PBI TAS04

The Frankland Range overlooking Lake Pedder

PBI collecting trip to Tasmania, Australia January 2004: TAS’04

Our collecting route for Miridae and aquatic Heteroptera practically circled the island. Starting in Hobart, we returned in 14 days after sampling the diverse south temperate habitats of “Tassie”

Hobart Habour and River Derwent

Map of Tasmania

Personnel

The “TAS’04” team was senior scientist Michael Schwartz (storing plant bugs) and doctoral candidate Paul P. Tinerella, from North Dakota State University (in action)

Mount Wellington: Organ Pipes

We sampled habitats which included alpine heath lands of the central highlands, typified by the Cradle Mountain area, . . .

Cradle Mt

Nothofagus gunnii (Fagaceae)Nothofagus gunnii (Fagaceae)Epacris sp. ? (Epacridaceae) Epacris sp. ? (Epacridaceae)

Near Huon CampgroundNear Huon Campground

Cradle Mountain Cradle Mountain

. . . tall eucalyptus as found in the Arve River forest and Hartz Mountain, . . .

Arve Rive

r

Acacia sp.,(Leguminosae) nr Russell Falls Headquarters

Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. (Myrtaceae)Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. (Myrtaceae)

Telopea truncata,waratah (Proteaceae), Lake Esperance

Eucalyptus sp., Recherche BayEucalyptus sp., Recherche BayRussell FallsRussell Falls

. . . temperate rainforest and moorlands of Southwest National Park, . . .

Southwestern NP

Granville Harbour

tall heath near Couta Rocks

Paul collecting in pond surrounded by heathHeath with yellow flower and red fruit

Mick Murphy’s fishing boat at Couta Rocks

… and the temperate forest of Freycinet National Park in the low-lying eastern region.

Friendly Beaches

Friendly Beaches heath landStorm near Exeter Casuarina wet with dew

Spiky Bridge near Swansea

Devils Kitchen, Tasman PeninsulaDevils Kitchen, Tasman Peninsula

Aquatic collectingAlthough plant

bug collecting was difficult in the rain, Paul never had a day off. His quarry are aquatic after all. Dip net samples included the corixids Micronecta tasmanica Wroblewski (top right) and Diaprepocoris pedderensis Knowles (bottom right)

Honey from the Forest

Tasmania has a thriving leather wood honey industry. We found it fascinating that hives were set in dense forest for honey bees. By chance we stopped in at the “Tasmanian Honey Co.” offices in Perth for some excellent “samples.”

Eucryphia lucida (Eucryphiaceae), leather wood tree

Eucryphia lucida (Eucryphiaceae), leather wood tree

Forest hivesForest hives

HeadquartersHeadquarters

“Honey from the Forest”

Casuarina bugs

Allocasuarina monilifera (Casuarinaceae) with

Ommatodema sp. (Mirini)

Leptospermum bugs

Leptospermum sp. (Myrtaceae) with undescribed leucophoropterine phyline plant bug

Melaleuca bugsMelaleuca bugsMelaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae) with undescribed phyline plant bug

NTO’sNTO’s

Some ‘none-target-organisms’ encountered during our travels

Kurrawong, Lake St. Clair

Green rosella, Lake Pedder Chalet

Pademellon, Edger CampgroundWombat, Cradle Mountain

Echidna, Cradle Mountain

Coral lichen

and mothPaul found this

exquisite specimen of the coral lichen, Cladia retpora at Cradle Mt. Nat’l Park, a burnett moth alighted on the lichen providing an incredible photo opportunity

Tasman Peninsula Fire

Melaleuca and Eucalyptus forest on the Tasman Peninsula in before and after fire photographs taken just a couple of years apart

Trip Results

Lake Saint Clair, Lake Saint Clair –

Cradle Mountain National Park

Trip results

46 localities

58 hosts

> 2,000 Miridae