WINTER Vol: 3/2018 Photos by Jessie Panazzolo Silvereye Purple-gaped honeyeater Spotted dove Noisy miner Rainbow lorikeet 2 Australian Wildlife Vol 3 - Winter 2018 Contents features regulars Into the chipper From the President’s desk 7 - Brendon Carrick 5 Annoying insects Book reviews 11 - Suzanne Medway 33 Australia’s little and little-known 7 22 UTS Scholarship 18 adorable bees in the subfamily Euryglossinae 32 Membership form Australian wildlife heroes 34 21 - Jessie Panazzolo Timely quest for turtle 22 conservation - Gemma Gillette Balloons 26 - Suzanne Medway 11 26 Lord Howe Island - the 28 woodhen Platypus Alliance success 31 - Suzanne Medway Suzanne Medway AM Editor, Australian Wildlife 18 28 21 31 Sabine Borgis Sub-Editor, Australian Wildlife On the cover: Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park, Western Australia. In the past year alone, Australia welcomed around 8.8 million WINTER Vol: 3/2018 international visitors who contributed $41.3 billion in spend. Of these visitors, approximately 5.5 million (about 68 percent of international visitors) participated in some form of nature-based activity when they were in Australia. Tourism Australia says they are actively involved in promoting the experiences that appeal to international visitors such as Australia’s world-class natural beauty, but this does not extend to the protection and conservation of these areas as the responsibility of the sites are with the various state and territory and federal government agencies that have responsibility for the natural environment. The core principles of Ecotourism – apart from a nature-based focus – are: minimising environmental impacts, providing benefits to local communities and (financially) supporting conservation projects and protected areas. Tourism Australia advised that Australia’s world-class natural beauty is one of the key motivating reasons why international visitors choose Australia over other destinations after ‘Safety & Security’ and ‘Value for Money’. Australian Wildlife Vol 3 - Winter 2018 3 Australian Wildlife is the official journal of the Australian Wildlife Society (Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia Limited). Founded in 1909, the Society is dedicated to the conservation of our unique Australian wildlife in all its forms. Print Post Approval No: PP243459/00117 Conserving Australia’s Wildlife ISSN 0155-266X since 1909 Price $10 (for non-members) Membership Contact Directors 2018 Individual Members: $55 National Office Patron Australian Wildlife Society Family Members: $70 (Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia Limited) His Excellency General the Honourable (being husband, wife and children jointly) Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd) Concession: $50 PO Box 42 (pensioner, student, child) BRIGHTON LE SANDS NSW 2216 President E-mag Members: $30 Tel: (02) 9556 1537 (Australian Wildlife magazine will be distributed Suzanne Medway AM Email: [email protected] via email as a pdf document - no hard copy of the Hon Secretary/Chief Executive Officer magazine will be sent) Accounts: [email protected] Patrick W Medway AM Associate Members: $85 Editor “Australian Wildlife”: (being schools or incorporated or unincorporated [email protected] Vice Presidents associations with a principal object related to Website: aws.org.au conservation, nature study or education) Stephen Grabowski and Ken Mason Corporate Members: $125 Hon Treasurer (being incorprated or unincorporated associations Membership Hotline: not being associate members) Sash Denkovski Mob: 0424 287 297 Includes postage within Australia. Directors Add $40 for overseas postage Trevor Evans Three Year Wayne Greenwood Philip Sansom Membership Dr Clive Williams OAM Individual Members: $150 Scientific Advisory Committee Family Members: $190 Correspondence to: Concession: $135 Dr Mike Augee - mammology/palaeontology E-mag Members: $81 Hon Secretary: Prof Richard Kingsford - environmental science Associate Members: $230 Australian Wildlife Society Geoffrey Ross - wildlife management issues Corporate Members: $340 PO Box 42 Jennie Gilbert - marine conservation Includes postage within Australia. BRIGHTON LE SANDS NSW 2216 Add $100 for overseas postage Vanessa Wilson - wildlife conservation and management Notice to our members Our Mission The Australian Wildlife Society (Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia Limited) is managed The Australian Wildlife Society (Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia Limited) is an and controlled by an elected board of ten volunteer directors. The Society is a registered independent, voluntary, non-profit conservation organisation, formed in 1909, and company limited by guarantee with ASIC and is responsible for complying with all its is committed to the preservation of Australia’s precious flora and fauna. We act as regulations. a watchdog and provide advice to government agencies and institutions regarding environmental and conservation issues concerning all aspects of wildlife preservation. Any member who might like to consider serving as a director of the Society is invited to Our mission is to conserve Australia’s fauna and flora through education and contact the national office for more details. The most important qualification to serving as a involvement of the community. We are dedicated to the conservation of our unique director is ‘a commitment to and love of Australian wildlife’. Australian wildlife in all its forms through national environmental education programs, The Society holds regular monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month in political lobbying, advocacy and hands on conservation work. Sydney. Our Society has always known that a conservation battle is never really won until The Editor would like to feature a member’s profile in the fortnightly email newsletter and the victory is enshrined in legislation. We have always tried to convince politicians of occasionally in our quarterly magazine. Members are invited to consider submitting a short the necessity to include the preservation of Australia’s precious wildlife and its vital article with a photograph for possible publication. conservation habitat in all their planning and environmental issues and discussions. Articles and comments expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editor, Society or members. Articles contributed from outside sources are included for the reading enjoyment of members and to encourage discussion on different points of view. Articles may be copied or quoted with appropriate attribution. 4 Australian Wildlife Vol 3 - Winter 2018 From the President’s desk Suzanne Medway AM - President Did you know that there are over 30 million different species of insects on the planet, and they are just the ones that have been identified so far? It is also estimated that insects make recreation and tourism and 91 percent up the remarkable scenery or engaging up the most abundant biomass on of them provide jobs. with our unique nature and wildlife earth and, at any point in time, at least up close, visitors to Australia actively With its vast and varied landscapes, ten quintillion insects are buzzing seek out our natural attractions and unique wildlife and white-sandy and crawling around the planet. Now, participate in a variety of nature-based beaches, Australia is one of the most that’s enough insects to bug anyone, activities. but which insects bug you the most? interesting continents in the world. From tropical islands to crocodiles, Do you think that insects are nothing sharks, and kangaroos, Australia is Tourism is a major component of more than a nuisance? Would you like travel heaven! the Australian economy. Tourism the world to be free of these annoying Australia published an International pests? Do you spray them, swat them, Two out of three international visitors Tourism Snapshot as at 30 September or step on them at every opportunity? to Australia enjoy our aquatic or 2017. Australia welcomed 8.7 million coastal environments in some way – international visitors as at the year Before declaring war on every bug that from scuba diving to simply going to ending September 2017. These crosses your path, why not try to learn the beach and splashing about in the visitors injected $41.2 billion into something about their world? After surf. the Australian economy. Total all, with a population that outnumbers international visitor spending in humans by about 200 million to 1, you Nature-based tourism forms a significant component of Australia’s 2017 was $41.2 billion.The Australian can be sure that insects are here to Government estimates that by 2020, stay! visitor economy, ranking as one of the key motivating factors for the Australian tourism industry On page 11 of this magazine is an international visitors to visit our should be worth up to $140 billion in article on some of our most annoying country. Australia’s combination expenditure. This growth will mainly insects and why they are a vital part of of a pristine natural environment be due to key emerging markets, this planet’s ecology. inhabited by unique wildlife has including the China market, which is always been a key feature of Australia’s estimated to be the most significant Nature-based tourism tourism story and will continue to play economic contributor to the Australian I love travelling and wherever possible a significant role. Whether it’s soaking tourism industry by 2020. try to learn as much about the native wildlife of the country we are visiting. I always hope to be lucky enough to spot some species in their native habitat. Wildlife-based