Insect waves

It often seems to me that different insect species often appear in waves throughout the period from spring to autumn. This year it seems particularly pronounced as each species’ wave seems to have larger numbers of Aindividuals than most years. A week or so ago I posted about big numbers of Belid Weevils. This week it’s Acacia Jewel Beetles.

Flat-headed Acacia Jewel Beetles (Agrilus australasiae) look at first glance like Belid Weevils, with long, cylindrical dark bodies, but close inspection show no snout and the iridescent sheen which gives them their jewel-like appearance.

Acacia Flat-headed Jewel Beetle

These beetles lay their eggs in wattles, especially Golden Wattles and Silver Wattles in our neck of the woods. The larvae are the borers that shorten the life of these wattles, leaving little piles of drillings at the base of the plant. This particular specimen seemed to have found itself on a eucalypt leaf for some reason.

Big eyes, up close.

A bit smaller but more iridescent, Diphucrania Acacia Jewel Beetles are also around in greater numbers than usual.

Diphucrania sp. on Golden Wattle

At this time of year, I often note the building up of numbers of Slender Bee Flies (Geron sp.) They move from the Shiny Everlastings as they finish flowering to the Sweet Bursaria that continue to flower at this time.

Slender Bee Fly on Sweet Bursaria

I had been keeping an eye on a Ladybird chrysalis on a Drooping Sheoak in our yard of late.

Ladybird Chrysalis

I was very pleased to check it recently as the Small Transverse Ladybird adult emerged, sitting quietly next to the shell as its skin hardened.

Freshly emerged ladybird.

Other recent macro finds were a tiny beetle, about 3mm long and a very small Hidden Snout Weevil (tribe Cryptorhynchi), both on Golden Wattle leaves.

A very small beetle

Weevil (Tribe Cryptorhynchi)