Adult moth to eggs laid on bare twigs, early instars, to voracious feeders at 5th instar. Will begin to pupate in soil soon. Damage to Euc.s across SA is widespread and non-specfic. Ecology and impacts are still being understood, in the hope of discovering mitigating strategies.

And the bad news….super-abundant ‘Mallee loopers’ - larvae of Pink Arhodia moth are back for another season and wreaking their havoc on all the fresh new growth. :(

Yes! It’s good to know these mallees do flower now and then. Eucalyptus dumosa and Euc. leptophylla.

Big beauties HC and I saw on Phenology rounds. Julodimorpha spp. Observed trying to mate with orange flagging tape (common mistake for this sp. we understand). Luckily, we’re already removing flagging tape that day before we learned this fact). Hopefully they can now find their females!

Common dunnart (Sminthopsis murina)
Bolam's mouse (Pseudomys bolami)
Desert skink (Liopholis inornata)

#dunnart #skink #calperum @heatherneilly.bsky.social
#science #ecology #fieldwork #reptiles #WildOz #ausmammals #womeninstem #womeninscience #research

The coolest pitfall catches yet!
One of our pits had both a common scalyfoot (Pygopus lepidopodus) and a mallee worm lizard (Aprasia inaurita). Both are quite rare in #Calperum so finding both was incredible!
#WildOz

Using ‘branching’ technique (Tongway and Ludwig 1996) to start restoration of a degraded sand dune. In first year, visual difference in vigour in polycalymma stuartii, likely due to improved micro-climate and nutrient cycling.

Woody debris also catches wind-blown seed.