The Green-head Ant Rhytidoponera metallica Summary

• In 2005, the City Council, through its • Introduced species were a relatively Natural Environment & Sustainability Branch, minor component of the bushland fauna, engaged the services of the with the exception of the Coastal Brown Ant Museum’s Centre for Biodiversity to undertake Pheidole megacephala. surveys across the City’s conservation reserves to inform planning and management of the • There were major differences in the City’s biodiversity. composition of invertebrate communities across the 10 bushland sites showing that the • Across the City’s reserve network, 10 sites reserve network is important for achieving were selected to represent a range of broad conservation goals. vegetation groups as part of a year-long project to investigate the composition of the • The information collected provides the fi rst invertebrate fauna. signifi cant database of invertebrate fauna for Brisbane City and is an important step forward • The survey targeted specifi c bio-indicator for urban biodiversity conservation. groups: ants, ground beetles, sucking bugs, spiders and land snails and to a lesser extent, • The survey of more sites representing butterfl ies and dragonfl ies. a broader range of ecosystems, and further taxonomic studies, would expand the species • An extraordinary diversity of species inventory and help develop a list of signifi cant were collected. invertebrate species.

• There were many species new to science, • A variety of sampling techniques is required rediscoveries of long-lost species and to document the invertebrate fauna. Patterns signifi cant range extensions. of seasonality showed that summer was the most productive sampling period, except for trapdoor spiders.

• The results show that there is a diverse and abundant invertebrate fauna to help monitor ecosystem health, investigate impacts of specifi c management practices on biodiversity and identify emerging Small Green-banded Blue threats to our bushlands. Psychonotis caelius

2 The Common Bluetail Ischnura heterosticta Why survey Brisbane’s invertebrates?

Brisbane is part of the fastest growing region in : Invertebrates play such diverse and crucial roles in 200,000 people are predicted to move into the area nutrient cycling, energy storage and transfer that over the next 20 years. It is also the most biologically maintaining their populations is critical to sustaining diverse capital city, with a magnifi cent variety of habitat our natural ecosystems. The protection and sustainable types that contain fl ora and fauna of high conservation management of these ecological areas thus ensures the signifi cance. The challenge is to protect the city’s provision essential ecosystem services on which we rich biological assets and the services they deliver all depend: clean air, clean water, recreational and whilst accommodating some urban growth. economic resources. (BCC) recognises this challenge Council recognizes the valuable potential of using and is committed to protecting and enhancing the City’s invertebrates as ‘bio-indicators’ for the health of our biodiversity and achieving a vision of a clean green city. natural environments. Yet, the invertebrate fauna of A key commitment is to achieve 40% natural habitat the City’s natural reserves had been unexplored. coverage of the city by 2026. This project focused on selected invertebrate groups to: Since 1991, BCC has spent over $90 million to acquire • survey and identify fauna across a range of habitats and manage approximately 1800 hectares of signifi cant • describe species richness and abundance natural habitat. The recent focus has been to consolidate and connect the reserve network, enhancing its resilience • identify signifi cant species and their locations to key threats such as climate change. • identify important microhabitats for invertebrate BCC has introduced the Natural Assets Local Law to diversity prevent the indiscriminate clearing of vegetation and to • provide data for inclusion in BCC’s Wildlife database control weeds. The Council also encourages community • highlight any management issues that come to light involvement in voluntary conservation agreements on from this initial survey private lands, community partnerships, habitat restoration, • make recommendations for future surveys and and awareness programs. monitoring programs Through a co-operative biodiversity research program, Council undertakes fl ora and fauna surveys with community and industry partners to better understand The introduced European Garden and manage the city’s biodiversity. Faunal surveys, Snail Cantareus aspersus however, have been almost exclusively based on vertebrate animals (eg. mammals, birds, reptiles) despite the fact that the invertebrates (eg. insects, spiders, snails) constitute the bulk of biodiversity (beetles alone comprise about 30% of all animals worldwide).

3 Left to right: Boondall Wetlands, Buhot Creek and . Study sites Brisbane City encompasses amazingly diverse geologies and landforms that range from alluvial fl oodplains to isolated volcanic mountain-top refugia. Across the broad spectrum of vegetative groups, 10 sites were selected to Boondall represent a range of native vegetation communities.

Boombana

Gold Creek Chelsea Rd Bulimba Creek Ransome Belmont Hills

Buhot Creek

Illaweena St Karawatha

The location of the 10 study sites in relation to the Brisbane ‘urban footprint’ (© Commonwealth of Australia – ACRES, Geoscience Australia – 2003).

Belmont Hills Bushland Reserve Boombana Vegetation Type: Mixed dry eucalypt woodland Vegetation Type: Sub-Tropical Rainforest Belmont Hills Bushland Reserve is located in the urban- Boombana, now part of D’Aguilar Range National Park, dominated middle and lower reaches of the Bulimba lies within (BFP). BFP is the largest Creek Catchment, in south-east Brisbane. The Belmont protected area adjacent to a capital city in Australia Hills range to 105m and include heath, eucalypt open and features a wide range of landforms and geologies, forest and woodland, remnant dry rainforest and vegetation (including rainforest) and signifi cant fauna. riparian communities. Much of the area has suffered from major disturbance in the past including logging and bushfi res.

4 Left to right: Chelsea Road Bushland Reserve, Reservoir and Karawatha Forest Park.

Boondall Wetlands Gold Creek Reservoir Vegetation Type: Melaleuca woodlands Vegetation Type: Mixed dry eucalypt open forest The Boondall Wetlands, located on the edge of Moreton Gold Creek Reservoir is within the Brisbane Forest Park Bay, are Brisbane’s largest wetlands and have international and the D’Aguilar Range National Park, but at a lower signifi cance under the Ramsar convention. They comprise elevation than Boombana. This site has a history of one of four core areas in the 1,700 ha North East Wetlands selective logging, bushfi res and disturbance through which encompass tidal fl ats, mangroves, saltmarshes, reservoir construction. grasslands, Eucalypt and Melaleuca woodlands. Illaweena Street Buhot Creek Vegetation Type: Scribbly Gum dry woodland with grass/ Vegetation Type: Riparian heath understorey Buhot Creek, is one of fi ve core bushland areas with The Illaweena Street site is on sandy soils and dominated high conservation signifi cance within the Brisbane by large Scribbly gums Eucalyptus racemosa, a food Koala Bushlands. There are diverse landforms and tree for yellow-bellied gliders and koalas. It lies within biotic habitats and the remnant vegetation communities the Karawatha Forest Park. have regional signifi cance. Karawatha Forest Park Bulimba Creek Vegetation Type: Mixed dry eucalypt woodland Vegetation Type: Forest Red Gum on river fl ats Karawatha Forest covers 642.5 ha and is geologically Within the Belmont Hills Bushland Reserve, the and biologically important, harbouring a unique Bulimba Creek study site comprised true riparian combination of habitats. Floristically the forest vegetation including Flooded Gums (Eucalyptus grandis) contains remnant communities and of particular and an adjacent low ridge of eucalypt woodland with signifi cance are the Eucalyptus planchoniana and Allocasuarina littoralis. A number of introduced plant E. baileyana associations of the sandstone ridges, and tree species were also present. the heath communities with emergent E. carnea, and the E. seeana dominated communities. Chelsea Road Bushland Reserve Vegetation Type: Coastal ironbark open forest Ransome Bushland Reserve Chelsea Road Bushland Reserve is largely Eucalyptus Vegetation Type: Casuarina glauca ecotone tereticornis woodland with grass understorey in the lower Ransome Bushland Reserve also contributes to the portions giving rise to ironbark woodland on the ridges. natural corridors of the Bayside Parklands. This reserve This reserve is one of a series of natural areas along the comprises lowlands of Melaleuca swamps and an foreshores of called the Bayside Parklands ecotone of Casuarina glauca that gives rise to stands that include bushland, wetland and tidal ecosystems. of the Carbeen Corymbia tessellaris.

5 Top: The Spiny Ant Polyrhachis ammon; the sucking bug Ethaltomarus terrareginae; the Red and Blue Damsel Xanthagrion erythroneurum. Bottom: The carabid beetle Carenum brisbanense; the Clearwing Swallowtail Cressida cressida; a rare arboreal snail in the Family Camaenidae and the Garden Orb Weaver Eriophora transmarina.

The invertebrate groups targeted have been previously Butterfl ies: used for biodiversity assessment and as indicators Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea & Hesperioidea of ecosystem health given their role in key ecological • Butterfl ies are conspicuous due to their behaviour processes such as decomposition, herbivory, predation, and attractive colours soil formation, seed dispersal and pollination. • Most species breed on specifi c food-plants and vegetation types Ants: Order Hymenoptera: Family Formicidae Dragonfl ies and Damselfl ies: • Ants are very common in bushands throughout Odonata the year • Adults are aerial predators that hunt with • Ants have successfully been used in bio-monitoring excellent vision programs in Australia • Juveniles are aquatic predators and useful indicators • Ant species are predators, general scavengers, seed of the health of freshwater habitats dispersers and soil turners Land snails: Beetles: Gastropoda Order Coleoptera • Land snails, not as common as some other organisms, • Beetles are the most diverse group of animals are sensitive to human induced changes in bushland worldwide • Land snails depend on moisture so are most active in • Ground beetles have widely used as bio- wet periods and common in rainforests indicators overseas • Snail species can feed on algae, plants, fungi, • Dung beetle distribution is infl uenced by soil and decomposing organic matter or other invertebrates vegetation types and local vertebrate fauna Spiders: Sucking bugs: Araneida Hemiptera • Spiders are dominant and diverse predators that occur • Sucking bugs are a diverse group that include aphids, in all habitat types shield bugs, cicadas, and leaf hoppers • Trapdoor spiders are long-lived and depend on healthy • Some species are predators, others are fungus, seed ground cover in bushlands or root feeders • Spider species include specialist predators that require • Most species feed on plant sap and on a limited range the availability of certain microhabitats of host plants

6 Some of the sampling methods used: pitfall trap; dung-baited pitfall trap; hand netting and hand collecting. Sampling methods

A range of sampling methods, that target different Pyrethrum knockdown behaviours or microhabitats, were required to capture the • A fast acting pyrethroid insecticide was sprayed on various invertebrate groups. the base of 10 trees to sample invertebrates on or in trunk crevices Pitfall traps • At each site, four of these samples were taken • Pitfall traps sampled ground active invertebrates • At each site, fi ve 2 litre ice-cream containers with Sweep netting a roof were placed 5m apart along a transect line • A sweep net with a fi ne mesh material was used to • Pitfall traps were operated continuously and cleared capture fauna on low vegetation every month • Sweep netting was carried out for 15 minutes at each site on three occasions Dung-baited pitfall traps • Dung-baited pitfall traps specifi cally targeted Hand netting dung beetles • A hand net with 1 mm square mesh material was • A frozen ball of wallaby dung, suspended over the used to target fl ying butterfl ies and dragonfl ies mouth of the trap, attracted dung beetles as it thawed • Hand netting was carried out for two person hours • Two traps were placed at each site for 24 hours on at each site on three occasions three occasions Leaf litter berleseates Hand collecting: day and night • Three litres of sieved leaf litter were collected from • Hand collecting of insects and spiders was carried out thick litter areas at each site on three occasions for three person hours per site • Invertebrates were extracted from the litter in Berlese • Collections at each site were made by day on three funnels over eight hours occasions, and by night on two occasions Litter sorting for snails Land snail collecting • Litter habitat from the base of trees and fallen logs • Hand collecting for land snails targeted their was sorted specifi cally for live snails or their shells preferred habitats for three person hours per site • Three litres of bark, litter and forest debris was on two occasions collected from each site on two occasions

7 Left: Graphic Flutterer Rhyothemis graphiptera. Right: A rare lace bug from Boombana – Allocader cordatus. An extraordinary diversity

More than 1200 species were identifi ed from this survey, many more than was expected by the specialists. Moreover, this is an underestimate: only 3 of the 40 beetle families, and 3 of the 17 sucking bug families were identifi ed to species level.

No. No. species Group families or recorded subfamilies* Ants 12* 256 Beetles 40 164+ Bugs 17 84+ Butterfl ies 5 82 Dragonfl ies & Damselfl ies 12 34 Snails 12 43 Spiders 56 568

Of all the groups surveyed, spiders had the the most species collected and over 70% of these had no scientifi c name. The richness of the 10 study sites for this important Top: The rare rainforest charopid Ngairea corticicola. predator group on its own makes Brisbane City signifi cant Bottom: The Brisbane Brush-footed Trapdoor Spider Seqocrypta jakara. for invertebrates. Charopid land snails and most trapdoor spiders A rich diversity of spiders, and all other invertebrate are capable of dispersing only very short distances. groups, is indicative of a healthy bushland ecosystem. Consequently, these taxa show high degrees of endemicity across fragmented natural areas. These groups are good Special Patterns of Distribution indicators of historical connections between sites and the The survey revealed interesting species distribution long-term persistence of stable environmental moisture patterns that highlight the importance of a network of regimes in bushland sites. reserves to ensure the conservation of biodiversity. Whilst many insects have wings and can disperse readily, they Sampling Biodiversity may not do so across unfavourable habitat, making To document the extent of invertebrate diversity in habitat corridors crucial to their survival. Other species bushland, it is important to use different sampling can move only small distances, making them dependant methods. Many surveys use only pitfall traps because on particular microhabitats within a healthy landscape they capture many animals with relatively little effort. and therefore vulnerable to habitat change or disturbance. However, this samples only the ground active fauna and not the very different species that live elsewhere within the bushland.

8 Left: Buhot Creek had the most diverse and distinctive dragonfl y fauna, including the Australian Tiger Ictinogomphus australis, because of the variety of nearby freshwater habitats. Right: Boombana had the most unique sucking bug fauna including Australia’s largest fl at bug Drakiessa hackeri. Our unique bushland remnants

The invertebrate fauna of each of the ten bushand sites The visual spectacle of was unique. This highlights the importance of protecting certain butterfl y species a range of habitat types and the same habitat type in in fl ight is well known to different locations. be linked to certain times of the year. The timing is crucial to ensure the availability of food plants and developmental temperatures for The Meadow Argus Junonia villida the larvae.

The percentage of ant and spider species unique to each of the 10 bushland sites. The rainforest habitat at Boombana had the most unique fauna, followed by the riparian habitat along Buhot Creek. Apart from this, the pattern across sites differed between ants and spiders.

The importance of the seasons Invertebrates typically respond to environmental factors such as rainfall and critical temperatures which determine The Lynx Spider Oxyopes molaris their level of activity. The patterns of these responses are Spiders such as these lynx spiders in the Family unique for each species. Oxyopidae are most active in summer whilst male spiders This then infl uences the chance of capturing a certain of some ancient trapdoor families only move about in the species with a particular sampling method. winter months to fi nd mates. To capture many different species, sampling should be Land snails and slugs are most active during and after conducted across all seasons. Although, in the warmer rainfall and typically aestivate in the winter months. months of the year, the activity of many invertebrates is greater and their abundance is higher, so sampling is more productive.

The Red Triangle Slug

9 Signifi cant range extensions were recorded for the ant genus Calyptomyrmex (left) and the dung beetle Onthophagus tenebrosus (right). Exciting new discoveries

This study was the fi rst comprehensive survey of the The large, roughly-sculptured dung beetle Onthophagus invertebrate fauna of a major Australian city. Scientists tenebrosus was found at the Karawatha Forest Park and are invariably lured by more remote locations, yet here, in Illaweena Street sites. These were the fi rst records of Brisbane City was a wealth of fascinating new discoveries. this species from east of the Great Dividing Range. New species Rare species This spider from First described Boombana and in 1956, the Buhot Creek small and represents both peculiar spider a new genus and Austrarchaea new species in the nodosa, is a rare Family Tengellidae. member of the Family Archaeidae. The discovery of more members of this species on silk lines on shrubs Two undescribed at Boombana was very signifi cant. species of native dung beetles were Species rediscovered collected during the survey. One belongs to the genus Lepanus collected at Bulimba, Gold Creek and Boombana. The other undescribed species, in the genus Onthophagus was only found in the A dung beetle of the genus Lepanus rainforest of Boombana. A tiny spider Malkara loricata (Family Malkaridae) that lives only in deep moist leaf litter, was fi rst It is remarkable that new species of such a well known described in 1980 from the lower slopes of Mt Coot-tha. group of insects occur on our very doorstep. The microhabitat has since been removed and the spider Signifi cant range extensions not found since. Experts were delighted to fi nd members Ants of the genus Calyptomyrmex are rare and limited to of this species again at Belmont Hills. Queensland rainforests. There are at least eight species Species of the genus Peronomyrmex are some of and only one has a scientifi c name. Known from northern Australia’s rarest ants. Three species are known from only Queensland, the most southerly record has been from fi ve specimens. At Ransome Reserve, specialists collected Mackay. In this survey, a Calyptomyrmex queen was the second specimen ever known of Peronomyrmex discovered at Boombana, which is a signifi cant range overbecki. The fi rst specimen had been collected more extension for the genus. than 85 years ago from Trial Bay in New South Wales.

10 Threats to our local invertebrates include the Coastal Brown Ant Pheidole megacephala, the Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta and fi re.

Natural plant communities, and hence the invertebrates • Fire. that maintain them, are under threat from various sources: The effect of hazard reduction burning and un-planned • Land clearance, habitat loss and fragmentation. A fi res on the native invertebrate fauna, especially priority threat due to the extent of urban expansion. across the Brisbane landscape, is little understood. • Weeds. Invasive plants can drastically impact the This study identifi ed many species that require specifi c viability and habitat value of native vegetation microhabitats provided by moist ground cover (eg. leaf communities. litter, fallen logs and bark) and minimal fi re exposure. Given the signifi cant role fi re plays in shaping • Habitat degradation through arson, vandalism, our natural vegetation communities, research and inappropriate recreational use and pollution. monitoring into the effects of fi re is a priority for the • Invasive and exotic fauna. Feral and pest animals can conservation of invertebrate biodiversity. have devastating effects on natural areas. • Climate change. – The Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta was The effects of rising temperatures, changing air fortunately not recorded from the 10 study sites. chemistry and rainfall patterns will have unpredictable – The introduced Coastal Brown Ant Pheidole effects on natural communities. Invertebrates will be megacephala dominated the ant fauna of the necessarily affected since their behaviour, life cycles Gold Creek Reservoir study site. There is evidence and breeding success are temperature and rainfall that this species can invade natural habitats dependant. Relevant research is required to determine with detrimental effects on native invertebrate which groups will be the most useful as indicators in communities. The results of this study recommend this context, which taxa will be the most vulnerable to that the full extent of the infestation at Gold change and which are the most appropriate to inform Creek Reservoir be established, that its ecological management decisions regarding our biodiversity. effects be the focus of a future study, and that management practices be reviewed to minimize potential spread of this pest species.

Acknowledgements Field work and research was performed by QCB staff, particularly Dr Chris Burwell, Dr Robert Raven, Dr Geoff Monteith and Dr Barbara Baehr. Support was also provided by Susan Wright, Geoff Thompson, Darryl Potter, Dr Owen Seeman, Dr Peter Grimbacher, Dr Eric Volschenk, Doug Cook, Wendy Hebron, Karin Koch, David Fleming, John Purdie, Renee Lewry, Anna Guerney and Terry Carless. Dr John Stanisic was Project Leader. All photographs provided by the (photographers: Bruce Cowell, Gary Cranitch, Dr John Stanisic, Geoff Thompson, Dr Robert Raven and Jeff Wright) except photographs on page 12, which appear courtesy of Dr Jean-Marc Hero, Griffi th University. Dr Tracey Churchill, of EcoSpider Consulting, compiled the brochure with the support of Stacey McLean (BCC) and Dr Chris Burwell (QCB). Graphic design services were provided by the Queensland Museum.

11 North ABCDEFG 1

33 permanennt 2 plots at 500m intervals 3

with ~ 33km 4 solid line transects 5

6

7 PPBio Australasia 8

East

Left: A PPBio site has been established at Karawatha Forest Park. Right: Locations of permanent plots and transect grid at Karawatha Forest Park. Where to from here?

A Benchmark study The outcomes and objectives are: This booklet has outlined the Terrestrial Invertebrate • Initiate the use of selected invertebrate indicator taxa Status Review which was the initial phase of a Brisbane in monitoring and evaluation of (natural area reserve) City Council (BCC) funded program. This survey has management decisions and practices, particularly in represented a benchmark initiative for local government relation to the use of fi re. nationally and signifi cantly advanced our knowledge of • Enhance our understanding of the role of invertebrates the city’s invertebrate biodiversity. The full report can be in sustaining the Karawatha ecosystem downloaded from http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/organisation/ • Develop an integrated, cost-effective and standardised biodiversity.asp. sampling protocol for invertebrate indicator taxa to facilitate long term management and monitoring for Program for Planned Biodiversity Studies the impacts of climate change BCC has now formed a partnership with the Centre for Other research agencies or corporations interested in Innovative Conservation Strategies, Griffi th University the program are encouraged to discuss collaborative (CICS) to implement the Program for Planned Biodiversity opportunities. Studies in Australasia (PPBio). PPBio is a meso-scale, multi-disciplinary program Benefi ts of collaboration include: designed to assist agencies and land managers in • Join existing founding investors in this collecting long-term data on biodiversity assessment on benchmark study into the health of South-east public and private lands. The fi rst Australian PPBio site Queensland bushland has been established at Karawatha Forest Park: see http:// www.griffi th.edu.au/centre/cics/ppbio/home.html. • Contribute to practical and affordable responses to climate change The program includes two important components: • Contribute to better assessment and management 1. Integrated, standardised long-term ecological plots of fi re risk 2. All data collected will be publicly available on a dedicated website For further information please contact: Stacey McLean Monitoring Bushland Health – Investigating Senior Program Offi cer Biodiversity Planning fi re, climate change & invertebrates in Natural Environment & Sustainability Branch Karawatha Forest GPO Box 1434 In conjunction with the CICS and the PPBio, Phase BRISBANE Q 4001 II will commence in 2008 in collaboration with the Queensland Centre for Biodiversity, at the Email: [email protected] Queensland Museum.

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