Black And White Tiger Moth: Spilosoma glatignyi

Macro image of caterpillar 

Caterpillar

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Arctiidae 

Ardices glatignyi

(Formerly Spilosoma glatignyi)

This Black And White Tiger Moth is an Australian moth that is easily identified by the black/brown pattern in white wings. The abdomen has black and orange horizontal stripes. Thorax is covered in white hairs. It has black eyes with variable orange pattern on the head. 

The above photos were taken during different times. The first photo was in Summer 2014. The second and the third photos were taken in Autumn 2015 which show the eggs laid by the female. The caterpillars (at a late instar phase) are black and orange. They are very hairy. The mandibles and thoracic legs are bright red. I have seen the caterpilars voraciously feed on African Daisy.

Reference:

butterflyhouse.com.au

Angled Satin Moth: Thalaina angulosa

Angled Satin Moth, Underside

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera: 

Family: Geometridae

Thalaina angulosa

This beautiful moth was attracted to my kitchen window light on an autumn evening. This moth has satin-like white wings. The forewing has a stark orange line pattern on it. The orange lines have a black margin, making the pattern stand out on the white background. The hindwing is mostly white with a black wavy patch on it.
The pattern of the orange line is specific to this moth. It can be easily confused with Thalania clara. The orange line of T. angulosa runs from almost parallel to the margin of the forewing (base to the centre of the margin) T. clara can be seen here 

Reference: butterflyhouse.com.au/

Heliotrope Moth: Utetheisa pulchelloides

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Arctiidae 

Subfamily: Arctiinae 

Utetheisa pulchelloides

This pretty moth was my nighttime kitchen window visitor on a fine spring evening. This moth is small with a wingspan of about 4 cms. It has white wings with beautiful orange and black spots. The costal margin of the forewing has a broken orange line, the fringe has dark spots. The underside of the moth also has black and orange pattern. 

Reference: butterflyhouse.com.au

Trichoplusia lectula

Location: Bunbury

Season Winter

Class: Insecta 

Order: Lepidoptera 

Family: Noctuidae 

Trichoplusia lectula

This unglamourous drab moth was found on our window one sunny afternoon. This moth has dark brown forewings and pale hind wings. When the moth rests, the folded forewings have a pattern resembling horns. It looks like the moth has horns on its back. There is a cream line from the base to the edge of the forewing. 

Reference: Butterflyhouse.com.au

Bird Of Paradise Fly: Callipappus farinosus

Male Bird Of Paradise Fly

Male Bird Of Paradise Fly

Many Male Bird Of Paradise Flies mating with a female.

Location: Bunbury

Season:  May/Autumn

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Sternorrhyncha 

Superfamily: Coccoidea 

Family: Callipappidae

Callipappus farinosus

A group of these Bird Of Paradise Flies were found in a bushland with predominantly Tuart and Banksia trees in a suburban bike route called Tuart Forest Walk in Bunbury. These 'flies' are not real flies (not Diptera) but they belong to the soft mealy bug/scale insect family. They were initially classified into the family Margarodidae (Ground Pearls) but later placed under Callipappidae.

The very distinct looking male has one pair of milky white wings with a dark reddish purple margin. It has a comet like fibrous tail (like most mealy bugs). It has a whitish powdery substance covering its body. It is rather a pretty looking insect. The female, however, is larger than the male and has a flat segmented body. She is wingless and hence flightless, she ambulates with her short (3 pairs) of legs. In spite of being winged, the group of males did not fly during the time I observed them. Some of them were attached to the female body trying to mate, while others were walking away from her. 

From my references, I gather that after mating, the female develops the eggs in her body and hatches the nymphs. Soon after she dies. The nymphs develop underground and emerge as adults. Adults feed on the sap of Banksia and similar trees.

Reference:

Brisbane Insects

Wikipedia

Green Peach Aphid: Myzus persicae

Location: Bunbury

Season: Winter

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Family: Aphididae

Myzus persicae

Aphids devastate crops but they are fascinating insects with intricate anatomy and a graceful flight. The above is a winged Green Peach Aphid that I found resting on Purple Pea Bush on a sunny winter afternoon. It was hopping from place to place and hopped onto my finger. With a sluggish movement, it rested on my hand for a minute or so and them took off in a flight so sluggish that every step of its flight was easily witnessed.

This insect is yellow in colour with a prominent black area on the dorsum of the mid abdominal segments from 3 to 6. There are laterally placed black bars on the other segments. The limbs, antennae and the head are all dark. The eyes are red. The genus Myzus is identified by convergent antennal tubercles and lack of clavate sipunchuli. 

Green Peach Aphid can affect a wide variety dicotyledon plants including agricultural crops such as potato and peach. Like other aphids they are vectors of various viral diseases of plants. As with aphids in general, in warmer weather they reproduce asexually producing about 12 generations in a year. In colder weather, they reproduce sexually laying eggs on various plants on which the hatched nymphs feed.

Ladybirds, Lacewings are natural predators that are used in biological control of these aphids. 

References:

Aphid ID key

Influential Points

Wikipedia

Melaleuca Psyllid: Boreioglycaspis melaleucae

Loation: Bunbury
Season: Late Summer
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Psyllidae
Boreioglycaspis melaleucae

Melaleuca trees, commonly called Paperbarks, are native to Australia. Melaleuca Psyllid is a jumping plant louse that sucks the sap of the Melaleuca plant and destroys plant. Melaleuca is an introduced species in USA, especially in South Florida. It is an aggressive invader that displaces native vegetation. Melaleuca Psyllid is jumping plant louse that is introduced as a biological control of the invasive Melaleuca plant.

The above psyllid was found in my veggie garden which has a backdrop of a gum tree wooded area. This tiny psyllid is yellow in colour with black markings on its head, thorax and abdomen. There are a pair of red Genae protrude from underneath the eyes which resembles a tongue (on my hand, it looks like it is licking my skin!). The eyes are pale green with a conspicuous black dot. There is a Y shaped black mark on the head extending to the thorax. The wings are transparent with a thin yellow margin. The abdomen has horizontal black stripes. it is triangular in males ending with genitalia. The female, as seen above has a rounded abdomen.

The psyllid was not very active and readily jumped on my hand and stayed there for the whole photo shoot. It flew away after sometime.

References:

Ozanimals

University of Florida

Penthimiin Leafhopper: Neovulturnus

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 

Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 

Superfamily: Membracoidea 

Family: Cicadellidae 

Subfamily Penthimiinae

Neovulturnus 

Also known as Enamel Leafhopper, this Penthimiin Leafhopper has a filigree pattern on its rounded shield-like body. The flat head has two laterally placed eyes. The wings are short and when I observed it, it hopped rather than flew. It barely moved and was easily photographable. 

Like all leafhopppers, this Enamel Leafhopper has a tent shaped wings. It is regarded as an agricultural pest. It attacks crops, hence of economic significance. It directly feed on the leaves and plants. More importantly it is a vector and transmitter of various viruses which infect the plants and destroy them.

Edit: 22/2/2019 This leafhopper belongs to genus Neovulturunus, undeacribed species in Western Australia. Thanks to Dr Melinda Moir for clarification. 

Common Brown Leafhopper: Orosius orientalis

Nymph of common brown leafhopper

Class: Insecta 

Order: Hemiptera 

Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 

Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 

Superfamily: Membracoidea 

Family: Cicadellidae 

Subfamily: Deltocephalinae 

Tribe: Opsiini

Orosius orientalis

Common Brown Leafhopper is a tiny leafhopper measuring about 2 -3 mm in length. It has a pale brown colour with remarkable lace like pattern on its wings. The eyes have a horizontal orange stripe with a dot in the centre. The leafhopper hops short distances and capable of flight as well. 

A group on these leafhoppers were seen in my kitchen garden feeding on spinach leaves. 

Common Brown Leafhoppers are pests which attack crops, hence of economic significance. They directly feed on the leaves and plants. More importantly they are vectors and transmitters of various viruses which infect the plants and destroy them.

Reference:

Key to identification of Australian Leafhoppers by NSW Gov