April Members’ Night at KRM Branch

KRM Branch, 17 April 2023

The April general meeting was a Members’ Night, and three members shared images of recent sightings.

First up was Daniel Heald, who presented photos of invertebrates found during the KRMB visit to Lake Mealup in March. These included images of a Weevil, a Parasitic Wasp, an Assassin Bug, a Soldier Fly plus a Parasitic Wasp, a tiny Cockroach, Cycodid Flies, a Snout Moth, a Stink Bug nymph, a Tree Mantis and a hairy Cricket. In addition, Daniel also showed images of invertebrates found at Roley Pools Reserve. These included a Blue Skimmer Dragonfly, a Bee Fly (Anthrax), a Mallee Mantis Nymph and Lady Bird larvae feeding on Fig Wax Scales.

The next member to present was Pauline Dilley, who showed photos of a Spiny-tailed Gecko, a Bowerbird, a Royal Hakea at Fitzgerald NP, Hammerheads at Point Peron, jellyfish, a Bridled Tern and some Sawfly larvae.

Last to present was Colin Prickett, who presented an eclectic mix of photos taken over recent months. These included images captured in his garden documenting the lifecycle of a Bird Dropping Spider (Celaenia excavata) over three months. The series showed the female, female plus egg sacs (3), hatchlings emerging from an egg sac, the female producing a further two egg sacs in a different location and the female feeding on small moths. He also presented images of a range of other different spider species found in his garden and local reserves. Next were photos of Blue Lace Flowers (Trachymene coerulea subsp. coerulea) that put on a good display in Paganoni Reserve during January, including one with a small White Flower Spider (Thomisidae) on top and another with an Assassin Bug. Bird photographs included a White-bellied Sea Eagle, a Little Grassbird, Pelicans, and a group of Common Greenshanks spotted at Lake Walyungup. There were also photos of Red-necked Avocets, Hooded Plovers and Red-capped Plovers at Lake Clifton taken during the 2023 Annual Shorebird Count for the Peel-Yalgorup System (Ramsar 482).