Th Victorian Naturalist Volume 116 (1) February 1999 F.N.C.V. Mfcrri Published bv The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria since 1 884 From the Editors The Victorian Naturalist would not be successful without the enormous amount of time scenes. and effort voluntarily given by a large number of people who work behind the refcrecd. The Editors would One of the most important editorial tasks i s to have papers 1998: like to say thank you to those people who re fereed manuscripts published in Jenny Barnett Mike Coupar John Hunter Martin Predavec Verna Beilharz David Crosby Jeffrey Jeanes Ross Ramsay Bill Birch Bob Dalgarno David Lindenmeyer Jon Sago Peter Brown Peter Dann Lachlan McKinnon Martin Schulz Malcolm Caldcr Kelvin Dunn Andrew McMahon Peter Tyler Daniel Catrice Ian Lndersby Ian Mansergh Robert Wallis Richard Marchanl Neville Walsh I lelen Cohn Mary Gibson Laurie Conole Alena Glaistcr Peter Menkhorst Jeanette Watson John Conran David Gray Adrian Moorrees Geoff Westcotl Margaret Corrick Gwen Harden Tim New Leon Costermans Sheila 1 loughton Geoffrey Paterson The Victorian Naturalist endeavours to publish articles which are written for a wide and varied audience. We have a team of dedicated proof-readers who iclp with the readability and expression of our articles. Thanks to: Julie Bartlett Alistair Evans Steve Mill Michael McBain Ken Bell Arthur I'arnworth Virgil Hubregtse John McLean Tenia Bennell Sharon Lord John Hunter Geoffrey Paterson Phil Bock Mary Gibson Glen Jamieson Michelle Smith Amis Dzedins Ken Green Genevieve Jones Kathie Strickland Ian Lndersby Murray 1 laby Peter Kelly Robert Wallis Jennie Epstein Clarrie Handreck Ian Mansergh Gretna Weste Sincere thanks to our book reviewers for 1998 who provided ii iteresting and insightful comments on a wide range of books and other materials. Malcolm Colder Linden Gilbank Kathleen Ralston John West Tim Doeg Caroline Gross Barbara Sharp Paul Downey Sara Maroske Letitia Silberbauer Cecily Lalkingham Tom May Kathie Strickland As always we particularly thank our authors who provide us with excellent material for publication. Our editorial advisory team continue to provide valuable advice and assistance: Ian Lndersby, Ian Mansergh, Pom May and John Seebeck. On the production side, a thank you to: the computer team - Alistair Evans, Anne Morton. Michael McBain who maintains the internet site (http://calcite apana.org.au/fncv/) Ken Bell who prepares the annual index ; Felicity (iarde for printing the labels; and Printers, Brown Prior Anderson Pty. Ltc , especially Steve Kitlo. 1 The Victorian Naturalist Volume 116(1) 1999 February Editor: Merilyn Grey Honours Australian Natural History Medallion 1998 - Peter Menkhorst. by S. Houghton 4 Contributions Plant Ecophysiology: the Quest to Understand How Plants Cope in a Changing Environment, by J. Williams and D. Eamus 6 Leafhoppers in Ant Nests: Some Aspects of the Behaviour of Pogonoscopini {Hemiptera: Eurymelidae), byM.F. DayandK.R. Pullen 12 The Orange Palm Dart Skipper Cephrenes augiades sperthias (Felder) in Melbourne, by J, Eichler 16 A Fauna Survey of Riparian and Other Revegetation Sites in Eltham. Victoria, by P. Homan 19 A List of Native Mammals of Wilsons Promontory National Park, by P. Menkhorst and J. Seebeck 26 Letters to the From N. Romanowski: Aquaculture of Silver Perch Editor Bidyanus bidyanus 28 From G. Kibria; Response to N. Romanowski 29 Naturalist Notes Some Records of the Fungus Blackfellows' Bread Polyporus mylittae, by E. Lyndon 41 The Cordyceps Update, by R. Barker 42 Book Reviews Flora of Australia, Volume 12 Mimosaceae (excluding Acacia), Caesalpiniaceae, reviewer I. Thompson 1 Climate Change 1995 - Impacts. Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses, editors R.T. Watson, M.C. Zingowerd, R.H. Moss and D.J. Dokken 25 Saving the Environment: What Will it Take? by Ted Trainer 33 A Long Walk in the Australian Bush, by William J. Lines, reviewer RJ. Fletcher 37 George Caley, Nineteenth Century Naturalist, by Joan Webb, reviewer L. Gil/bank 38 New Zealand Fungi: an Illustrated Guide, by Greta Stevenson, 40 reviewer R. Jones 34 Tribute Daniel Ernest Mclnnes. 1906- 1998, by S. Houghton 18 Vale Joan Harry, by N. Schleiger and D. Mahler 36 Norman Stanford, by S. Houghton 5 Lrrata Volume 115(5) ISSN 0042-5 84 Natural History Medallion (see Cover Peter Menkhorst receiving the 1998 Australian Photographies. article p. 4). Photo by Wendy Clark. Empathy Find us on the WEB: http://calcite.apana.org.au/fncv/ Honours Australian Natural History Medallion 1998 Peter Menkhorst 'Destruction of habitat* is a phrase heard The status of the Koala is a vexed frequently these days, and it is the reality question. Overpopulation is a problem in behind this that makes the work of this parts of Victoria, and since 1995 Peter has year's Medallionisl so important and valu- coordinated Koala management across the able. For more than twenty-five years. State, including investigation of options for Peter Menkhorst has been involved with fertility control. He represents Victoria on endangered species of birds and mammals, the National Koala Network, which has pre- either by Held survey, research or coordi- pared a National Strategy for Koala nating recovery efforts. As a Wildlife Conservation. Scientist in the former Fisheries and In 1995 Peter represented Australian Wildlife Department, and since 1996 a wildlife agencies at a workshop on Senior Wildlife Policy Officer with the Population and Habitat Viability Department of Natural Resources and Assessment for the Komodo Dragon, in Environment, he has played a major role in Bogor, Java, and later encouraged and improving knowledge of Victoria's wildlife facilitated the Conservation Breeding and developing recovery strategies. Specialist Group of IUCN to conduct the The Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery first such workshop in Australia, for the Project, one of the first intensive recovery Spotted Tree Frog. efforts undertaken in Australia, required The Atlas of Victorian Mammals project the collaboration of the wildlife agencies was set up under Peter's leadership in of the Victorian. Tasmanian. South 1980, and he was responsible for the for- Australian and Federal Governments, mation of a detailed computer database for Birds Australia, and other non-government mammal records for Victoria. This now agencies. Peter Menkhorst has been the includes records of all Victorian verte- Victorian representative on this recovery brates and is the most comprehensive of its team since its inception in 1983. He devel- kind in Australia. It formed the basis for oped and led the Helmetcd Honeyeater Mammals of Victoria: distribution, ecology Recovery Effort, involving the coordina- and conservation (1995), for which Peter tion of scientists from a variety of disci- was the major contributor and editor. In plines, and in 1993 he was put in charge of 1996 it received a Whitley Book Award the recovery of the Regent Honeyeater, an from the Royal Zoological Society of New ecologically complex project, also requir- South Wales. Other publications include ing the coordination of organisations in contributions to books on the ecology of three States. He has collaborated in the the Mallec, the status of Australia's preparation of recover)' plans and Action scabirds, possums and gliders, Fauna of Statements under the Flora and Fauna Australia, Volume 2 - Aves and the Guarantee Act for the Orange-bellied Handbook of Australian New Zealand and Parrot, Helmeted Honeyeater. Regent Antarctic Birds, and over 100 articles to Honeyeater, New Holland Mouse, Squirrel journals both scientific and popular. Glider and the Koala in New South Wales. Over 130 of Peter's photographs have Peter has been involved in many field been accepted for the Australian surveys, often as team leader. These Museum's National Photographic Index of included investigation of the requirements Australian Wildlife. Some have been used of the Squirrel Glider in northern and cen- in the scries of books published by the tral Victoria, the Smokey Mouse in the Index: others in Mammals of Victoria, and Eastern Highlands, and the feeding ecolo- in R. Strahan's Complete Book of gy of Australasian Gantlets breeding in A ustralian Mammals. Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Programs for the recovery and manage- ment of endangered wildlife rely very The Victorian Naturalist Honours heavily on research, and Peter has well as various 'Friends" organisations. He gnc d d c °- su ervi sed projects P at was a committee member of for ™^ , r?n V O R G PhD and BSc Honours level on aspects of twenty years, and a member of the the ecology of the Orange-bellied Parrot Healesville Sanctuary Advisory and the Helmeted Honeyeater. Input from Committee between 1991* and 1995 He amateur groups is also of great value, and has presented over 50 talks to naturalist Peter has been very active in cooperating clubs, and has done much to raise public with them to achieve common goals. awareness of the plight of endangered Peter is a member of Birds Australia, the species, and to involve the wider commu- Bird Observers Club of Australia, the nity in the protection and preservation of Australian Mammal Society, the their habitat. Australian Bird Study Association, the Victorian Ornithological Research Group Sheila Houghton (V.O.R.G.), who nominated him for the 12 Scenic Court, Gisbome, Victoria 3437. Australian Natural History Medallion, as Errata In Volume 1 15 (5), Mount Buffalo Centenary Issue, the captions on pictures A and B on Plate 5 were reversed. They should