The Darling Downs POSTAGE SURFACE NATURALIST PAID MAIL Popularising and encouraging the study of natural AUSTRALIA history on the Darling Downs and fostering the conservation of fauna and flora in the area.

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Newsletter No. 714 CLUB MEETINGS are held at St Anthony’s December 2016 Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. CLUB ACTIVITIES CLUB MEETING: No meeting this month. CLUB OUTING: No outing this month. (Club Christmas gathering at Downs Steam, Cambooya Street, Drayton, on Sunday 04 December. Guided Tour at 11.00am; Lunch at 12.30pm)

SPEAKER’S REPORT: November 2016 (Article by Glenda Walter) Dr Tony Young was a fluent and entertaining speaker on the topic “The Rotten World Around Us”. He has had a varied career, in teaching and in the Navy, and has studied continually to gain a Masters degree and PhD in the field of Mycological Taxonomy. He says “Don’t take the Rotten World for granted – fungi form the found- ation for the world’s ecosystems. Without them we would not survive.” There are an estimated 25,000 macro- fungal species in Australia, with only 8,000 to 10,000 having been described and named, so it is likely that you could find an undescribed species in your fungal travels. Tony illustrated his talk with brilliant photographs taken by himself and others, many of them being fungi which we are able to see in local areas such as Bunya Mountains National Park. Macro-fungi , those which have fruit bodies visible to the naked eye, can be roughly divided into four categories. Saprophytes fungi which break down plant material. Some you will see sprouting from dead or living wood in forests. Examples include: • Filoboletus manipularis – delicate white stemmed fungi with tiny holes on the underside. • Cymatoderma lamellatum – a large leathery, fluted, funnel-shaped fungus with a smooth lower surface. • Cyptotrama aspratum – which has white gills and a yellow cap with tiny spikes. • Aseroe rubra – a stinkhorn fungus which grows in mulch and is shaped like a starfish. The foul-smelling brown slimy substance which contains spores is attractive to blow-flies, and to some dogs which can be poisoned by it. • Geastrum triplex – star-shaped with a spore sac in the centre, the spores being dispersed by raindrops falling on the sac. • Polyporus australiensis – a yellow curry-smelling bracket which contains a fabric dye. • Hebeloma aminophila – an agaric which grows on the remains of dead . Parasites – fungi which parasitise plants, sometimes killing them. Some examples Tony gave: • Cyttaria septentrionalis – round orange-coloured fruit bodies seen on Antarctic Beech trees ( Nothofagus moorei) . These date back to Gondwana, can be seen in Lamington National Park in Spring, and are edible. ______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 1 • Armillaria luteobubalina – the fungus attacks the roots of trees, and can destroy whole orchards. • Phellinus species – the horse-shoe fungus, which forms woody growths on tree trunks, adding a layer each year. • Ganoderma applanatum – a large bracket fungus with a white pore surface, which is also a tree killer. Symbionts – fungi which live in a mutually beneficial relationship on the roots of forest trees. The whole Myrtaceae family (Eucalypts and others) would die without them. The fungal hyphae wrap around the cells of the tree roots, enabling the fungus to give the tree nutrients and water and receive sugars in exchange. Examples include: • Amanita muscaria – the poisonous but beautiful red-capped mushroom with white spots, spreading north and having been seen in the Toowoomba area. • Ramaria species – soft-fleshed coral fungi of various colours. (Tony is a noted expert on coral fungi.) Food – fungal fruit bodies are delicious not just to humans (truffles, morels and common field mushrooms), but also to other creatures. • Lactarius clarkeae which grow from the roots of Eucalypts are a food of the shiny black land mullet, the skink Egernia major . • Omphalotis nidiformis is a glow-in-the-dark soft agaric growing from dead wood, poisonous to humans but eaten by the Giant Panda snail, Hedleyella falconeri . • Hymenogaster species and other underground truffle-like fungi make up 90% of the food items eaten by Potoroos and Bettongs. Spores are dispersed in their droppings. Conservation of fungi . Fungi do not have a high profile, and Tony knows of only one place in Lane Cove National Park, NSW, which has been declared a Conservation area because of special fungi. An unpolluted gallery rainforest provides the perfect habitat for Hygrocybe species to flourish. He showed a photograph of at least 10 species in this genus which were collected in one afternoon. Hygrocybe lanecovensis , a startling red mushroom with cream gills and stem, was named after the area. Although we think of fungi as requiring high rainfall, they also grow in deserts. • Podaxis pistillaris , or “Cannibal’s war club” grows in dry places. • Podaxis beringamensis can be seen growing from termite mounds and can be up to one metre tall. Tony showed a photograph of this large fungus taken at Maidenwell. The exact relationship of the fungus with the termites and perhaps their food storage has yet to be determined. Micro-fungi require a microscope. Many are important in the field of medicine, such as Penicillin , Strepto- mycin and Tetracycline . Cyclosporin is a substance obtained from a micro-fungus discovered in a soil sample from Norway. It is used as an immuno-suppressant drug in organ transplants as it has very few side effects. Fungal research is poorly funded for the following reasons: • Poor publicity • Taxonomic work is very painstaking and slow • Fungi are generally unknown and uninteresting to the average Australian. Our thanks, Tony, for your interesting talk. We look forward to hearing from you again at some future date.

OUTING REPORT - Sunday 06 November Dwyers Scrub (Report by Deb Ford) Dwyers Scrub Conservation Park is on the eastern fall of the Great Dividing Range approximately 30 kilometres south-west of Gatton. The Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service brochure describes the park thus: ‘The area of semi-evergreen vine forest in the north-eastern corner has very high conservation values. The tall to very tall open forest and woodland communities occurring over the remainder of the park contain species of significance as well as providing habitat for animals.’ A biological assessment of the park has identified 335 different plant species through the different ecosystems. The drive from Toowoomba, via Flagstone Creek, was accompanied by a ‘snow storm’ of White butterflies ( java) . On arrival at our destination we found a cloud of these surrounding a completely defoliated tree – probably – on which many pupae were visible on the underside of the bare branches. Albert Orr and Robert Kitching, on p. 155 of their book, The Butterflies of Australia , ______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 2 inform the reader that ‘males flutter around groups of pupae and mate with females soon after they emerge’. This behaviour is probably what we were witnessing. Eighteen Field Nats visited the endangered semi-evergreen vine forest in the north-eastern corner. We met on the road that dissects the park from the north-west to the eastern boundary where we were joined by Paul Stevens and Ken Kennedy, volunteers from Lockyer Uplands Catchment Inc. (LUCI) who have been working to remove weeds from the vine forest. A daunting task indeed: Cat’s Claw Creeper ( Macfadyena unguis-cati ) and Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia ) have smothered large areas of the canopy, and Lantana (Lantana camara) has invaded the under storey. It was heartening to see that where the canopy had been liberated from the clutches of the invasive vines new leaf is appearing, but the ground was carpeted with Madeira Vine seed- lings all waiting to re-colonise. After inspecting a small part of the microphyll forest, Field Nats repaired to the home of local landowners, Peter and Elspeth Darvall, for morning tea. A generous spread had been laid on for us, which we enjoyed on their cool and comfortable verandah. The Darvalls moved their rustic home from Chinchilla, disassembling and numbering each piece, and re-erecting it in its present location. As well as volunteering in Dwyers Scrub, they also support the local flora and fauna through the Land for Wildlife program. After leaving the Darvalls we travelled via East Egypt Road and Spinach Creek Road to reach our next hosts, Jim Kerr and Judy Whistler, at about noon. Jim and Judy’s property is located at some distance outside the southern boundary of Dwyers Scrub with Spinach Creek forming their northern boundary. A short walk afforded us a view north across the steep-sided creek gully to Dwyers Scrub, which could be seen on the summit of the opposite slope. Jim and Judy have fenced off the land leading down to the creek to aid regen- eration of vine scrub. The creek banks were badly eroded in the 2011 flood and extensive planting has also been undertaken for flood mitigation. An unexpected treat, after a picnic lunch in the shade of Macadamia trees, was being able to view the beautiful art work of Jim and Judy’s friend, artist Irena Kobald. Irena creates and photographs beautiful, ephemeral designs using a palette of flowers, fruit, leaves, and stones, with a particular focus on the desert environment. Field Nats headed for home early in the afternoon, the general consensus being that it was too hot for further exploration. Our thanks go to Dougal Johnston for organising the trip.

A small sample of plant species identified over the day: Kennedy’s Road , en-route to Dwyers Scrub: Orange Flowered Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe glabrescens ), Narrow-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra ), Silver-leaved Ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia ). Dwyers Scrub Conservation Park: Brush Coral Treee (Erythrina sp. Croftby ), Chain Fruit (Alyxia ruscifolia), Currant Bush (Carissa ovata ), King Orchid (Dendrobium speciosum ), Leopard Ash (Flindersia collina ), Red Ash/Soap Tree (Alphitonia excelsa ), Robber Fern (Pyrrosia confluens ), Rosewood (Acacia fasciculifera ), Scrub Cherry (Exocarpos latifolius ), Stiff Canthium (Psydrax buxifolia ). Jim & Judy’s property: Breynia (Breynia ooblongifolia ), Native Holly (Alchornea ilicifolia ), Red Kamala (Mallotus philippensis ), White Cedar (Melia azedarach ), White Fig (Ficus virens subsp. laceolata). Fauna List (compiled by Al Young) Bird List (Dwyer’s Scrub): Bar-shouldered Dove, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, Cicadabird and Australasian Figbird.

Eastern Yellow Robin (Photo Al Young) Bird List Other Areas (Stockyard Creek Road, Kennedy’s Road, East Egypt Road, Spinach Creek Road, Sawpit Gully Road.): Crested Pigeon, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pacific or Eastern Koel, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Gerygone, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, Magpie Lark, Willie Wagtail, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Olive-backed Oriole, Australasian Figbird, Pied Butcherbird, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied

Currawong and Torresian Crow.

______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 3 Reptiles ( Stockyard Creek Road): Common or Eastern Brown Snake ( Pseudonaja textilis ) (road kill) and Common or Eastern Bearded Dragon ( Pogona barbata ). Mammals (Stockyard Creek Road): Red-necked Wallaby ( Macropus rufogriseus ) and Swamp Wallaby ( Wallabia bicolor ). Butterflies (Dwyers Scrub CP). There was a profusion of Caper White Butterflies ( Belenois java ) in most areas during the outing, including Dwyers Scrub CP. The larvae feed mainly on Capparis spp and they will often de-foliate their host plants as was the case in Dwyers Scrub. A tree ( Capparis sp ?) near the road was almost completely de-foliated and there were numerous pupae, mostly on the underside of the de-foliated branches.

Caper White female (Photo Al Young) Caper White pupae on defoliated host tree (Photo Al Young) and individual pupae (Photo by Mike Ford)

THE MORETON BAY FIG TREE on HENRY STREET, TOOWOOMBA

The Moreton Bay fig tree at the east end of Henry Street, Toowoomba. The two trees in the background are large Chinese elms The Moreton Bay fig tree at the eastern end of Henry Street in Toowoomba is the finest specimen of its species in the city. The tree is on private Federal Defence Department land and should not be approached more closely than the gate, which anyway gives a very good view of the tree. The tree was planted by Eric Albury French of Toowoomba before he left to fight in the First World War, ‘to be remembered by’. Eric French became a Warrant Officer 2, fought in France, and returned safely from the war. The tree is one hundred years old. The trunk is two to three metres thick, and the canopy is 27 metres wide and 24 metres tall.

______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 4 Moreton Bay figs (aka Port Jackson figs in New South Wales) occur naturally along the east coast of Australia in wet and dry rainforest, and in south-east Queensland reach their furthest inland location along the Great Dividing Range. They are commonly massive and magnificent trees, typically with several short thick trunks arising from a wide spread of buttress roots. The trees generally develop low thick wide-spreading branches close to the ground and an immense rounded canopy of large leathery dark green leaves. Spherical green flowering bodies (syngonia) develop among the new leaves in spring, and ripen into edible mottled purplish fruits about two centimetres across in late summer. The tiny seeds of Moreton Bay fig trees are spread by fruit-eating birds, bats and possums. They may either germinate in the ground (like this tree) or in the canopies of other trees, in which case they become strangler figs. The trees that develop from seeds that germinate in the ground vary considerably in form, sometimes with and sometimes without spreading buttress roots, some with single tall slender trunks, others with short thick trunks which branch into upward-spreading subsidiary trunks, and some growing into the more classical shape of this tree in Toowoomba. Moreton Bay fig seedlings that germinate in the forks of other trees send down slender aerial roots to the ground which later thicken, branch and fuse together around the trunks of their host trees until they form such a tight outer layer that the host tree is eventually strangled and dies. Toowoomba’s climate is too dry for any of the native fig trees to develop prop roots descending from horizontal branches to the ground. Moreton Bay fig trees are not only impressive and beautiful, but they are also very important sources of habitat and food for a wide range of local native fauna; they may also be hosts to epiphytic ferns and other plants. Whilst their leaves and fruits are consumed by a variety of insects and their dead wood by termites, their greatest ecological value is the ripe fruits which provide food for many species of native birds, bats and mammals, all of which spread their seeds. Moreton Bay figs (and all other species of figs) have unique flower and fruiting bodies called syngonia. Syngonia are spherical, with an internal cavity lined with hundreds of minute male, female and sterile flowers. The cavity is connected to the outside by a narrow passageway lined with backward-pointing hairs. During the development of the syngonia tiny wasps which are specific to each species of fig enter them through the narrow passageway. Trapped inside, the wasps move around, mate, lay eggs on the sterile flowers and pollinate the female flowers (resulting in the seeds inside edible figs). The wasp grubs feed inside the ripening fruits then eat their way outwards, pupating under the skin before escaping as adults to seek out other developing syngonia to enter. (Article and photo by John Swarbrick) A GIANT DRAGONFLY While Chook- and dog-sitting at Bellthorpe this week, I saw this amazing dragonfly. Nowhere near water, it hung under a leaf on the path through the rainforest, and if it hadn’t moved when Gretchen Evans and I walked past, I wouldn’t have noticed it, as it blended so well into the background of sticks and leaves. Others helped with identification, as I couldn’t find a similar image on the websites I usually consult. It is the Southern Giant Darner, Austrophlebia costalis, endemic to Australia. The wingspan was about 14 cm, and the body about 12 cm long. Al Young says that the characteristics of this species are • Its size – the largest in Queensland • The eyes are in contact • The leading edge of the wing has dark red numerous cross veins • U-shaped white markings on the thorax • Plain coloured abdomen Apparently this species is not uncommon, and is usually seen hunting along fresh water streams. It is not endangered in any way. I was stunned by its size, and can only imagine with awe the huge dragonflies measuring up to 70 cm across which hunted along streams during the Carboniferous Dragonfly Austrophlebia costalis - Southern giant darner era, 300 million years ago. (Article and photo by Glenda Walter)

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Photos from November outing (by Diane Ball) Clockwise from left above: • Ben Gundry presenting a poster to our morning tea host Peter Davall. • The orange mistletoe Dendrophthoe sp which was very evident on the roadside trees along much of our route. • At Jim (left) and Judy's (right) place at Spinach Creek Road with Deb diligently taking notes.

______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 6 FROM THE EDITOR I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year with lots of naturalizing. Barbara Weller

MINUTES of the TOWOOMBA FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB Inc. GENERAL MEETING of Friday 04 November 2016

Meeting opened by the Vice-President at 7.03pm with 31 members and 4 visitors present. Apologies: Trish and Don Gardner, Alison Evans, Genevieve Reeves, Tricia Allen, Ernie & Jeanette Potts Minutes of 7/10/2016 meeting were published in the November newsletter and accepted as a true record on a motion proposed by the secretary Diana Ball, seconded by Michael Rooke and passed by members present. Correspondence for October outlined by the secretary was accepted on a motion proposed by the secretary, seconded by Glenda Walter and passed by members present. Business arising : It was suggested a letter be sent to Rod Hobson congratulating him on having four animals named after him. Treasurer’s report given by the acting treasurer Linda Mangubhai was accepted and cheques passed for payment on a motion proposed by the acting treasurer, seconded by Neil McKilligan and passed by members present. Outings Report: Dougal Johnston gave directions for the Dwyers Scrub outing. Ben Gundry asked for a volunteer to lead an outing in February. Suggestions were made for the post-Easter camp next year. Money for the Christmas Function should have been paid to Ben at the November meeting or outing. Library Report: Two Lockyer Valley publications were added to the library, one on dung beetles and an Invertebrate Survey of the Lockyer. General business: Reptile posters from the Citizens of the Lockyer Inc. are for sale at $10 each, (please pay Diana Ball). Show and tell: • Peter Evans brought in albums of African and bird photographs taken on a recent visit. • Jan Veacock spoke of her amazement at finding Hardenbergia violacea , an Australian vine scrub plant, in the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens in Arizona. • Eric Coomber showed two ‘stone’ specimens from Mukinbudin in West Australia which looked like little clay finger pots, the largest about 6x3.7cm with a deep hole in one end. It was first suggested these were honky nut gravel from ancient seabeds or fossilized wasp nests. With some diligent research Eric discovered they were the fossil cocoons of Acacia weevils Leptopius duponti. • Dougal Johnston showed us Chilean needle grass which is a very bad pest species and prevalent in the North Toowoomba region. He also showed trigger plant and grass orchid specimens from his property and a neat nest made with quite a lot of stringybark. • Michael Rooke showed a female bladder cicada specimen. • Bob Fuller showed a specimen of the drunken parrot tree Schotia brachypetala , native to Africa south of the Zambezi River where it is known as weeping boer-bean. The rainbow and scaly-breasted lorikeets love it. We also listened to Bob’s recording from a radio segment about a new toadlet found in swamp- land north of Newcastle which included the sound of its call. Mahony’s toadlet has a unique marbled underbelly and bright orange groin which it flashes when in danger. It was discovered by Dr Simon Clulow. • Diana Ball showed a photograph of the giant spear lily Doryanthes palmeri which was in flower at Goomburra during October. Writer for the meeting: Glenda Walter Writer for the outing: Deb Ford Supper provided by: Marie and Bill Hodgkinson Meeting finished: 7.50p.m. Speaker: Dr Tony Young spoke on ‘The Rotten World Around Us’.

______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 7 TOOWOOMBA FIELD NATURALIST CLUB Inc. ABN 49 958 932 802 Headquarters: St Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. Mail address: P.O. Box 133, Toowoomba, Qld. 4350

OFFICE-BEARERS President: Patricia Gardner, 14 Bluemeadow Court; Blue Mountain Hts. Ph. 4630 8505 trish [email protected] Vice-President: Francis Mangubhai, 15 Sharon Court, Toowoomba. Ph. 4635 9730 [email protected] Secretary: Diana Ball, 3 Barry Street, Toowoomba. Ph. 46320265 [email protected] Membership Secretary: Alison Evans, 11 Prince Henry Drive, Toowoomba. Ph. 4638 5991 [email protected] Treasurer: Genevieve Reeves, PO Box 1037 Toowoomba Ph. 46391101 or 0427391101 [email protected] Outings Coordinator: Ben Gundry, P.O. Box 9160 Wilsonton. Ph 0407 463 558 [email protected] Speakers Coordinator: Glenda Walter, 99 Kingfisher Village, 303 Spring St; Toowoomba. Ph. 46353554 [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Barbara Weller, 9 Spies Court, Mt Lofty, Toowoomba. Ph. 4632 9821 [email protected] Librarian: Diane Pagel, 3 Jellicoe Street, Toowoomba Ph. 4632 5956 [email protected] Conservation Officer: Bob Fuller, 16 McKillop Court, Toowoomba Ph. 4634 2354 [email protected] Committee member: Jane Orme, 35 Hanley’s Road, Ballard, 4352. Ph. 0403 702 993 [email protected] MEETINGS-OTHER First Friday each month (except when there is a camp-out) at 7.00pm. Club Centre Meetings: St. Anthony’s Community Centre, Memory Street, Toowoomba. Monthly Outings: Sunday – following the Friday meeting. Excursions, Camps etc As advertised at meetings and in the Newsletter. Newsletter: Published and mailed or emailed monthly, just prior to the meeting. Submissions are due on the Friday two weeks before the next meeting: They can be posted or emailed to the Newsletter Editor. Dispatch Officer: Michael Rooke, 159 Perth Street, Toowoomba. Ph. 4638 4753 [email protected] Supper Roster: Alison Evans, 11 Prince Henry Drive, Toowoomba. Ph. 4638 5991 [email protected] ANNUAL Due in July. Pro rata for new members joining later. Single $30.00; SUBSCRIPTIONS Family: $40.00, Pensioner/Concession $25.00/$35.00; Country Membership $25.00/$35.00. NEWSLETTER POSTAGE CHARGE: $11.00pa, OR a free copy can be collected at each meeting. Life and Honorary members, and members who don't have email access, are not asked to pay this charge. Payment can be made directly to the TFNC account at the Heritage Bank. BSB No: 638080. Account No. 1676067. Please include your name. This Newsletter was printed courtesy of the office of Trevor Watts MP, Member for Toowoomba North. ______TFNC Newsletter 714 Page 8