Two plants growing on a rocky (granite) hillside above the Wallagaraugh River, in forest burnt in Jan 2020. The backward pointing hairs on the tips of the spines on the fruit show that it is dasyphylla and not rugosa, which has the hairs horizontal or pointing forward.
These plants were growing in poor gravelly subsoil on the highway verge, and show the very narrow upright leaves typical of S. graminifolium s. str.
Photos 1,2,5,6 were taken before fire, photos 3, 4 of bark were taken after fire.
Male (palps just visible) and very small. Prowling the window sills at night.
A hybrid of Persoonia levis and Persoonia linearis, both of which are found nearby
About 10 mm long, beautiful iridescent purple sheen on the wing cases and hundreds of tiny hairs on the rear that appear to sparkle with dust or dew.
male above and female below in first photo, female alone in second photo taken 10 sec later. She was seen laying eggs on the adjacent pond immediately afterwards.
Hopefully in the right family, please correct me if not. Perhaps a Podalonia sp?
rampant growth of this species following January Border Fire
Malaise trap collection between 2020/02/01-2020/02/27. One month after Border Fire.
Genus identified from body length (approx. 7mm), rounded end of abdomen and simple venation
There is an image on Canberra Nature Map of a genus Microtropesa that looks very similar to this. It was about 20-25mm long.
Very small oil dots can be seen in the leaf above and to the left of the flower cluster. I counted around 60 large plants, 15 smaller ones and 70+ post-drought seedlings on this outcrop, and gave up counting before I got all of them. Some were looking a bit drought-battered but they seem to have come through 2018-19 better than any other plants on this particular rhyolite outcrop. There are many dead shrubs of several species.
growing just above the bank of the Wonboyn River. Not seen before January Border Fire.