Butterflies

Cairns Birdwing butterfly.

Cairns birdwing butterfly ©

This not so little girl was flying around my yard minding her own business when she landed next to me. It's a Cairns birdwing butterfly the largest Australian Butterfly measuring 15cm (5.9inches) across the wingspan. It's scientific name is Ornithoptera euphorion and is found on the tropical east coast of Australia from Mackay to Cooktown. I was in Townsville when I shot this one.

 Blue moon butterfly female.

Female Blue moon butterfly ©

Blue moon butterfly male.

Male Blue moon butterfly ©

These two were also in my garden at different times. The Blue Moon Butterfly is a species of dark butterflies that are found in 20 different subspecies in several countries. They get their name from the two bright blue circular patches on the male’s wings, resembling the full ‘blue moon’ in the dark sky. Their scientific name is Hypolimnas bolina and other common names are Great Eggfly, Common Eggfly.

Caper white butterfly. 

Caper White butterfly ©

The Caper White lives mainly west of the Great Dividing Range in Australia, even though this one was photographed in Townsville, Queenland, Australia on the east coast. Adult Caper White Butterflies are mostly white with black margins to their upper wings and yellow-orange, black and white underwings.

Photographs available for purchase at my store.

Spiders you may find around the garden.

Saint Andrews Orb spider

St Andrew's Cross Spider, Argiope keyserlingi.
This spider is often found in the garden along the east coast of Australia. It's destinct web cross-shaped web decorations are where it gets it's name.

Huntsman Spider.

Australian Huntsman spiders belong to the Family Sparassidae (formerly Heteropodidae). You will find these spiders in all parts of Australia. They don't spin webs as they actively seek out or hunt for their food/prey. This can be anything from bugs to small lizards or even mice.

Redback spider

Redback spider

Redback Spiders are found throughout Australia and are common in disturbed and urban areas. Female Redback Spiders are black (occasionally brownish) with an obvious orange to red longitudinal stripe on the upper abdomen, with the red stripe sometimes being broken, and an "hourglass" shaped red/orange spot on the underside of the abdomen. Redback bites occur frequently, particularly over the summer months. Common early symptoms are pain (which can become severe), sweating (always including local sweating at bite site), muscular weakness, nausea and vomiting. Antivenom is available. No deaths have occurred since its introduction.


 Photographs available for purchase at my store.