Mistaken Identity

The Rower and I went off on one of our little expeditions today - and took a picnic with us - down to the Blueberry Patch at a village called Mount Compass on the Fleurieu Peninsula. It's an easy 45 minute drive from home.

Such a gorgeous day - so we had a great time. For me, the biggest draw-card (apart from the blueberry ice-cream made with fresh blueberries), is that there is a permanent creek running through the property.

Aha, I thought, dragons I thought. And indeed when we first got there - there were quite a few flying around, but by the time we had eaten they had all gone home for their own postprandial nap, and I didn't see a single one.

But instead I saw this - and I just spend a fruitless half hour trying to ID it on the Internet. That's because I made a fundamental mistake by looking for a butterfly.

It is actually a moth - although it mostly flies by day, and is marked more like a butterfly. So meet the Australian Grapevine Moth (Phalaenoides glycinae). The area where we went is a massive grapevine area so I shouldn't be surprised to see it. It's considered a pest - but it is an Australian endemic species, the grapevines are not!

The Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis) was introduced into Australia in 1862 to deal with a number of insect pests including the Grapevine Moth. Not unsurprisingly it was unsuccessful, and ironically the bird is now itself considered a pest in many parts of Australia. So there you go - pioneer immigrants stuff it up yet again.

So sorry, but I'm like a dog's hind leg - just a bit behind on my comments - I'll try and catch up over the weekend.