Butterfly Beauty

Long-tailed Pea-blue Lampides boeticus, Lake Wyaralong, 22-2-17
(Photo: Aub Podlich)

Butterflies are everywhere in this hot and humid weather. They are wonderful to see. The Fassifern Field Naturalist Club members have recorded at least 58 species of skippers and butterflies in our survey area. 

Some of them are very tiny like this lovely Long-tailed Pea-blue found by one of our members, Aub Podlich, on a recent walk.

This pretty little butterfly is found in all the mainland states, Lord Howe Island and occasionally in northern Tasmania. Also native to Europe, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. They are known to be migratory in Europe. However, even in our own Scenic Rim a massive migration of them was witnessed at Mt Tamborine in 1974. "During August and September vast numbers of butterflies flew south for two weeks ..." . 

The males are a delicate lilac-blue on the upper wings while the females are brown with blue near the body. See this link or this. 

The larva, or caterpillars, feed on legumes such as Sturt's Desert Pea Swainsona formosa, Darling Pea Swainsona galegifolia and garden plants such as peas, green beans and sweet peas.

Bibliography:
"Butterflies of Australia" I.F.B. Common and D.F. Waterhouse, revised edition 1981.
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampides_boeticus
Tree of Life - http://ftp.funet.fi/index/Tree_of_life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/ papilionoidea/lycaenidae/polyommatinae/lampides/boeticus-3u.jpg
South Australian Butterflies - http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~rbg/boeticus_ds.htm
APNI - Australian Plant Name Index https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apniFormat/ display/93060

February Outing 2017 - Burnett Creek Rd

Old saw mill area on Burnett Creek Road

This outing will be a leisurely walk around the property of the McKellar’s – up the end of Burnett Creek Road, across Post Box Ford. Standard vehicles should get across the creek but if you are not sure then there will be some 4 wheel drives waiting at the crossing.  When you get across the crossing, go about 1 km to the front gate of the property on the left.  We will all park around here and then walk up the track.  If you get to the old saw mill site and then a locked gate – you have gone a kilometre too far. It takes about 45 minutes from Boonah.

Meet: at the property gate on Saturday 18th February at 8.30 am. 

Bring: Cuppa, morning tea, and lunch.  Lunch back at the cars.  But morning tea out on the track.  Bring the usual stuff – camera, sun screen, insect repellent, walking shoes, water, etc.  Bird books, tree books, reptile books, even butterfly books.

Fitness/Mobility: This is for average mobility.  We walk up a small ridge but it is not too difficult.  Those with less mobility can stay on the road tracks.  We can even drive quadriplegics up the road to the house site – and back again, of course.

Please email us for more information.