Adult Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata)

No. PC101930
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Bleating Tree Frogs, Litoria dentata are very common in the Launceston Area. I have hundreds breed each year in my large disused inground swimming pool. From early summer I have to rescue large numbers of young frogs from the path of the lawn mower. When the summer rains fall, they congrigate on the windows, feeding on insects.

Description:
This a small but loud tree frog, upto 45mm long. It is creamish-brown to pale grey-brown above with a broad band running the head down the back. A dark stripe runs through the eye and down the side. The groin, the back of the thighs and armpits are frequently yellow, particually in males, and the belly is yellowish white. The skin is smooth above, with the belly granular. The fingers are one-third webbed with large toe discs. They have vermerine teeth between the choanae, and maxillary teeth.

Call:
A high-pitched bleat, almost painful in pitch and volume. The males callfrom the ground close to water. They are usually only seen after heavy spring and summer rains.

Habbit:
They are often associated with coastal lagoons, ponds and swamps, especailly those with grassy edges. They can be found beneath bark ans stones near the breeding sites by day.

Baby Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata)

No. PC091830a (1)
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Bleating Tree Frogs, Litoria dentata are very common in the Launceston Area. I have hundreds breed each year in my large disused inground swimming pool. From early summer I have to rescue large numbers of young frogs from the path of the lawn mower. When the summer rains fall, they congrigate on the windows, feeding on insects.

Description:
This a small but loud tree frog, upto 45mm long. It is creamish-brown to pale grey-brown above with a broad band running the head down the back. A dark stripe runs through the eye and down the side. The groin, the back of the thighs and armpits are frequently yellow, particually in males, and the belly is yellowish white. The skin is smooth above, with the belly granular. The fingers are one-third webbed with large toe discs. They have vermerine teeth between the choanae, and maxillary teeth.

Call:
A high-pitched bleat, almost painful in pitch and volume. The males callfrom the ground close to water. They are usually only seen after heavy spring and summer rains.

Habbit:
They are often associated with coastal lagoons, ponds and swamps, especailly those with grassy edges. They can be found beneath bark ans stones near the breeding sites by day.

Baby Grasshopper

No. PC091803
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Wingless Grasshopper,
Phaulacridium vittatum

The Wingless Grasshopper is a native insect that feeds on a wide variety of plant material. They are pests maijnly in areas where there have been established pastures prior to planting with trees. They are found throughout southern Australia. They are gregarious insects and often congregate in large swarms.

Description:
Newly emerged nymphs are less than 2mm in length and grey/black in colour. They resemble adults but are considerably smaller and have small wing buds.

Adults range from 12-20mm in length. They are brownish in colour with orange hindlegs. Some have a white stripe on each side of the thorax. Most adults have a pair of small, non-functional wings, but some do develop functional wings and are capable of flying short distances.

Wingless grasshoppers usually have one generation per year.

Eggs are laid in pods in the soil from late January through to March/April. They are usually laid in sandy areas or areas where vegetation is sparse. Each pod contains 10-16 eggs and is deposited 1-2 cms below the soil surface. The eggs remain dormant over winter and further development begins in spring when soil temperatures rise. Hatching occurs from late September/October to December depending on the location and the season. Hatching may be extended over several weeks.

There are five nymphal stages before the hoppers become adults. First stage nymphs may be found from late October onwards. The nymphs do not move very far from where they hatched and they usually remain in isolated patches.

The nymphs begin developing into adults late in November and most are adults by late December. As the availability of greenfeed declines in mid-summer and autumn, the hoppers begin to move and those that hatch outside plantations may move in and damage young trees. Some will develop wings which enable them to disperse further. The proportion of the population that develops wings is greater if population numbers are high.

Grasshopper Emerges for Garzinia

No. PC091757 (2)
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Wingless Grasshopper,
Phaulacridium vittatum

The Wingless Grasshopper is a native insect that feeds on a wide variety of plant material. They are pests maijnly in areas where there have been established pastures prior to planting with trees. They are found throughout southern Australia. They are gregarious insects and often congregate in large swarms.

Description:
Newly emerged nymphs are less than 2mm in length and grey/black in colour. They resemble adults but are considerably smaller and have small wing buds.

Adults range from 12-20mm in length. They are brownish in colour with orange hindlegs. Some have a white stripe on each side of the thorax. Most adults have a pair of small, non-functional wings, but some do develop functional wings and are capable of flying short distances.

Wingless grasshoppers usually have one generation per year.

Eggs are laid in pods in the soil from late January through to March/April. They are usually laid in sandy areas or areas where vegetation is sparse. Each pod contains 10-16 eggs and is deposited 1-2 cms below the soil surface. The eggs remain dormant over winter and further development begins in spring when soil temperatures rise. Hatching occurs from late September/October to December depending on the location and the season. Hatching may be extended over several weeks.

There are five nymphal stages before the hoppers become adults. First stage nymphs may be found from late October onwards. The nymphs do not move very far from where they hatched and they usually remain in isolated patches.

The nymphs begin developing into adults late in November and most are adults by late December. As the availability of greenfeed declines in mid-summer and autumn, the hoppers begin to move and those that hatch outside plantations may move in and damage young trees. Some will develop wings which enable them to disperse further. The proportion of the population that develops wings is greater if population numbers are high.

Baby Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata)

No. PC091824a
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Bleating Tree Frogs, Litoria dentata are very common in the Launceston Area. I have hundreds breed each year in my large disused inground swimming pool. From early summer I have to rescue large numbers of young frogs from the path of the lawn mower. When the summer rains fall, they congrigate on the windows, feeding on insects.

Description:
This a small but loud tree frog, upto 45mm long. It is creamish-brown to pale grey-brown above with a broad band running the head down the back. A dark stripe runs through the eye and down the side. The groin, the back of the thighs and armpits are frequently yellow, particually in males, and the belly is yellowish white. The skin is smooth above, with the belly granular. The fingers are one-third webbed with large toe discs. They have vermerine teeth between the choanae, and maxillary teeth.

Call:
A high-pitched bleat, almost painful in pitch and volume. The males callfrom the ground close to water. They are usually only seen after heavy spring and summer rains.

Habbit:
They are often associated with coastal lagoons, ponds and swamps, especailly those with grassy edges. They can be found beneath bark ans stones near the breeding sites by day.

Baby Grasshopper

No. PC091801 (3)
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

Wingless Grasshopper,
Phaulacridium vittatum

The Wingless Grasshopper is a native insect that feeds on a wide variety of plant material. They are pests maijnly in areas where there have been established pastures prior to planting with trees. They are found throughout southern Australia. They are gregarious insects and often congregate in large swarms.

Description:
Newly emerged nymphs are less than 2mm in length and grey/black in colour. They resemble adults but are considerably smaller and have small wing buds.

Adults range from 12-20mm in length. They are brownish in colour with orange hindlegs. Some have a white stripe on each side of the thorax. Most adults have a pair of small, non-functional wings, but some do develop functional wings and are capable of flying short distances.

Wingless grasshoppers usually have one generation per year.

Eggs are laid in pods in the soil from late January through to March/April. They are usually laid in sandy areas or areas where vegetation is sparse. Each pod contains 10-16 eggs and is deposited 1-2 cms below the soil surface. The eggs remain dormant over winter and further development begins in spring when soil temperatures rise. Hatching occurs from late September/October to December depending on the location and the season. Hatching may be extended over several weeks.

There are five nymphal stages before the hoppers become adults. First stage nymphs may be found from late October onwards. The nymphs do not move very far from where they hatched and they usually remain in isolated patches.

The nymphs begin developing into adults late in November and most are adults by late December. As the availability of greenfeed declines in mid-summer and autumn, the hoppers begin to move and those that hatch outside plantations may move in and damage young trees. Some will develop wings which enable them to disperse further. The proportion of the population that develops wings is greater if population numbers are high.

European Blackberry Flowers

No. PC061712a
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©

European Honey Bee at Work on a European Blackberry Flower

No. PC061710a
Photographed by Sparra Mc ©