You can attract butterflies to your garden simply by selecting the right plants!

Some butterflies, like the Chequered Swallowtail, have only one local host plant, while others have more options.

The Orchard Swallowtail, for example, uses a wide range of native and exotic citrus trees and does particularly well on all the Flindersia species in our area. The Blue Triangle also has choices in local laurels such as Cryptocarya species and Neolitsea dealbata.

Some plants host more than one butterfly species. A good example is Native Mulberry, Pipturus argenteus, a small tree which supports a lot of wildlife including Speckled Line Blue and Jezebel Nymph butterflies.

Surprisingly, the small herb, Love Flower, Pseuderanthemum variabile, hosts quite large butterflies – the Leafwing and Varied Eggfly.

So, planting local native plants is a great way to entice colourful butterflies into your garden or bit of bush!

Below is a short list of some local native plants with the colourful butterflies they attract:

Scientific Tree Name Common Name Butterfly
Alphitonia Pink ash, Soap Tree for Small Green-banded Blues
Breynia oblongifolia Breynia for Large Grass Yellows
Citrus australis Native lime for Dainty Swallowtails
Cryptocarya triplinervis Three-veined laurel for Blue Triangles
Cullen tenax Emu foot for Chequered Swallowtails
Flindersia australis  Crows Ash for Orchard Swallowtails
Lomandra longifolia Lomandra for Splendid Ochre Skippers

Pipturus argenteus

Native mulberry for Jezebel Nymphs & Speckled Line Blues

Senna acclinis

Brush Senna for Yellow Migrants

For more information about butterflies see:

  • Field Guide to Butterflies in the Moggill Creek Catchment (includes images)
  • DPA Sands Butterfly List

For information about free plants for MCCG members, please visit our Nursery page.

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Filed Under: Butterflies

About Lepidoptera

February 2, 2020 by mccgadmin

Butterflies and moths belong to the scientific order of Lepidoptera, which means “scaly wings”.

The Latin name originates from thin scales which cover the insects’ bodies and wings, giving rise to their spectacular colours. It is thought that the scales have evolved as protection against spider’s webs. Both butterflies and moths have six legs and the three main body parts of head, thorax and abdomen.

Butterflies and moths undergo metamorphosis during their lifetimes. What we know as caterpillars are generally butterfly larvae. This is followed by the pupal stage of development,often characterised by a cocoon for moths and chrysalids for butterflies.

Adults generally have two pairs of wings and tubular-shaped mouthparts which have evolved to enable the insects to drink flower nectar, sap and various liquids to maintain their energy stores.

Although butterflies and moths are closely related, there are some differences between the two:

  • Moths are nocturnal whilst butterflies are active during the day
  • When butterflies are resting, they hold their wings vertically above their body, whilst moths will rest with their wings laying flat  
  • Butterflies have a thickened knob or club at the end of their antennae; moths do not have any structures at the end of their antennae, which are thinner and more thread-like than the butterfly’s antennae
  • The wings of most moths are linked by a frenulum – a bristle-like structure, which is absent in butterflies 

It is said that moths are more dull than butterflies. If you take a look at our online Butterfly Field Guide, you may wish to differ!

A Heliotrope moth © Ed Frazer

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Filed Under: Butterflies

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