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The Victorian Naturalist Is Published Six Times Per Year by The Published by The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria since 1884 From the Editors Of all living things, invertebrates make up by far the largest group. In the state of Victoria alone, there are estimated to be 50 000 to 80 000 species of invertebrates; this can be compared to only about 670 vertebrates in the same region. Ironically, this disparity in numerical representation is paralleled inversely by our level of knowledge—in general terms, we know considerably less about the more-numerous invertebrates than about vertebrates. This issue of 'Ihe Victorian Naturalist goes a little way toward redressing that imbalance, reporting work on a variety of invertebrate species. The issue is perhaps timely in another respect, in coming at the time of year that sees the greatest activity by many invertebrate species. Lack ot space has precluded the inclusion in this issue of ‘Guidelines for authors’ usually a feature of the December issue of this journal. It is intended that the Guidelines will be published in Febru- ary 2010. The Guidelines are available from the website at <www.fncv.org.au/vicnat.htm>. The Victorian Naturalist is published six times per year by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Inc Registered Office: FNCV, 1 Gardenia Street, Blackburn, Victoria 3130, Australia. Postal Address: FNCV, Locked Bag 3, Blackburn, Victoria 3130, Australia. Phone/Fax (03) 9877 9860; International Phone/Fax 61 3 9877 9860. email: [email protected] www.fncv.org.au Address correspondence to: The Editors, The Victorian Naturalist , Locked Bag 3, Blackburn, Victoria, Australia 3130. Phone: (03) 9877 9860. Email: [email protected] The opinions expressed in papers and book reviews published in The Victorian Naturalist are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views oi the FNCV. Copyright ot all original material published in 7he Victorian Naturalist remains with the author. Yearly Subscription Rates - The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Inc Membership category Institutional Single $65 Libraries and Institutions Concessional (pensioner/Senior) $50 - within Australia $120 Family (at same address) $85 - overseas AUDI 30 Junior $18 Additional junior (same family) $6 Schools/Clubs $65 Student $25 (These rates apply as of 1 October 2008) All subscription enquiries should be sent to FNCV, Locked Bag 3, Blackburn, Victoria, Australia 3130. Phone/Fax 61 3 9877 9860. Email: [email protected] Front cover: St Andrews Cross Spider Argiope keyserlingii. Photo by Dan Carey Photography. Back cover: Ornate Ochre Trapezites genevieveae. Photo by Dan Carey Photography. Victorian Naturalist Volume 126 (6) 2009 December Editors: Anne Morton, Gary Presland, Maria Gibson Editorial Assistant: Virgil Hubregtse From the Editors 190 Research Report The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola (Meyrick, 1888) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Central Gippsland, Victoria, by John Wainer and Alan Yen 192 Contributions Some records of non -marine molluscs for Banks and eastern Bass Straits, Tasmania, by John Whinray 203 A flight and new distribution record of Antitrogus carnei Britton (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), by Ian Faithfull 207 Naturalist Note Silent lodgers and uninvited guests: arthropods found in a suburban house, by Virgil Hubregtse 210 Book Review Bugs Alive! A Guide to Keeping Australian Invertebrates by Alan Henderson , Deanna Henderson and Jessie Sinclair, reviewed by Alan Yen 214 Spiders: Learning to Love them, by Lynne Kelly, reviewed by Jian Yen 216 The Complete Field Guide to Stick and Leaf Insects of Australia, by Paul D Brock and Jack W Hasenpusch, reviewed by Melanie Archer 217 Moths of Victorian Part 1: Silk Moths and Allies - Bombycoidea by Peter Marriot, reviewed by Lucy Gibson 218 Floodplain Woodland Plants of North East Victoria: Identification of natives and weeds and practical weed management for bush regeneration projects, by Helen Curtis and Peter Curtis, reviewed by Angus Martin 219 ISSN 0042-5184 Research Reports The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola (Meyrick, 1888) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Central Gippsland, Victoria John Wainer and Alan Yen Invertebrate Survey Section, Museum Victoria, GPO Box 666E, Melbourne, Victoria 3001 Current address: Department of Primary Industries, Knoxfield Centre, Private Mail Bag 15, Fei ntree Gully Delivery Centre, Victoria 3156 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Specimens of the Heath Sand-skipper butterfly Antipodia chaostola were found from only three locations in a survey in Central Gippsland in 1998. The preferred larval food plant, Thatch Saw-sedge Gahnia radula , is com- mon and widespread but the butterfly appears restricted to areas of Heathy Woodland, which is a very uncom- vegetation mon community generally occurring on gentle, north-facing lower slopes. The dominant eucalypt species are stringybarks and peppermints, which commonly are stunted and sparse due to the very infertile, yellowish, gradational soils. Female Heath Sand-skippers appear to favour small young plants or regrowth of Saw-sedge, following bushfires, for oviposit ion. As fire may be important or necessary for new growth of Saw- sedge, it consequently may be important or necessary for the persistence of the Heath Sand -skipper. Using a 9-12 year fuel reduction burn cycle, and staggering the burning of patches of the habitat in a mosaic pattern, seem necessary to provide a constant availability of appropriate habitat for the Heath Sand-skipper. (7 he Victo- rian Naturalist 1 26 (6), 2009, 1 92-202) Keywords: Thatch Saw-sedge, Gahnia radula , habitat, Heathy Woodland, bushfire Introduction The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola is or nominated for listing as threatened under a medium-sized skipper, with a wingspan of ap- the Fauna and Flora Guarantee Act in Victoria, proximately 30 mm for males and 35 mm for although Crosby (1990a) suggested that this females it (Fig. 1). As is fast flying and dull col- might prove necessary. Sands and New (2002) oured, it is inconspicuous in flight. It is distin- regarded the Victorian subspecies, A. chaostola guished from its congeners by its orange-brown chares (Waterhouse 1933), as having no nation- colour, and differs from hesperilline and other al conservation significance. Couchman and trapezitine skippers by the presence of scattered Couchman (1977) considered the Tasmanian orange hindwing maculation, and in behaviour subspecies A. chaostola leucophaea (Couchman, by a more open -winged pose when resting in 1946) rare, and it is listed as endangered under sunshine (Atkins 1984). Larvae are unlikely the Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act to be confused with other butterfly species ex- 1995. ploiting the same food plant as they have an The principal aims of the present study were unusual habit of positioning head down in a to survey for the presence of A. chaostola in downward opening shelter, and have an unu- potentially suitable areas of Heathy Woodland, sual bright red prothorax (Grund 1988). Braby its preferred habitat, in central Gippsland, and et al (1997) coined the common name Heath to investigate the response of A. chaostola to Sand-skipper to replace the previously accepted fire. Recommendations then can be made for Chaostola Skipper. the most appropriate control burning manage- Antipodia chaostola is an uncommon or rare ment regimes in Heathy Woodland necessary species throughout its geographical range (Bra- to maintain habitat suitable to encourage the by 2000; Douglas 1993; Dunn et al 1994; Field butterfly’s persistence. 1995; Neyland 1994). Sands (1990) regarded the Biology species as endangered and included it in a cat- The genus Antipodia as currently recognised, egory he defined as generally widely distributed , contains three species (Braby but decreasing in abundance to the point where 2000). They are separated from nearby genera by a number their survival is threatened’. It has not been listed 192 The Victorian Naturalist Research Reports Fig. 1 . The Heath Sand-skipper Antipodia chaostola. Photo: Ross Field. of distinctive characteristics. One is their lar- 1998). Activity is reduced when conditions val habit of occupying and pupating in a head are windy or overcast (D Crosby pers. comm. downward position within downward opening 1998). Individuals will often sun themselves on shelters on their food plant. Saw-sedge Gahnia leaves in sheltered spots. Males defend terri- spp. (Braby 2000). Three shelters are normally tory from a perch on a prominent twig or leaf constructed by each larva as it grows (Quick to which they return after inspecting or attack- 1991). Other species assigned to close genera ing nearby flying insects. These occasionally are (e.g. Hesperilla and Motasingha) shelter and other skippers, and often include the Austral- pupate in an upright position. Another unusual ian Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi y or even the feature of A. chaostola is its two-year life cycle, a large, flower-feeding Jewel Beetle Stigmodera feature it shares with other members of the ge- macularia , both of which can be common dur- nus but with no other Australian skippers (Braby ing Spring months. The Heath Sand-skipper 2000). The larval stage lasts up to 20 months or feeds on nectar from a range of low bushes or more (Braby 2000). Atkins ( 1 984) reported that herbs including Common Rice Flower Pimelea A. chaostola tlies each year, and that there are no humilis , Prickly Teatree Leptospermum con- discernible constant differences between speci- tinentale Heath L. , Teatree myrsinoides , and mens in odd and even years. Their pale, striped Milkmaids Burchardia umbellaia. Males occa- head and bright red prothorax easily distinguish sionally have been observed flying near ridge- larvae of A. chaostola (Atkins 1984). tops (Atkins 1984). Females are less active than Adult butterflies can be found flying dur- males and flit close to the ground in the sun, ing October and November, and occasional or sit and sun on leaves, especially those of the specimens have been recorded in September larval food plant preferred in eastern Victoria, are and December. They generally active only Thatch Saw-sedge G.
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