Lesley Smitheringale Fine Art

Garden Guests Diary: Casper the Friendly Ghost [21 May 2008]

I have seen this miniscule critter twice in my garden and despite looking up my reference books and scouring the internet, I cannot identify this bug. He is tiny, measuring about 1cm in diameter and I don’t know if he is a young butterfly/moth/grasshopper who will grow into something larger or if this is as big as he gets. I have nicknamed him Casper the Friendly Ghost as he is so ghostly white, almost transparent like his identity! It’s really bugging me, excuse the pun and there must be someone out there who can identify him. Please put me out of my misery and I would really appreciate any help you can offer. Here are some pictures of my friendly ghost …

He looks as if he is turning green in this photo - could he be a very young grasshopper?

He is attached to my black car in this shot and you can just see his reflection!

A fellow blogger has identified this bug for me and he is a planthopper - This planthopper is white with pale pink margin round the wings, pink legs and faint pink dot in the centre of the wing.

Source: Oz Animals

World’s Largest Moth

I am relieved that these massive insects are not native to Australia as I would not cope well - I freak out when I see a Granny’s Cloak Moth (considerably smaller).

The Atlas moth (Attaacus atlas) is found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia and is considered to be the largest moth in the world. The females are larger and heavier and the wingspans are from 25-30cm (8-10 inches).

Atlas moths are unsteady fliers and the female does not stray far from the location of her discarded chrysalis and she seeks a perch where the air currents will best carry her pheromones.

Once mated, the female lays a number of spherical eggs 2.5 mm in diameter on the undersides of leaves. Dusty-green caterpillars hatch after about two weeks and feed voraciously on the foliage of certain citrus and other evergreen trees. The caterpillars are adorned with fleshy spines along their backs which are covered in a waxy white substance. After reaching a length of about 115 mm (4.5 inches), the caterpillars pupate within a papery cocoon, interwoven into desiccated leaves.

The adult moths emerge after about four weeks.

Sources: Wikipedia Oddity Central by spooky and BBC UK

Garden Guests Diary - Elusive Butterflies [28 March 2008]

There are still lots of butterflies fluttering around my garden and I find them to be a frustration as they rarely choose to land anywhere near me and if I’m on one side of the yard, they will be on the other side just to annoy me even more! I have seen some beauties flutter around me and I just sigh as they dart off. I’ve even resorted to following them around the garden but that doesn’t work either as they still don’t quite like the flowers they see and off they go, usually into my neighbour’s garden! I haven’t resorted yet to jumping the fence as I’m sure my immediate neighbours think I’m a loony with a camera anyway! Other times, I’ve been so close when I see one land near me and I rush over, set up the shot, finger hovering over the shutter, thinking this could be an “award winning one” when the butterfly flies off just as you’ve pressed the shutter - another blurry effort to delete. I have had a few recent successes which are here.

l to r: Lemon Migrant & Plumbago Blue Butterflies

l to r: Tiger Moth & Euproctis lucifuga (small golden yellow moth with feathery antennae, no common name)

Garden Guests Diary - Spring Moths [13 February 07]

There are lots of moths around here at the moment and they are getting into the house. Now, these things freak me out but I would never be cruel to one - they are very large brown moths called “Granny’s Cloak Moths” and I discovered this poor critter behind a cushion when I was dusting. I decided to take some macro shots of the insect and on closer inspection, they are actually quite beautiful with a distinctive patch of iridescent purple/blue on the stripey brownish, black wings and I love the name of them which seems so apt. They have big long tongues by the look of it as well and this one’s tongue was rolled up.When I see these insects, they always remind me of the movie “Silence of the Lambs” and the scene where Jodie Foster first enters the killer’s house where they are flying around everywhere!