Minibeast Wildlife - Rainforest Encounters

Raspy cricket style

2012-02-21T22:14:00.000+11:00

Crickets from the family Gryllacrididae are known for their ability to produce silk, for their powerful jaws, but not for their mating style. I came across this pair and had to take the shot; the male being so 'creative' with his no-handed approach.
Mating for these crickets essentially involves the transfer of a spermatophore. Not only does this serve to fertilise the female's eggs, but part of it (the spermatophylax) provides her with a nutrient rich meal afterwards.

A male free-styling his way to sexual success.

A female gryllacridid feeding on the spermatophylax after mating.

Net-winged Mantids

2012-02-20T21:48:00.000+11:00

We have had several Net-winged Mantids (Neomantis australis) turn up around the yard in recent days. They are delicate and active little mantids, very ready to take to the wing. Due to their relatively small size (20mm), they only take small prey. Insects presumably form the bulk of their prey, but I have observed them taking small spiders. They often dart forward considerable distances to it to capture it rather than waiting for it to come to them.

A close-up of the tegmina (fore-wings).

Watching the cricket in the sun

2012-02-17T10:39:00.000+11:00

Crickets aren't typically a group of insect that you would associate with sun-basking. This one, Myara sp. certainly seems to be comfortable in bright daylight, and seems to make an effort in the early morning to directly expose itself to direct sunlight. There were numerous individuals of this species sitting prominently upon the leaves of small trees near Speewah, (west of Kuranda).

King of the tree. This cricket (Myara sp.) was feeding at the top of a small Corymbia torreliana tree. Below it black ants (Iridomyrmex sp.) a sugar ant (Camponotus sp.) and a small caterpillar also go about their business.

Another cricket of the same species sitting in the early morning sun.

Jumrum wanderings

2012-02-16T10:27:00.000+11:00

A few offerings from around Jumrum Creek.

Just hanging around; a male orb-weaver (Eriophora sp.) suspended by silken lines. Males often hang like this adjacent to the webs of females, however this guy appeared to be on his own.

A Rainforest Grasshopper (Desmoptera truncatipennis). This species spends the day hidden within the leaf litter, then moves up the plants to feed at night.

There were numerous small native cockroaches our gleaning food off leaf surfaces. I think this is Carbrunneria sp.

A tiny but spectacular cockroach (Mediastinia sp). The outer margins of the pronotum and tegmina are perfectly transparent, almost invisible.

This is our first encounter with this spider, and I'm yet to identify it. It appears to be a Saprassid (huntsman) although very small. This is an adult male, but less than 10mm in body length. He is missing his left front leg, possibly from an encounter with a predator or with female of his own species.

A water spider (Dolomedes species). This individual is hunting at the edge of a small isolated pool of water. It has four legs in contact with the water sensing for vibrations coming from its prey, hence the water is effectively its web.

A male water spider of the same species.

These tadpoles were massing in a shallow pool which had become separated from the creek due to the dry spell we are having. I suspect they are Stony Creek Frog tadpoles (Litoria jungguy), as this species has been the most active in recent weeks.

A Giant Water Spider (Megadolomedes australianus). These spiders have extremely long legs and grow to considerable size (about the span of a large huntsman). They prefer flowing water as opposed to Dolomedes which tend to prefer still water. This specimen is a sub-adult and was hunting in a reasonably fast flowing section of Jumrum Creek.

A knobbly weevil sitting upon pandanus.

A very cryptic crab spider (Stephanopis sp.) on the bark of a tree. These spiders are ambush hunters and simply wait with legs outstretched when hunting. Prey is seized and bitten immediately, and sometimes consists of insects much larger than the spider.

Leaf Lovers

2012-02-13T09:38:00.001+11:00

A couple of leaf-eating insects have caught our eye over recent days. A very hairy caterpillar, found feeding on Cadagi (Corymbia torreliana) was given to us for identification. It is a Tussock Moth Caterpillar from the family Lymantriidae. These caterpillars are covered in hairs that can cause irritation for other animals that come into contact with them. Many species in this group have 4 dense vertical tufts of hair on their backs. These tufts are present with this specimen, but less distinct due to the abundance of other hairs.

The hairless head capsule of the caterpillar stands out in contrast to the body.

The caterpillar from above whilst feeding.

Caterpillars are feeding machines, packing as much food in as quickly as possible. This species seems to favour Cadagi (Corymbia torreliana).

The other striking leaf-eating insect we found was a green Extatosoma tiaratum. These are relatively common, but due to their camouflage are seldom seen. They feed on a wide variety of plants and most adults are various shades of brown. We have worked with this species in captivity for many years and their choice of food plant certainly does affect their colour. We found this bright yellow-green specimen feeding on Native Mulberry (Pipturus argenteus).

The adult yellow-green Extatosoma tiaratum

Around the yard

2012-02-04T22:28:00.000+11:00

Over the last month or so we have had a number of young Golden Orb-weavers (Nephila pilipes piscatorum) appear around the yard. Some are now reaching maturity, and the tiny males are finding and staking out the huge females. Another fascinating aspect of the lives of Nephila is the almost guaranteed appearance of kleptoparasitic spiders (Argyrodes sp.) within their webs. These tiny spiders sneak in to share larger prey with their giant hostess, but also collect any tiny insects which are snared in the web.

A sub-adult Golden Orb-weaver (Nephila pilipes piscatorum) with her tiny suitor waiting patiently above her.

A tiny kleptoparasitic spider (Argyrodes sp.) photographed on the outer line of the Nephila web at night.

We have also had a number of adult Spine-collared Phasmids (Parapodacanthus hasenpuschorum) visit the lights over recent weeks. We cultured this species in captivity for the first time last year, collecting almost 900 eggs from three females. The eggs took just over 3 months to hatch and the insects matured in around the same period. This species is a reasonably selective feeder; only known to feed upon Aspens (Acronychia spp.) and Corkwood (Melicope elleryana). The Hard Aspen (Acronychia laevis) is the local species we utilised as a food plant.

A female Parapodacanthus hasenpuschorum that visited our lights recently.

The same specimen close-up showing the prominent collar of spines.

The return of the macro lens…finally!

2012-01-26T16:42:00.000+11:00

I parted with my beloved macro lens at the end of October to get 4 months of Costa Rican fungal growth removed from the internal elements – it has finally been returned. I’ll spare you the descriptions of all the great shots I’ve missed while not having it, but it has been a frustrating few months without a lens!

Faces of Costa Rica

2011-10-30T14:43:00.002+11:00

We are on the brink of leaving this amazing place, so I thought I might post a few of the faces we have encountered on our journey. Of course they are not human (although we did meet many wonderful people during our stay); these faces belong to the creatures that captivate us and inhabit these rich rainforest habitats.

A juvenile Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni.)

Giant Cockroach (Blaberus giganteus)

Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus)

Black Jungle Stalker (Ctenidae)

Black-tailed Scorpion (Centruroides bicolor)

Horned Katydid, (Copiphora cultricornis)

Fishing spider (Pisauridae)

Hawk moth (Sphingidae)

Leaf-tailed Mantis (Mantidae)

Giant fly, unknown species

Unidentified moth

Wet-forest Toad (Ollotis melanochlora formerly Bufo melanochlorus)

Pink-jawed Katydid (Neoconocephalus sp.)

Unidentified wasp

Amblypygid (Phrynus pseudoparvulus)

Orange-faced katydid - unidentified species

Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)

Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium sp)

Huntsman spider (Sparassidae)

Green and Black Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates auratus)

'Sunburst' raspy cricket (Gryllacrididae)

Owl Butterfly caterpillar (Caligo memnon)

Costa Rica - Tree snakes

2011-10-29T03:53:00.000+11:00

We have encountered snakes most nights whilst in the field looking for invertebrates. We have spotted many species on and around the property we are living. The majority are arboreal (tree climbers). The diet of these snakes is quite diverse. Many feed upon frogs and lizards, while some of the larger species will take birds and bats. The specialists, however, feed on animals that few other snakes do. Some species specialise in feeding upon snails, while another is a scorpion specialist. Here's a selection of those we have seen to da

A very strikingly patterned Bicoloured Snail-eater, Dipsas bicolor

Bicoloured Snail-eater, Dipsas bicolor

Bicoloured Snail-eater, Dipsas bicolor. We weren't lucky enough to encounter one of these in the act of eating a snail. In fact, snails seemed far less abundant than in the Australian tropics.

Neotropical Bird-eating Snake, Pseustes poecilonotus. This is one of the largest and most robust tree snakes we encountered, no doubt capable of feeding on moderately sized birds.

Neotropical Bird-eating Snake, Pseustes poecilonotus

Blunt-headed tree snake, Imantodes cenchoa. This species is very wirey, and every individual we found would coil itself into multiple loops as above. A very inoffensive snake which had no objection to being picked up.

Blunt-headed tree snake, Imantodes cenchoa

Cat-eyed snake, Leptodeira septentrionalis. This species is a frog specialist. We found three of them with the hind legs of tree frogs disappearing into their mouths.

Snail-eater, Sibon nebulatus

Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis aeneus. These snakes are incredibly thin hence the name, and blend in very well amongst the chaos of vines and branches within the rainforest. This one was an easy find - sitting on a green leaf.

Brown Vine Snake, Oxybelis aeneus

Cost Rica - Arañas

2011-10-11T10:11:00.005+11:00

The spider fauna on the Osa Peninsula is rich and diverse. All the species here are new to us of course, but some of the families are too. The most obvious spiders here are from the Ctenidae; the wandering spiders. There are numerous species here and are easily spotted at night using a head torch. There are several species of tarantulas (Theraphosidae) here too, and we recently found a road side cutting with large numbers of hand-sized specimens (Brachypelma angustum) sitting outside their burrows.

Every night we see more and more spiders. Here is a small selection of the spiders we have encountered so far - some of the smaller species are truly spectacular.

A 'leopard' wandering spider, Ctenidae

Red-thighed Wandering Spider, Cupiennius coccineus

Costa Rican Red-rump Tarantula, Sericopelma sp.

Male tarantula, 'Crypsidromus sp.'

Costa Rican Orange-mouth Tarantula, Psalmopoeus reduncus (female)

Male Costa Rican Orange-mouth Tarantula, Psalmopoeus reduncus (male)

Costa Rican Orange-mouth Tarantula, Psalmopoeus reduncus

Silverback Cross Spider, Argiope savignyi

A huntsman spider, formerly Olios now being reclassified.

Flame-bellied Orb-weaver (Eriophora sp.), wrapping prey

Flame-bellied Orb-weaver (Eriophora sp.) This species has a huge ladder-like orb-web which often connects with the ground. During the day they hide above the web in a curled leaf.

A bizarre Lynx spider, Oxyopidae. This species lies flat underneath broad leaves.

Not sure about this one - could be Oxyopidae or a Mimetid

Pedipalps to be proud of. A male pirate spider, Mimetidae.

The female of the same species. We could not identify this Mimetid beyond family level. The eye-spots on the abdomen make it look a little like a South Park character.

Another individual of the same species.

A Red house spider (Nesticodes rufipes). This species seems at home both in houses and within the rainforest.

A small but robust Oxyopid feeding on a wasp. The spider is hanging from a strand of silk.

Selenops sp. This lighting fast spider is at home on rocks and on tree trunks.

The spiny Micrathena sexspinosa. A common orb-weaver on the Osa Peninsula.

A large Scytodes sp.; a spitting spider. These six-eyed hunters eject venomous silk from their spinnerets. We were able to capture action in the studio.

A jumping spider (Salticidae).

A triangular orb-weaver, unknown species.

Tent-making Bats

2011-10-07T11:49:00.000+11:00

Tent-making bats are relatively common in Costa Rica, and there are 15 species here. Once you know what you are looking for, the bent leaves stand out like beacons in the rainforest where these animals are roosting. The bats roost underneath several of the broad leafed plant species, and seem to favour fan palms and heliconia leaves. They chew the across the underside of the leaves to cause them to hang down at the sides in order to create a protective canopy. A group of these bats will contain a single male and a harem of females. These intriguing little bats are frugivores, and feed on a variety of rainforest fruits.

These bats are roosting only metres from our front door. This is possibly Uroderma sp. , however many of the tent-makers in Costa Rica look superficially alike.

These two are cooperating for the camera, however, it is difficult to sneak under the tent without scaring them away. They have large eyes and relatively good eyesight.

Costa Rica - A mixed bag

2011-10-02T16:14:00.004+11:00

This post is a bit of everything - no particular theme just various species we have encountered and photographed over the last couple of weeks.

An adult male Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus). These lizards can run across the surface of water on their hind legs. We see them do this across our local river, the Rio Tigre. This is incredible to witness.

A Costa Rican huntsman, possibly from the genus Olios. We have recently observed two leaf-nests of juveniles (up to 4th instar) residing together without an adult present. They were clearly foraging around the nest and a number of individuals returned to the nest once they were disturbed. This is very unusual behaviour for this group of spiders.

A cicada. One of several large species that we have seen on the Osa .

A predatory 'orange-faced katydid'. We have yet to identify this species.

A very large and spectacular reduviid. This assassin bug seems to specialise upon hymenopteran prey. We found one feeding on a wasp twice its size. This individual is feeding on a Golden carpenter ant (Camponotus sericeiventris). This is another species we have not been able to identify. Too many invertebrates, too little information!

Golden carpenter ant (Camponotus sericeiventris)

A juvenile Terciopelo or Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper), Costa Rica's most feared snake. I have found eight of them so far - they are very common in this region. Despite their reputation for aggression, most of the individuals have been quite tolerant of our presence, and timid rather than agressive.

The same juvenile Terciopelo. Juveniles will often sit up a metre or so off the ground. This one was perched on a pineapple plant about a metre off the ground.

A large ant which the locals call a 'bala' ant due to the bullet like nature of the sting - most likely in the genus Dinoponera. The true bala ant (Paraponera clavata) reputedly has the most painful sting of all ants. It is found on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

A Blunt-headed tree snake (Imantodes cenchoa)

Disc-winged bats (Thyroptera tricolor) within an unfurled Helconia leaf. This species lives in small groups and moves to a new roosting site every night. This is because they growing leaves unfurl so quickly that within 24 hours they are no longer suitable. They use the suction discs to grip onto the leaves - you can see a number of the bats' discs in this image.

A close-up of the disc on the wing of Thyroptera tricolor. This one gripped onto my finger nail and had incredible holding power.

A iridescent Euglossine bee (orchid bee)
bee visiting a flower.

A black and white Carabid beetle, a scavenger found on leaves at night.

Wet forest toad (Bufo melanochloris). We have many Giant (Cane) toads here too. It is a bit strange coming from north Queensland to Costa Rica and seeing Cane toads in their native habitat.

Wet forest toad (Bufo melanochloris)

A close-up of Bufo melanochloris

Another Poison Dart Frog

2011-09-10T09:56:00.000+10:00

Dendrobates auratus is known as the Green and Black Poison Dart Frog for obvious reasons, however, colours do vary throughout their range the extreme being blue and black.

This is the second Dendrobates species we have found close to where we are living. Like the other species we have encountered (Dendrobates granuliferus), D. auratus is most active in the early mornings. They are extremely lively little frogs, continually hopping in short sharp leaps, rarely pausing for too long. Makes for a challenging photographic subject.

Costa Rica – Lizards around the house

2011-08-21T07:22:00.000+10:00

We are fortunate to have numerous species of lizards all around us, so do not have to go far to see them. Most of the lizards in this post can be observed from our front veranda.

The Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) is a species renowned for its ability to run on water. Juveniles are very common in this area, but the adults tend to spend most of their time near the river and are harder to get close to. During the day these lizards are active hunters, and move extremely rapidly to capture prey such as invertebrates and smaller lizards. At night however, they perch on foliage to sleep and we have found many of them hanging quite oblivious to approach on foliage around the yard and in the forest areas.

A young Basilisk, perched upon a flower.

Another juvenile Basilisk

An adult male Basilisk

Common Anoles (Norops polylepis), true to their name are very abundant here. We were very excited to find a less common Green Tree Anole (Norops biporcatus) on the property. Anoles are well known for the territorial displays performed by males. They flash a colourful flap of skin beneath their throat known as a dewlap to warn off rival males.

A Common Anole with its dewlap exposed

The Green Tree Anole

Green Tree Anole

A close-up of the Green Tree Anole

We also have found Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) right here on the property. The juveniles are a brilliant green, but lose the colour as they mature. The larger adults are grey-brown in colour and truly prehistoric in appearance. Green Iguanas are vegetarians and feed on the foliage of a variety of trees and shrubs, and will also feed on fruit. We spotted nine juveniles sleeping on one bush recently while were looking for invertebrates at night.

A juvenile Green Iguana

The head of a juvenile Green Iguana

One species which is found deeper in the rainforest is the Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus), a species which can change its colour rapidly. I have been lucky enough to find two of these lizards while on our invertebrate collecting walks. These secretive lizards are ambush hunters and feed on a wide range of invertebrates. They apparently will also feed on Anole lizards.

A Helmeted Iguana

Helmeted Iguana

Costa Rica – Poison-dart frog

2011-08-15T23:17:00.000+10:00

This spectacular little frog is the Granular Poison-dart Frog (Dendrobates granuliferus). Deanna found this gem on a rainforest trail during our nightly invertebrate collection walks.

Although this individual turned up at night, this species is primarily diurnal. The buzzing calls of the males can be heard from dawn until mid-morning. They will also call late in the afternoon but fall silent when the bulk of the frogs here begin their activity after dark.

These frogs have potent toxins within their skin, an obvious strategy to avoid predation. Their common name is derived from its use by native hunters; they would extract the toxins and cover the tips of their darts, thus killing prey quickly with a small projectile. The species with the most potent toxin occurs in Columbia, where this practice was common.

Dendrobates granuliferus lays it eggs on the forest floor. After the tadpoles emerge, the adults carry them individually up into the trees and deposit them into small bodies of water, such as that held in bromeliads.

Costa Rica - Week 3 Moss Mantis

2011-08-06T08:16:00.000+10:00

One of most amazing invertebrate encounters so far is the discovery of this ‘moss mantis’. We were looking for mantids in a patch of primary rainforest, but I didn’t expect to spot something as bizarre as this. I noticed a piece of moss hanging below a branch about five metre off the side of the trail we were on, but something struck me about its shape. When I stepped closer I thought I could make out a leg, then another, and once I spotted the antennae I knew I was looking at something pretty cool.

The 'moss mantis'. One of the most amazing mantids I have ever seen.

We haven’t identified this species yet, but it is truly a master of camouflage. It has the combined features and colours of moss and lichens which serve to hide its body form, and the result is stunning. I am quite amazed that I spotted it, even with years of experience in looking for such things.

This species is covered in bumps and flanges which look incredibly like lichens and mosses.

Being a mantis it is naturally a predator, and one with complete ambush on its side. When it moves it rocks from side to side in very pronounced manner, just like the mossy tendrils hanging below the branches in its habitat. This enables it to move from one place to another without attracting the attention of predatory birds, lizards and frogs.

Even the eyes are superbly disguised.

Costa Rica - Week 3 Boa Constrictor

2011-08-04T14:14:00.000+10:00

We've been hoping to see a Boa, but didn’t quite expect to see one turn up in town. The young Boa pictured below fell out from beneath a car at the local service station as the car pulled away. It must have hitched a ride from somewhere and decided that was far enough.

The lucky young Boa Constrictor after its release in our backyard.

Our local assistant Steve was waiting for fuel and saw the snake appear, a lucky thing for the snake as the attendants were apparently a little fearful of it at first. I was waiting for Steve in the hardware store, and when he brought it in to me I was quite impressed with his bonus find at the gas station. If only Australian service stations would offer free reptiles with every 20 litres of fuel.

I took the snake back out to our rainforest abode, and released it after we’d all had a good look at it and taken a few pics.

It found a nice secure spot to spend the remainder of the day.

Boa constrictors are the largest and heaviest snakes in Costa Rica. Although they have been recorded at growing to 5.5m, the largest specimens usually found are around 3.5m long. Boas are very robust snakes, so a specimen over three metres is a significant predator. Like pythons, they can feed on animals much larger than their head size. Costa Rican Boas feed on iguanas and other lizards, mammals including monkeys, and even deer.

Costa Rica - Week 3

2011-08-01T00:18:00.002+10:00

Here's a few of the species we have encountered recently. Have been having some fun with the camera too.

An unidentified praying mantis sitting on a red flower. Shot this wide open to minimise the depth of field and soften the background.

The same mantis from a different angle. This species holds its raptorial legs out to each side while at rest.

A flame-bellied orb weaver, Eriophora sp.

A bright coloured predatory katydid (Arachnoscelis feroxnotha). Apparently this is a relatively rare find - we have been lucky and have found five of them.

Arachnoscelis feroxnotha again. This species is an aggressive predator, catching other small invertebrates using the large spines to trap and hold prey before slicing it up with its massive mandibles.

A juvenile Basilisk lizard. This species can run on water.

Costa Rica - Day 12-13 More frogs

2011-07-25T03:34:00.000+10:00

So far we have seen at least 12 species of frogs around our little patch. The latest include Costa Rica’s largest tree frog, the Milk Frog (Phrynohyas venulosa), and one of the tiny, almost transparent glass frogs. Each night we have at least five large male Masked Tree Frogs (Smilisca phaeota) swimming and calling from the kids' inflatable wading pool.

The Gladiator Tree Frog (Hyla rosenbergi)

A tiny Glass Frog Glass frog (Hyalinobatrachium sp). These frogs have an unusual appearance as their large eyes face forward more than most other species.

Glass Frogs as their name suggests are relatively see-through. From beneath the heart and other organs can be clearly seen.

Hourglass Tree Frog (Hyla ebraccata)

Hourglass Tree Frog (Hyla ebraccata). Another individual with patterns as unique as a fingerprint.

A Masked Tree Frog (Smilisca phaeota). One of the nightly visitors to the toddlers pool.

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas). This is the iconic frog of Costa Rica. Images of this species are used in all manner of promotion materials for eco-tourism. It took us a while to see one, but this little guy turned up in the front yard.

Red-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

Milk Frog (Phrynohyas venulosa). This is Costa Rica’s largest tree frog, growing to over 100mm in body length. It is highly variable in colour and pattern, but has distinctive glandular skin on its back .

A tiny tree frog metamorph, which had just left the water. (This one is for you Claire)

Costa Rica Day 11 – Wandering spiders

2011-07-24T14:38:00.000+10:00

Ctenidae is a family of moderate to large spiders which dominate the spider fauna in Costa Rica, much the same way as the Sparassids (huntsmen) do in Australia. Ctenids are known as wandering spiders and have a very distinctive eye arrangement; they basically have a row of six across the top and two below. Viewed from the front they have four large forward facing eyes which make them quite easy to identify.

Cupiennius sp.

A large ground-dwelling Ctenid

Another large ground dweller we have nicknamed the 'Leopard wandering spider due to the spots on the legs.

Some species are very much like huntsman in their hunting methods and speed of movement, whilst others hunt on the ground and are more like over-sized wolf spiders. As their common name suggests, they tend to be wanderers, although I have noticed that some species tend to favour a territory and I will see them each night in much the same place. Their hunting technique basically relies upon ambush; pouncing on their prey with speed and power. So far I have witnessed them feeding on moths, katydids, other spiders and frogs.

A Ctenid spider feeding on a katydid

There are a number of large species around the Osa Peninsula, and we have encountered four here where we are staying. One of the most notable is known a Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria reidyi). It is a very large spider and has extremely potent venom. I have already heard several stories of locals being hospitalised in excruciating pain from the bite of this species. I have found two of these spiders in my boots, and on one occasion I was just about to slip my bare foot in when I spotted it.

Phoneutria reidyi

Another common Ctenid is the Red-thighed wandering spider (Cupiennius sp.) This is the size of a large huntsman, but more unpredictable in its movement and believe it or not, even faster than most huntsmen I have worked with. We used this species in the studio recently, and it was challenging to keep them on the set and off my back.

Cupiennius sp.

One of the surprising aspects to this family is the variation within egg sac form. Some of the species (Phoneutria spp.) produce a domed sac, that is secured to a flat surface. Others (Cupiennius spp.) create a round sac and trail it behind them as Lycosids do, while others carry the sac with their fangs.

Costa Rica - Day 9-10 Salamanders

2011-07-15T08:39:00.001+10:00

In the last couple of days we have encountered two species of salamander, a group of amphibians that we do not have in Australia.

These remarkable animals have soft permeable skin like that of frogs, but at a glance can seem lizard-like. We found a Bark-coloured Salamander (Bolitoglossa lignicolor) on a broad green leaf during one of our evening bug expeditions. It is bizarre to watch; the feet are broad and almost lack distinguishable toes, and it walks in slow motion in a very precise manner. These unusual feet securely anchor it to the moist surfaces on which it travels, and it uses its muscular body and tail to assist it lean out slowly and grasp nearby leaves. Once in the leaf litter, this species all but disappears. Just 30 seconds after I released it I thought it had gone, but in fact it had moved only several centimetres and still right in front of me.

The Bark-coloured Salamander (Bolitoglossa lignicolor)

The bumps below the nostrils are nasolabial tubes. These are grooves which connect the nostrils to the upper lip and play an important role in the reception of chemical traces.

The Worm Salamander (Oedipina uniformis) is a small slender species, which has incredibly small limbs. It still seems to utilise these, but also moves in a worm-like manner quite well too. When I first found this one under a rock, it was thrashing and wriggling very fast, and I had to grab it to be sure of its identity. I could have easily dismissed it as a worm.

The Worm Salamander (Oedipina uniformis)

Costa Rica Day 7 – 8 Eyelash Vipers!

2011-07-14T08:38:00.000+10:00

Over the last two days we have seen more incredible wildlife, culminating in today where we found not one, but two Eyelash Vipers (Bothriechis schleglii). The first was a small lichen coloured individual I spotted on a palm while looking for praying mantids in the afternoon. The second was an incredible yellow-form individual in our backyard within a small tree.

Eyelash Vipers are relatively small snakes growing up to around 800mm, however they have highly toxic venom. They are arboreal, and are well adapted for life in trees, having a prehensile tail and strong body for climbing. They have heat sensitive pits between their eyes and nostrils and feed upon birds, small mammals, lizards and frogs. Like Australian Death Adders (Acanthophis spp.), Eyelash Vipers utilise caudal luring; the tip of the tail is wriggled like a worm or grub to attract their prey.

Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schleglii). A young individual with lichen colouration.

Although these snakes are quite placid, their cryptic appearance and tendency to hang low down in trees and shrubs at night does result in some human contact. Bites from this species often occur around the head and chest area, and several people die in Costa Rica each year as a result.

Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schleglii). A brilliant yellow adult, in a tree in our backyard.

Costa Rica - Day 4-5 Terciopelo!

2011-07-13T07:49:00.001+10:00

We had been told that they are very common, and true to form it didn’t take long to see one. The Terciopelo or Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) is one of the most feared snakes in Latin America. They belong to the Viper family and can grow to almost 2.5 metres long. In comparison to our Australian snakes, the Terciopelo has enormous fangs; they can get to 2.5cm long. They are apparently much more aggressive than most other Vipers (such as rattlesnakes), and often won’t hesitate to bite if startled. Apart from their fang length and potent tissue-destructive venom, the locals fear these snakes due to their habits. During the day they shelter beneath shrubs and bushes and remain motionless, using their camouflage to conceal them. In this region of Costa Rica, care must be taken before reaching into any area within a bushy garden. At night they emerge and sit in a coiled position waiting for food. They will often sit near water or at the edge of tracks and trails, which means caution must be taken when walking along tracks at night, exactly what we need to do!

We hiked across the Rio Tigre (Tigre River) and up the rainforest trails to a small camp known as Bolita. We came across a selection of fascinating invertebrates and some incredible spiders, all new to me. At Bolita we were ushered to a small pond harbouring several species of frogs calling frenetically, complete with a large resident Terciopelo sitting on the bank waiting for an amphibian snack to approach it. The only disappointment was finding that I had left my camera battery behind on the charger! Fortunately another Terciopelo turned up in our front garden soon after which is the one pictured. This specimen, however, was opaque (preparing to shed its skin) and was quite nervous and flighty, so I only managed to get a couple of quick picks before it fled into the undergrowth.

The Terciopelo or Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) in our front yard. Note the milky eye indicating the snake is preparing to shed its skin. Snakes usually don’t feed during this phase, and are often at a heightened state of nervousness due to their diminished vision.

Here’s a few other goodies we’ve seen over the past few days.

Cat-eyed Snake (Leptodeira septentrionalis), a frog eating species. This individual had just finished a frog when I found it. It took off down a steep embankment moments later.

A robust weevil feeding on a leaf.

Another species of weevil. The weevils are the most speciose group of beetles in the world.

A young Common Anole (Norops polylepis) about to pounce on a beetle. These acrobatic lizards are well known for the showy displays put on by rival males; extending and flashing a colourful dewlap (skin area beneath the throat).

There are a number of species of stingless bees around the yard. Apart from being attracted to flowers, they swarm over any fruit left out and constantly insist on landing on us, presumably to lap up the salts in our sweat.

Rain frogs (Eleutherodactylus spp.) are very common around the Osa Peninsula.

Costa Rica - Day 2-3

2011-07-05T09:02:00.000+10:00

While we are still getting set-up and sorting out logistics such as phone and internet, we have been getting out into the field a little more. Here’s a selection of encounters we have made over the last couple of days, all within 500 metres of our house.

While we try to have cameras at the ready all the time, there have been a few significant encounters we haven’t captured. Yesterday we stopped on the rainforest track that leads into town as we could see a Green Iguana sitting in the middle, about twenty metres further on. When I approached, at least 10 of them suddenly began moving from all around the visible one. They were juveniles of various sizes, and one by one disappeared into the undergrowth. It was reminiscent of a scene from Jurassic Park with the tiny Compsognathus dinosaurs moving in groups.

We also had a reasonably sized mammalian predator in the back yard called a Tayra. This is an arboreal weasel-like animal which is about the size of a cat. We both managed to startle each other quite effectively as I was looking for scorpions at the base of a large tree.

Over the next two weeks we will be investigating more and more sites in order to collect the various species of predatory invertebrates required for the TV series we are working on.

A tiny grasshopper with spectacular colours

Early morning breakfast; a rainforest fly feeds upon a fresh bird dropping, sunny side up.

A dead wasp covered in fungus; a common killer of insects in the tropics.

An large katydid about the size of the Australian Segestidea queenslandica

Harvestmen are very common at night; there are many species and some are quite large.

There are many species of katydids in

Costa Rica

that mimic leaves. This one has an amazing shape and detail, but we easily spotted sitting on the larger leaf in our torchlight.

A heavily armoured iridescent beetle, but unfortunately it was already dead.

A large gecko around 170mm long.

A leaf-hopper sucking bug, with a long extension on its head.

I was lucky enough to spot this tiny Opossum which froze long enough for me to get a few snaps. It looked very similar to our pygmy possums in

Australia

Sibon nebulatus, a snail-eating snake

Our first wild tarantula in Costa Rica. Not sure what species this one is yet, but I did manage to get a good look at when I tickled the edge of the burrow with a fine grass stem – she shot out and tried to catch what she thought was an insect passing by.

A tiny predatory katydid; the front legs are armed with spines to capture prey.

The Amblypygids here are about the size of huntsman spiders. We have seen quite a few so far and are one of the species we will by using in the TV series.

Costa Rica - Day 1

2011-07-02T08:44:00.002+10:00

After four days travelling from our home in Kuranda, we have finally arrived at our destination at Dos Brazos in Costa Rica. Our home for the next four months is in the rainforest, near the edge of the spectacular Corcovado National Park.

During the daylight hours an incredible diversity of birdlife is visible from the front porch including Toucans, and Scarlet Macaws, and array of smaller species such as Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Gray-capped Flycatchers and Passerini’s Tanager frequent the garden plants.

Our first nocturnal foray into the field, which was literally just around the house and grounds, unveiled a great deal of wildlife. Five species of amphibians, anole lizards, five species of katydids, and several species of spiders. In a twist for us Queenslanders, Cane Toads are native here. They are a natural part of the ecosystem and don’t have the significant impacts on other species as they do as an introduced species within Australia.

Here’s a few snaps from the first night around the property we are staying on. We have yet to get ourselves a good selections of field guides, so we cannot identify many of the species we encounter as yet – particularly the invertebrates.

Spurell's Flying Frog (Agalychnis spurelli) These frogs have significant webbing between their toes and have the ability to glide from the treetops by extending the limbs and using the webbing to act as four independent gliding membranes. These frogs can even steer and by changing the angle of their feet whilst in flight.

The lids of Agalychnis spurelli are very similar to that of the Australian Lacelid (Nictymistes dayi).

Mudpuddle Frog, Physalaemus pustulosus

Masked Tree Frog (Smilisca phaeota)

Green spider – looks very much like a Sparassid.

These spiders are known as Wandering or Banana spiders (Phoneutria and Cupiennius spp. - Cupiennius coccineus pictured) Representatives of Phoneutria are known as Brazilian Wandering Spider, which includes reputedly the most deadly spider in the world. I found at least two species in our garden, and although these aren’t lethal, apparently the bites can cause severe pain that often requires hospitalisation.

Cupiennius coccineus, a wandering spider belonging to the family Ctenidae

One of many species of katydids, this one was feeding on flowers.

Costa Rica...here we come!

2011-06-25T08:46:00.000+10:00

Hola! Our posts will come from Costa Rica over the next four months. We are about to embark on a trip to produce another series of the predatory bug TV program that we worked on last year and early this year. We will be spending a great deal of time looking through the rainforest for all sorts of invertebrates, and no doubt making many surprise encounters along the way.

The invertebrate diversity is enormous in Costa Rica, as too is the wildlife diversity in generally, so hopefully we'll be able to regularly post some of the amazing encounters we have.

We'll be living and working on the edge of the rainforest on the Osa Peninsula; a peninsula on the southern (Pacific) side of Costa Rica. For the first 3 weeks we'll focussing on collecting invertebrates, and getting our sets prepared. We'll be setting up a small studio in a little town nearby and shooting the majority of the sequences in there.

More camouflage magic

2011-06-24T10:43:00.003+10:00

This time the master of disguise is reptilian. This is a Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius cornutus) pictured in our backyard. They are the largest geckos in our region, growing to around 220mm in total length.

Like the Lichen Huntsmen in the previous post, these geckos have lichen-like patterns and colours all over their bodies and a rough outline to break up their shape, but they also have the ability to alter their shade of colour.

Also like the spiders, they sit head-down on rainforest trees both day and night, relying on their camouflage to conceal them. They feed at night upon tree dwelling invertebrates, a diet which most likely includes huntsman spiders. Occasionally they will leave the trees to find a mate or a new feeding territory, and I have occasionally encountered them crossing roads.

The remarkable eye of Saltuaris cornutus, complete with its own camouflage.

Masters of camouflage

2011-06-22T09:24:00.001+10:00

I've just finished putting together a presentation about huntsman spiders for the upcoming Australian Invertebrates Conference in Melbourne. One of the species featured in the presentation is the Lichen Huntsman, Pandercetes gracilis. It is the sole member of the genus in Australia, and up close, a very spectacular animal. I needed a few extra photos for my presentation so I had a quick look in the yard and to my delight found 5 no more than 10 metres from the house.

These spiders sit on the tree trunks both day and night, unlike most other huntsman which hide by day to avoid predation. Pandercetes get away with it due to their superb camouflage. Their bodies are coloured and patterned to match the patchwork of lichens that occur on the tree trunks. They also have clusters of hairs on their legs which fan out and effectively break up their outline. To the untrained eye, they are almost impossible to see until they move.

These huntsmen are fast moving hunters, and in a blink of an eye they will have caught a passing insect.

There s a great deal of individual variation in the colour forms of this species. The five I photographed in the yard are all different. Some predominantly green, others shades of brown.

Velvet Assassins

2011-06-15T00:22:00.001+10:00

In the last couple of weeks we have encountered several velvet worms (Onychophora); primitive predatory invertebrates which are though to have originated over 500 million years ago. They are believed to be the forerunners to arthropods, but unlike today's arthropods, the velvet worm has no hardened exoskeleton.

This velvet worm is about 30mm in length

Its skin is composed of a membrane of dead cells covered in tiny hairs, which are in themselves covered in tiny scales that give it the appearance and feeling of velvet. These hairs function in a sensory capacity and respond to touch. This covering is also water-repellent, which makes it perfect for living in a very moist environment – seconded by its inability to regulate water loss. It is therefore very easy for a velvet worm to succumb to desiccation, and as such, it is only found in tropical and temperate rainforests.

A close up of the face; a 'nozzle' for spurting the sticky liquid can be seen just beneath the eye.

One of the most remarkable things about this minute predator is its method of attack. It shoots twin streams of a sticky liquid at its prey from nozzles either side of its mouth. The liquid transforms to a bonding gel on contact with the prey as a chaotic mix of proteins within the substance combine and react. The result is dramatic, the prey is usually securely bonded to the surface it is on, and all the velvet worm needs to do is wander up and consume it at its leisure. The one in the photo below actually shot glue on my finger when I first picked it up. I noticed an immediate chilling sensation as the liquid hit and reacted; I then spent a minute or so picking off all the sticky material!

Elusive Arachnids

2011-05-26T13:25:00.002+10:00

After years of looking and hoping I have finally encountered some Australian Amblypygi. This group of bizarre looking arachnids are known as ‘whip spiders’. They superficially resemble true spiders but are very different in many ways.

Australia

has a handful of species in the tropics, but they are neither common nor easy to find.

Charinus pescotti from Kuranda

Amblypygids are found throughout the world, primarily within tropical and subtropical habitats. Australian Amblypygids are relatively small compared to some of their overseas relatives. This species Charinus pescotti only grows to a body length of around 10mm, with a leg span of around 25mm. The giant African Euphrynichus amanica can attain a leg span of up to 400mm.

Amblypygids have two distinct body parts and four pairs of legs, so at a glance they are a little spider-like, but that is where the similarity ends. The abdomen is flattened and has 12 segments, and they lack spinnerets and cannot produce silk. The first pair of legs are antenniform; very long and delicate compared to the other legs, and extremely sensitive to chemical and vibrational cues.

The first pair of legs are antenniform and are important sensory tools.

One of the most striking features of these animals are the palps. They are raptorial; they have become adaptations to snatch and impale their prey with. The palps have rows of spines on the inner edges, and while not in use the palps are tucked up in front of the face giving them a fearsome appearance. The chelicerae (mouth parts) are fang-like and are similar to those of mygalomorph spiders, but Amblypygids lack venom. Prey, usually insects, is captured with a lighting fast strike using the palps. The animal is the drawn back to the front of the Amblypygid where the chelicerae begin to tear it open while digestive juices are expelled into the opening. The resultant semi-digested fluids are sucked back up in the same manner as spiders do.

The spiny raptorial palps are held in front of the face when not in use.

A true leaf insect

2011-05-23T16:37:00.002+10:00

For those interested in Australian phasmids there are several species on the must see list. Up there would be such species as the Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (which was considered extinct until 2002 when it was rediscovered on Balls Pyramid, a small rocky outcrop off the coast of Lord Howe Island. Another on the list would be the true Australian Leaf Insect (Phyllium monteithi). This species is known from only a handful of male specimens, which have been found between Innisfail and Mossman. A female was photographed in the Cairns Botanic Gardens, but the specimen was not collected. Recently we were lucky enough to encounter a live male which turned up on David Rentz's light sheet.

Leaf Insects are truly masters of disguise, both sexes are broad and flattened like leaves as juveniles, but only the female remains so as an adult. They are believed to be canopy dwellers which explains the lack of encounters, and may feed on the foliage of Cryptocarya mackinnoniana. They will also feed upon Guava which this specimen certainly did. When we first moved to Kuranda we planted several Guava trees just in the hope of attracting these illusive insects.

The genus Phyllium is represented by over 30 species throughout southern Asia. The biggest, Phyllium giganteum is a common representative within live insects displays around the world. They are also commonly kept by insect enthusiasts throughout Europe and the USA.

The mature male Phyllium monteithi. Males have fully functional wings and are excellent flyers.

Peeking over a leaf - note the extremely hairy antennae.

The underside of the abdomen reveals the segments hidden by the wings when viewed from above.

This specimen readily fed upon Guava, one reason we inspect all Guava trees we see with great interest.

A close-up of the male feeding.

While most male phasmids have some flight capability, this one would readlily take to the air and was quite agile on the wing.

Fruit-piercing moths in abundance

2011-04-19T11:29:00.005+10:00

The last few weeks has seen the appearance of a huge number of moths with a considerable diversity being attracted to our lights and entering the house at night. One of the most abundant are the fruit-piercing moths from the family Noctuidae. Many of these moths are quite large and are often adorned with spectacular colours and markings.

These moths are attracted to fruits both on and off the tree. The feeding habits of these moths do not endear them to orchardists due to the damage they cause. I recently observed a tree fruiting at Crystal Cascades which had in excess of twenty of these large moths of various species feeding on its fruits. A large adult Nephila pilipes had her web set-up within the branches of the same tree, and was reaping obvious rewards. At the same location I found one of the largest caterpillars I have ever seen, complete with very convincing eye-spots. The caterpillar is the larva of one of the largest moths in this group, Phyllodes imperialis.

Eudocima iridescens, one of the fruit piercing moths that appeared at our home

The spectacular Phyllodes imperialis caterpillar

The eye-spots and apparent teeth are enough to startle many would-be predators.

Monster Bug Wars

2011-04-13T14:30:00.001+10:00

The TV series we worked on from October to the end of January has recently started going to air in the

on the Discovery Science channel. We were contracted by Beyond Productions as invertebrate specialists and wranglers. The program is quite educational and examines the upper echelon of invertebrate predators, and reveals their adaptations and abilities within their various natural habitats.

Our role was to recreate the habits (sets) for the camera, and of course supply and wrangle around 60 species of invertebrates in order to film a wide range of natural behaviours. Each segment culminates in the pinnacle - the predation sequences where two predators meet. All the match-ups are those which would naturally occur in nature, but getting natural behaviour to occur on cue in front of the camera isn’t as easy as it sounds. It was a painstaking and patience-testing job, 10 hours a day for 3 months. For the most part there were just three of us on set; the DoP (Director of Photography) Malcolm Ludgate, camera assistant Mylene Ludgate, and myself (Alan). It was shot in full HD, and for some sequences we used two cameras - a specialised high speed camera which we cranked up to 2000 frames per second at times. (This camera was from the Myth Busters set, and came complete with shrapnel holes in the back of it). Some of the sequences we recorded with this camera gave us incredible insights into the behaviour and tactics used by some of the predators - things you would simply miss or misinterpret watching them at real speed.

The final product includes amazing imagery, some stunning CGI, music and an array of sound effects. Although the program style may not appeal to everyone, it is already gaining a substantial following in the US, and hopefully not only raising the profile of these often overlooked animals, but also providing the audience with a sense of appreciation for them through admiration of the incredible abilities these minute predators have.

One of the rainforest sets, surrounded by lights and two HD cameras.

Malcolm operates 'the probe' while I get the stars in place. The probe was $100K lens kit which allowed us to get amazing up close imagery with holywood style tracking moves.

Preparing a White-tailed Spider to meet up with a Black House Spider.

One of the complete segments - a Bullant meeting up with a Redback.

Micro-scavengers

2011-04-07T22:08:00.001+10:00

I spotted a tiny gathering on a leaf in our front yard recently which tweaked my interest, and I couldn't resist snapping a photo. It consisted of a Green Tree Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina), or part thereof, and a group of tiny ants (probably Monomorium sp.). Green Tree Ants are one of the most dominant scavengers in this region. Colonies can be huge, occupying and completely dominating multiple large trees and the surrounding forest. They can be seen carting away all sorts of animals, both complete and dismembered. I once witnessed them carrying a small python up a tree in the Northern Territory.

In this scene however, the tables are turned. Tiny ants carry away the relatively huge head of Green Tree Ant worker. In reference to food chains, you often hear the saying 'there's always someone bigger'. Ecosystems though are complex and not linear like a chain, but interwoven like a web. In this case it would be more apt to say there's always someone smaller...

Tiny ants, barely 2mm long cart away a nice morsel for their colony; a Green Tree Ant head.

Monster Spider!

2011-04-01T13:08:00.001+11:00

We awoke to find this massive spider on the lounge wall this morning. It is clearly the biggest spider we have ever seen. We think it is the elusive Heteropoda aperirefollis; a single huge specimen was collected in April 1903 by biologist H.G Whells in 'northern Australia' - no other locality data available. The species has not been recorded since.

We also suspect that this big female arachnid is the reason for the disappearance of all the geckos in our house over the past week, and our neighbours’ kitten.

Unfortunately, just before midday today, the spider chewed its way through the plastic container and has disappeared. We are hoping it shows up again, but it may be another 12 months before we see another specimen like this one.

Deanna sizing up the spider before capturing it.

'We're gonna need a bigger boat'.

Australian Lace-lid

2011-03-27T18:36:00.001+11:00

I was very excited to find my second endangered frog for the week. I have been hoping to see this particular species, Nictimystes dayi, for a long time.

Like the Waterfall Frog, the Australian Lace-lid has declined in numbers over the past 30 years and is now reasonably rare. This species favours clean running rainforest streams, and seems to have suffered as a result of Chytrid Fungus. It is a very distinctive frog - the only Australian species to have an eyelid with distinct venation, hence the common name.

The Australian lace-lid, Nictimystes dayi

While I was photographing it, it suddenly closed its eyes to reveal the amazing lace-lids.

A close-up of the eyes with the lace-like patterns.

Baby snake

2011-03-27T15:22:00.001+11:00

Deanna was given a tiny baby snake to identify while dropping Tayen off at kinda last week. She immediately identified the snake as a Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis. The person who brought it in had found her daughter playing with it, and had since found 15 more of them around the house. The snakes had obviously just hatched, and were beginning to disperse.

Brown Tree Snakes belong to the family Colubridae; solid toothed and rear-fanged snakes. This particular species has rear-fangs and mild venom, and although they can be defensive at times, rarely do bites on humans cause envenomation. At this size they are quite harmless, and this little one was not the least bit aggressive.

We released the little snake in a tree on our front lawn. If it is lucky it will find food in the form of small skinks, geckos and frogs. If it survives to an adult it will graduate to small birds and mammals. Like all young animals in the wild, surviving this first period is the toughest. These snakes don't get any assistance from their parents, so from day one they are on their own.

The newly hatched snake on Deanna's hand

The snake resting under leaves in a tree. In the morning it had moved on.

The snake's key sensor; the tongue collects samples from the air and transfers them to a specialised organ on the roof of the mouth.

Killer fungus

2011-03-26T08:14:00.000+11:00

I spotted a spider recently at night; it lit up bright white in the torchlight and at first I was completely bewildered at which species I was looking at. It was in a normal hunting posture facing downwards on a tree but something was a little amiss. On closer inspection I found the entire spider engulfed in fungus. This is the third dead huntsman I have found here in the wet tropics in such a state - over taken by something their incredible leg speed can't outrun.

The fungus seems to attack them in such a way that they end up frozen in a normal posture. A few years ago I observed a similar fungus in action infesting a small congregation of native bees that resided upon the leaves of a rainforest tree. The bees obviously returned to these same leaves regularly, but at some point the fungus would overtake them and they would remain and ultimately die. There were bees in various states of infection; some were dead and completely covered, and others had a partial covering or traces of the fungus. Some appeared healthy and free to come and go, oblivious to the slowly spreading threat nearby.

What appears to be a Brown Huntsman (Heteropoda jugulans) beneath its death shroud.

A close-up of the same fungus-covered spider.

The bees. A 'healthy' bee sitting in the foreground with infected and dead bees surrounding it. Some nearby leaves had more healthy bees with less fungal activity.

A rare encounter

2011-03-23T17:17:00.000+11:00

This is a Waterfall Frog, Litoria nannotis, one of several species of frogs from upper rainforest streams that has suffered serious population declines over the last 20 years. One of the factors involved in the decline of these species is Chytrid Fungus.

This species lives in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests near waterfalls and cascades. They will often sit upon boulders beside or behind waterfalls. I spotted this particular frog's eye shine with my head-torch. It was sitting beside water cascading down a large rock face. Females deposit their eggs under rocks in the stream bed, and their algae-eating tadpoles are well adapted to swimming in strong currents.

Litoria nannotis, the endangered Waterfall Frog

That's no ant

2011-03-11T11:57:00.000+11:00

A small black ant appeared in our insect rearing room yesterday. Initially I didn't take any notice; after all small black ants are everywhere here. I did take notice however when it jumped and then began lowering itself down from the table on a line of silk.

There are many species of jumping spiders which mimic ants. This one (Myrmarachne sp.) appears to mimic the black Rattle Ants (Polyrhachis spp.) which are common rainforest residents. Whether it feeds on the ants, or just relies on the look for protection I'm not sure.

The spider’s body has evolved to look remarkably like an insect. This is certainly impressive since spiders only have two body parts and insects have three. The spider's cephalothorax (combined head and chest) has a distinct double-hump giving the illusion of a separated head and thorax. The abdomen is glossy and shaped like that of the ant it mimics. Dealing with the issue of an extra set of legs is easy - the spider simply holds them up, and waves them around like an ants antennae. The pedipalps (feelers) are held close to the face in the same position as the ant’s mandibles would be, completing the facade.

The cephalothorax has two peaks giving the impression that the segements are divided.

The front pair of legs are held up and waved around like the antennae of an ant.

Unlike ants, this spider still has eight eyes. Like typical jumping spiders, the two anterior median eyes are huge giving the spider excellent vision.

The spider's exoskeleton even has an ant-like sheen to it.

Rainforest yabby

2011-03-10T12:51:00.012+11:00

This is a young Orange-fingered Yabby (Cherax wasselli) which we found just out of the water beside our local rainforest stream. They are semi-aquatic and burrow along the water line of creeks and water bodies. There are number of very similar species throughout eastern Queensland, however the group has not been studied well.

Most aquatic crustaceans can leave the water for periods of time as long as their gills (under the tail) remain moist.

Mega-mozzie!

2011-02-24T21:52:00.001+11:00

While working at my computer desk earlier today, an insect began to buzz around the monitor. Its shape was unmistakable, it was a mosquito, but it was huge! After a quick search in the bookshelf its identity became clear - a Giant Mosquito, Toxorhynchites speciosus. Fortunately for Deanna (our household mozzie magnet), this species is a nectar feeder. Its larvae, however, are predatory on other mosquito larvae, so it is quite a good species to have around. Unfortunately this specimen didn't last very long after I caught it, and I was unable to get a decent photo of it alive.

The Giant Mosquito perched upon my finger.

The body of these mosquitos can reach 16mm

'Greight' eyes

2011-02-24T16:29:00.001+11:00

It doesn't matter how many of these little guys we encounter, they always captivate us. This is Mopsus mormon, the Green Jumping Spider. It is one of Australia's largest jumping spiders, growing to around 16mm in body length. Like most jumping spiders, this species is energetic, charismatic and very inquisitive. They are continually surveying their surroundings and to watch them stalk their prey is a real treat.

With eight eyes in total, and an enormous forward facing pair, they are amongst the best in game when it comes to spider vision. They use cat-like stealth to approach prey, and then leap on it with incredible pace and accuracy. They are venomous and instantly impale their victim with their fangs in order to subdue it. Green Jumping Spiders are renowned for bringing down prey much larger than themselves, usually insects or other spiders.

See more of our local jumping spiders here.

Mopsus mormon, the Green Jumping Spider

New mum

2011-02-22T10:58:00.001+11:00

We have had an event within our animal collection this week - one of our scorpions (Lychas sp.) has given birth to around 30 tiny babies. Scorpions are viviparous – they give birth to live young. They are born individually via a genital operculum on the underside of the mother. She forms a cradle for the youngsters with her legs, and catches them as they emerge. The babies then crawl up onto their mother's back. They hitch a ride for a around 4 weeks until they undergo their first moult. At that stage they will begin to disperse and fend for themselves. We will watch for this to occur and separate them when it does, as once they disperse mum begins to lose the maternal instinct and may eat them.

Baby scorpions being caught by the mother as they are being born.

The young make their way up to their mother's back soon after they emerge.

The female resting with around 30 offspring on her back.

This species is from the dry country about 100km west of Kuranda. It appears to be a specialist spider hunter. This individual is featured in the bug series we have just finished working on for Discovery Science in the US.

Reptilian visitor

2011-02-20T12:22:00.000+11:00

Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis) are common nocturnal snakes in the tropics, we have seen quite a few while out at night. This one turned up at our neighbours backdoor. They belong to the family Colubridae; solid toothed and rear- fanged snakes. This particular species has rear-fangs and mild venom, and although they can be defensive at times, rarely do bites on humans cause envenomation. Birds are among their favoured prey, and due to their slender bodies they can easily enter bird cages for an easy meal.

Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis

This nocturnal snake has a very thin agile body for climbing.

Unusual katydid

2011-02-10T01:47:00.000+11:00

An unusual katydid turned up at home this week, a species we had not encountered before. We suspected it was a member of the genus Austrosalomona as we are familiar with several local species, and this specimen shares many traits with them. Naturally we referred the identification to katydid guru David Rentz, author of ‘A Guide to the Katydids of Australia’. It turns out that even David may not be familiar with this one, but he thinks that it may be an Austrosalomona. These encounters make living in the wet tropics very exciting for us ‘bug nuts’. There are so many species up here, you never know what you are going to find.

We have determined that the species is at least partly predatory as it attacked and consumed an entire herbivorous katydid Caedicia kuranda. Austrosalomona katydids are generally omnivores, and will consume plant material (particularly flowers), and other invertebrates opportunistically. We intend to house the katydid in a terrarium for a while to learn a little more about the species. As it is an adult female, there is a good chance that she may lay eggs.

The surprise visitor - an adult female (note the large ovipositor at the rear of the katydid).

Austrosalomona 'destructor' - the most common member of this genus in the Kuranda area.

Unusual dry-country encounter

2011-01-25T20:57:00.001+11:00

A little while back while searching for trapdoor spiders in the dryer open forest west of Kuranda I discovered an animal that I certainly didn’t expect to – a crab. The crab was living about 400mm underground in a burrow not dissimilar to that of trapdoor and wolf spiders, only that it lacked silk lining. The burrow was about 30 metres from a dam and was within heavy clay soil. The crab is most likely an Inland Freshwater Crab, Austrothelphusa sp. – crabs that are well adapted for dry conditions. They can cope with extended drought conditions of up to 6 years and can survive sealed in their humid burrows until rains come. During this time they apparently can lose up to 50% of their body water and still survive.

I have recently visited the site again, and the area is now under water. This time I was able to find them in a more conventional way – in the water with a net!

Another Tiger Huntsman!

2011-01-09T22:17:00.003+11:00

Another Tiger Huntsman (Typostola sp.) has turned up - only the second wild specimen that we have encountered since finding the first in 2006. The species is still undescribed and the only specimens in captivity (with us at Minibeast Wildlife and some at Melbourne Museum) are descendants from the original female which was gravid at the time of capture.

This specimen turned up in Kuranda inside a possum nesting box. It is an adult female in pristine condition. The couple who found it had not seen such a stunning spider before, so Googled its description and found the articles from the 2006 discovery - which ultimately led them to us. They had no idea that we were living in Kuranda, so once we had made contact they invited us over to collect the spider. Oddly this spider was sharing the nest box with a Brown Huntsman (Heterpoda jugulans), a Red House Spider (Nesticodes rufipes), and a nest of Sugar ants (Camponotus sp).

Only two other specimens have turned up to our knowledge since 2006. One collected near the Clohesy River appeared for sale online for $500 some months after the original discovery - we don't know what happened to that specimen. Another was found dead inside a house in Mossman after a pesticide treatment last year - photos were sent to Melbourne Museum for verification.

We now know that this species extends from Cairns, through Kuranda up to Mossman, and west as far as the Clohesy River. We suspect that the reason for so few specimens being found and that it has gone unnoticed for so long is due to a very secretive lifestyle - perhaps a canopy dweller that rarely comes close to the ground.

The stunning spider as photographed this afternoon.

Assassins on the prowl

2010-12-18T16:07:00.000+11:00

We have spent the last three months filming a TV series on predatory bugs, and some of the predators we have been working with are the assassin bugs. They are incredible insects that hunt by stealth, then stab their victims with their long proboscis and paralyse it within seconds.

Watching them hunt is amazing. Once they detect prey they will approach it with such caution that they hardly seem to be moving at all. All the while they keep tabs on their intended prey with extremely long mobile antennae. Sometimes the strike is rapid, but other times they try to sneak in a little lethal injection without the victim noticing. Once the victim notices the little sting it is all but over. The assassin bug then feeds on the victim via its proboscis, and discards the empty husk when finished.

A delicate orange assassin bug from our garden. This species is a ready flyer.

The same species feeding upon a grasshopper.

One of the giants, a Bee Killer Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis found about 10 minutes west of Kuranda

A close-up of the proboscis of Pristhesancus plagipennis. This species can capture very large insects.

Mini ambush hunters

2010-12-15T00:53:00.000+11:00

Both these tiny spiders are hunting in our front yard. The yellow crab spider (Thomisus spectabilis) is a flower-top hunter. This species waits in ambush for flower-loving insects. They can catch prey up to the size of a honeybee, many times their own size.

Crab spider, Thomisus spectabilis. Crab spiders are so called because of their ability to move sideways.

The Triangular spider (Arkys sp.) is another ambush hunter which sits and waits upon leaves for passing prey. Although these two spiders are unrelated, they both share similar adaptations to assist them to snatch and hold their prey.

Triangular spider, Arkys sp.

Nocturnal visitor

2010-12-13T00:25:00.000+11:00

We were returning from a recent night walk, and had practically reached our front gate when we had a chance encounter with another invertebrate lover. This one, a Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata), prefers to eat the invertebrates it finds. Striped Possums have an elongated 4th finger and use it to hook out wood eating grubs from within the trees. They also use their teeth to tear open the timber to expose the insects. The diet of this species is not just confined to insects, they also feed upon fruits, leaves, and will dine out on the honey of native bees if they are lucky enough to find some.

The Striped Possum just opposite out driveway. It dissapeared very quickly after this photograph.

Bright orange amongst the green

2010-12-12T09:36:00.001+11:00

It seems that being bright orange and yellow is the recipe for success in the rainforest for several species of Australian huntsman spiders. Compared with the grey-brown camouflage colouration of most of the southern species in the Sparassidae family, many of the rainforest huntsmen are simply stunning.

This week I have encountered two brightly coloured species in the genus Beregama. Beregama cordata, the Fireback Huntsman, and Beregama aurea, the Golden Huntsman. The latter is a huge spider and is considered the second largest species of huntsman in the world behind Heteropoda maxima from Laos.

Previously in this region we have encountered the orange/yellow Sunburst Huntsman and the Tiger Huntsman, both of which are undergoing classification.

Why bright orange? As juveniles these spiders are quite dull and cryptic, but they progressively adopt the brighter colouration as they grow. As adults, they often stand out like beacons within their habitats. Whether the colours are just for warning away predators or for some other purpose I cannot say. It does not seem likely that it is for courtship puposes as the vision of this group is quite limited, and courtship seems based upon pheromone detection and tactile interaction.

A huge male Beregama aurea, 4km west of Kuranda

A female Beregama cordata at Cape Tribulation

A Sunburst Huntsman from Cape Tribulation in 2006

The female Tiger Huntsman we found near Cairns in 2006. (This was the first record of this species and is currently at the South Australian Museum awaiting description)

Spider identified and mantispid emerges

2010-12-08T20:49:00.001+11:00

We have identified the crab spider as Poecilothomisus speciosus (thanks Colin). It is the sole member of the genus in Australia, and is only found in north eastern Queensland. We are not sure why the Australian spider has been placed in a genus by itself, whilst the related overseas species are all members of Platythomisus - had me confused.

Today the eggs hatched but only a handful of tiny spiderlings emerged from the egg sac. The reason for this was because an invader had also been occupying the egg sac - a mantispid. Mantispids are mantis-like Neuropterans and some species select spider eggs as food while they are in larval form. Mantispids use two strategies to access spider eggs; some larvae find an egg sac and burrow in through the silk, while other species hitch-hike upon the female spider and enter the egg sac as it is being constructed. We are not sure which strategy this particular species used, but it was successful.

The mantispid shortly after emerging from the egg sac.

Mystery spider

2010-12-08T00:44:00.004+11:00

For the second time in recent years I have swung my torch around to reveal a brightly coloured spider sitting in a tree and knew that I was looking at something very unusual.

In 2006 it was the Tiger Huntsman which turned out to be the first recorded specimen of an undescribed species in the genus Typostola - it is still awaiting description. The fact that you can still find species that are new to science is one of the very exciting aspects of the wet tropics.

This time however, the spider may not be one that is undescribed, but one that is not well documented in Australia. Its movement and body form are clearly that of a crab spider; family Thomisidae. After some sleuth work I have managed to tentatively identify it as Platythomisus sp.. Around 20 species are recorded from Africa, through southern Asia, but apparently not in Australia.

The obvious question beckons: Is this an Australian species or is it an introduced specimen? The plot thickens further as I found this specimen peeking out of a curled leaf whilst incubating eggs.

I will endeavour to contact an arachnologist who has experience with Australian Thomisids to answer this one. Stay tuned!

The specimen is quite large compared with the majority of Australian Thomisids. Body length 14mm.

The markings on this specimen are quite stunning and are very similar to Platythomisus spp. found throughout Asia. It does have distinct differences though.

For a small spider it is quite aggressive and actually tried to bite my finger whilst I was taking these photographs.

One of the first things that struck me was the superficial resemblance to the spitting spiders Scytodes. Interestingly, one species of Platythomisus has been named P.scytodimorphus

Daylight robbery

2010-12-01T00:42:00.000+11:00

This stunning fly is one of several species of Robber flies (Family Asilidae) that are active at the moment around our home. Robber flies are active hunters that catch prey in flight, or pluck it from foliage. They have huge eyes, excellent vision and a capacity to turn their heads rapidly to keep track of prey or threats. They feed through a large proboscis which is driven into their prey to extract its body fluids. Some species are nocturnal and we have observed them feeding on large cockroaches, but the species below is active by day. Robber flies will often fly short distances and return to the same area to wait and watch for potential prey, making them reasonably easy to observe and photograph.

This Robber fly is feeding upon a blowfly

Sun lover

2010-11-24T11:41:00.000+11:00

Cockroaches aren't usually associated with sunbaking, however cockroaches in the genus Elipsidion are renowned for basking in the sun during the day. They are spectacular cockroaches with vivid markings, some even have transparent window-like areas in the pronotum. I photographed this specimen soaking up the rays in the dryer country west of Kuranda. It is a young specimen (a nymph), and will have fully functional wings once it matures. These cockroaches inhabit the foliage of various plant species, and most likely feed upon pollen, honeydew and fungi.

Our porch visitor

2010-11-24T08:24:00.000+11:00

To our delight, a Yellow-bellied Sunbird, Nectarina jugularis, has made its suspended nest right next to our rear patio door. This species is a small nectar feeding bird, only 10-12cm in size. We were able to watch the bird produce its nest from the very early stages; the bird returning every minute or so with more building material. Once the pendulous nest was completed, the soon to be mother settled in and we have only seen glimpses of her through the nest’s small circular opening.

Yellow-bellied Sunbirds lay 1-2 eggs with an incubation period of 14 days. Young fledge 15 days after hatching although the survival rate for nestlings is only around 20%. Two nights after the nest was built we were awoken by a terrible shrieking sound coming from the nest. We suspected a Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis, was attacking the bird, but upon inspection no such predator was present. The Sunbird has since been seen in her nest so everything appears normal again. We can only wait and see what happens and wish her luck.

The Yellow-bellied Sunbird halfway through nest construction

Experts in camouflage

2010-11-12T15:50:00.000+11:00

One of the largest and most common katydids in northern Queensland is also one of the most seldom seen. The Spiny Tree Katydid (Phricta spinosa) has excellent camouflage and positions itself motionless on tree trunks through the day to avoid detection by visual predators. The specimen pictured below was beside a rainforest walking track, where I witnessed tourist after tourist wander by within 40cm of the katydid looking for nature, but obviously not looking hard enough...

The Spiny Tree Katydid resting on a small tree adjacent to the walking track.

A close-up of the head of the katydid. The spines, colour and pattern all help to break up the outline of the animal resulting in excellent camouflage.

Eight legs beats thirty

2010-11-12T01:00:00.001+11:00

On a recent field trip to collect house centipedes (Scutigeridae) for the filming project we are working on, I found a large specimen but not quite in the way I expected. This one had just been caught by a Brown Huntsman (Heteropoda sp.) and probably wasn't going to be much use to us on set! These centipedes have 15 pairs of long thin legs, and needless to say they move very fast. As quick as huntsman are, it is still surprising that it managed to catch such a sensitive and rapid moving animal.

House centipedes have two large compound eyes contrasting with other groups of centipedes which have smaller simple eyes. They are predatory and venomous, injecting their venom through short modified legs which act as fangs. These 'venom claws' are located just below the mouths of house centipedes.

The name 'house centipede' originated overseas due to some species occurring inside houses. Ironically most species of house centipedes never come inside.

The Brown Huntsman (Heteropoda sp.) feeding on the house centipede.

A specimen we found a couple of nights later at the same site. This species can attain a body length of almost 60mm with a leg span of over 100mm.

Forest jumpers

2010-10-31T09:35:00.001+11:00

The northern tropics are home to a diverse array of jumping spiders (Salticidae). These relatively small spiders are diurnal and are extremely active hunters. They visually locate their prey using their eight eyes which are spread around their heads. The two large anterior eyes provide the spiders with particularly good vision and allow them to judge distances accurately. Most species will stalk prey to within their preferred strike range then leap on it with a great burst of energy. Some species can leap up to 30 times thier body length. Many species will attack prey up to, and sometimes beyond their own body size. Here are a handful of species we have encountered so far.

Now you see me...

2010-10-21T23:44:00.002+11:00

After assisting our neighbour at BatReach with an unwelcome visitor (a 3m Amethystine Python) I was walking back home and spotted an unfamiliar katydid perched on top of a leaf. As soon as I inspected more closely the katydid flattened out in umbrella style, concealing all its typical insect features. The katydid in question appears to belong to be Acauloplacella sp. but I'm waiting on confirmation from katydid guru David Rentz. These katydids have superb camouflage, the wings resembling the leaves they reside in with almost exact venation.

The katydid in its active posture.

Hidden beneath its wings.

Gecko crossing

2010-10-09T21:14:00.001+11:00

I found this gecko in the middle of a small road through the rainforest while returning from a recent bug trip north west of Kuranda. It's a Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis), a very large and unusual species, and sole member of its genus. It is nocturnal like most geckos, and forages through the leaf litter for prey. It has a remarkable defensive strategy. Initially the tail is waved if the gecko is threatened by a predator, but under severe duress the gecko will drop its tail. The tail not only continues to wriggle and writhe to distract the predator, it actually makes a noise. An area on the broken section of the tail opens and closes with each movement, and the sound resembles the distress call of a young rodent. Meanwhile the gecko makes its getaway, and can regenerate a new tail within six months.

The Chameleon gecko (Carphodactylus laevis), after I released it away from the road.

Cape Cassowary

2010-10-05T10:26:00.001+11:00

On Sunday we travelled up to Cape Tribulation, about a 2 hour trip from home. We dropped in to the Cape Trib Farmstay to say hi to the people who we've stayed with while on the Melbourne Museum field trips each year. It was extremely wet there - they've only had half a dozen days when it hasn't rained this year. Not good for their fruit.

Late in the day we talk a walk on the boardwalk and spotted a handful of bugs including a 'squirt' of Peppermint stick insects.

The Peppermint stick insect (Megacrania batesii) feeds solely on Pandanus sp. and has the unique ability to spray a strongly peppermint scented liquid at any threat that approaches too closely. If the spray gets in your eyes it can cause extreme irritation.

The highlight of the day though was an encounter with a wild Cassowary and his very large chick. We came across them while on the boardwalk, and had the chick on one side of us and the male on the other. This made us a little nervous at first, but we remained very still and he did not seem perturbed at all. At one point he joined us on the boardwalk only metres from where we stood transfixed.

Venturing west

2010-10-04T00:41:00.000+11:00

On Wednesday night we took a little trip west to see what was out and about. You don't have to go far to see dramatic changes in the landscape and habitats. One moment you are driving through rainforest, the next you are in open woodland dominated by eucalypts and acacias. Light sheets were set-up by David and Buck who were in search of moths in particular, while I spent most of the evening direct searching for invertebrates and other wildlife on the ground and within the foliage and tree trunks. I wasn't disappointed.

A Lycosid (Wolf spider) looking out from her burrow.

Juvenile Ornate Burrowing Frog, Opisthodon ornatus.

An unusual orb-weaving spider, another species I have encountered for the first time.

The find of the night for me was yet another spectacular huntsman spider. Not quite as colourful as the Tiger Huntsman we found in 2006, but incredibly, even larger. The seven-legged adult female easily spanned my hand, and like most huntsmen she moved like lightning. I've identified her as Beregama aurea, one of four species in the genus. Two are found in Papua New Guinea, and two within Australia. The other Australian species is Beregama cordata which we have been keeping and breeding for several years. They are rainforest species and we have found them near Cairns, Kuranda and Cape Tribulation.

We have set-up this new specimen in a large terrarium and have been feeding her a steady supply of moths and cockroaches. She has an insatiable appetite so we are hoping she has been mated and will produce eggs.

The seven- legged 'Golden Huntsman', Beregama aurea

What lovely eyes she has! She is a relatively old specimen, evidenced by her buffed and hairless cephalothorax.

Destination Melbourne Museum

2010-10-01T22:44:00.000+10:00

The Green Ant display in Bugs Alive! at Melbourne Museum has been desperately in need of a new colony for the last couple of months. We collected the last colony in December 2009 while on a field trip in north Queensland. That colony survived well for several months but then produced vast numbers of reproductives (new queens and males). This is usually a sign that a captive colony is reaching the end of its life - and that turned out to be the case. Despite our attempts to encourage the new queens to mate with the winged males, none were forthcoming and only infertile eggs were laid.

We have just harvested a new colony for Melbourne Museum's display from our backyard. Four individual silk-bound nests were collected from a passion vine and sent via Express Post. The ants are now happily constructing new nests within their very public home in Bugs Alive!

One of the Green ant nests that made the journey

The ants on full alert - what is that strange man doing with a pair of secateurs and a bucket.

Green ants are fascinating in many ways. One unusual aspect of their behaviour is the use of their larvae as tools - the larvae produce silk. The worker ants hold the larvae in their mandibles and use their silk producing siblings to bond leaves together to form nests. This occurs whilst other patient ants hold the leaves in place. This laborious process can take several hours.

More life around the yard

2010-09-28T23:04:00.001+10:00

There's always something happening in the garden here, and the great thing about moving to a new area is that there are so many new things to encounter. So far we have seen at least half a dozen species of jumping spiders (Salticidae) in our yard. Today we also spotted a colourful diurnal cockroach (Ellipsidion sp.) out enjoying the sun.

One of many jumping spiders active in the sunshine.

Another just passing the time.

Ellipsidion sp. These cockroaches are colourful and active by day, not at all stereotypical cupboard dwellers.

Malanda walk

2010-09-28T22:48:00.001+10:00

Went to Malanda yesterday, a small town south east of Atherton in north Queensland. Went for a walk in on 1km rainforest loop before and after dark. The cicadas began calling just on nightfall and were literally deafening, the combined sound from the thousands of calling insects was brain piercing and at distortion point. After about 15 minutes someone amongst their ranks decided enough was enough and they all became silent. That left the night to the more pleasent calls of crickets and katydids.

Although its early in the season, there's a bit of life starting to appear. Two Boyd's Forest Dragons (Hypsilurus boydii) were out before dark along with an abundance of strange flies including some crane flies with legs 80mm long. After dark White Kneed King Crickets (Penalva flavocalceata) were very active, and some very large harvestmen were present on tree trunks.

A Boyd's Forest Dragon. This one was sitting motionless just off the track.

Some strange flies displaying even stranger behaviour. They were facing off, then creeping towards one another. As I took the photo the one on the right stooped down to drink at the foot of the other.

Another species of rainforest fly we are not yet familiar with.

A large Harvestman; an arachnid with eight legs and a single body part - spiders differ as they have two distict body parts.

We're here!

2010-09-25T12:24:00.002+10:00

Well, we made it to north Queensland and it was a hectic move! Amidst the emotion of finishing with Melbourne Museum after almost 12 years, and keeping Minibeast Wildlife running as per normal in Victoria we managed to get ourselves and our animal collection up here. The weather has been much wetter than usual at this time of year, so in our first two weeks have seen 6 species of frogs on or adjacent to our property. So far only one snake, a 2.5 metre Scrub Python. The invetebrate life seems to be slowly gearing up as we move into spring. Each night we're seeing just a little more out and about...here's a taste of what we've seen so far.

Four o'clock Moth, Dysphania fenestrata

Green-eyed Tree Frog, Litoria genimaculata

Litoria jungguy

Orange-thighed Tree Frog, Litoria xanthomera

Unidentified stink-bug

Wasp mimicking fly feeding upon gecko scat