BRANCH
General Meeting 18th May 2015
For the May meeting there were two presenters from within KRMB. First up was Pauline Dilley who presented a series of photographs and video footage taken on trips to Kalbarri, Albany, Zambia (Africa), the Whitsundays and at local areas such as Shoalwater Marine Park, Karnup Nature Reserve, Wellard Wetlands and Goodale Sanctuary.
The photographs showed birds, animals, insects, marine animals and plants and the videos were underwater footage showing marine life. They showed various plants in flower including Verticordias, Orchids, Grevillea, Hakea, Drosera and Kangaroo Paws. Others included a Rainbow Bee-eater, Pelicans, a Moaning Frog and a Red Fingers Fungus.
Photographs of marine life included a Nudibranch, Jellyfish, Sting Ray and a school of Striped Catfish.
Photos from Africa included Elephants, Zebra, Giraffe, Hippos and Rhinoceros. Underwater videos showed Sting Rays, an Octopus emerging from a polyethylene pipe, a Clam, a Wobbegong and a Hermit Crab.
The next presenter was Daniel Heald who shared a PowerPoint presentation on Batesian and Mullerian mimics. The slides showed numerous species using the same colour schemes. The first photograph showed a Lycid Beetle that is toxic and uses the colours red and black to advertise this to potential predators.
Daniel then ran through a number of other photos of other species that mimic the Lycid Beetle’s colour patterns, including a non-toxic jewel beetle, a Stinking Longicorn beetle, a Nocturnal Longicorn. The next series showed a Braconid Wasp, two types of true bugs mimicking Braconid wasps, a Spider wasp and a Yellow –horned Clerid beetle and a caterpillar that looks like a snake.
Daniel’s presentation highlighted how mimicry is commonly employed in nature to avoid predation. The audience thanked Pauline and Daniel for their very interesting presentations.
Colin Prickett