kerrystuart's Favorites

Bee with red and white markings on its face, hiding in Eromophila then darting to the next.
Identified as Hylaeus Pseudhylaeus on Bowerbird by Michael Batley: "Notice the long palps on this Eremophila specialist"

I noticed these small Native bees flying around and momentarily landing on a lump of lateritic rock. Closer inspection found that these tiny bees had holes bored into the rock. Occasionally one would disappear down a hole. These bees were unbelievably small: 4 mm long x 1 mm wide.

We sent photos and information to Dr Terry Houston, our local bee expert and he replied:
"Interesting observations! The bee looks to be a Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) species. I'm wondering if the males are just engaging in some mating behaviour. I wouldn't expect that the bees could bore into rock and I'd be surprised if the holes went very far in."

Tiny flies were flying over a small, shallow, running stream down the side of a Granite rock in the Jarrah Forrest South of Perth. The water was running underneath but not on top. The flies sat on the water near bubbles on the water.
A leech swam over to one fly and touched its leg then swam away. The fly wiped the leg that the leech touched, on its abdomen.
Note the enlargement on the front legs of this fly.

Two cocoons15mm long 10cm apart on Eucalyptus wandoo branch. Appear to have weblike material wrapped around the twig. A green winged lacewing has laid 3 eggs on the side of one of these 'cocoons'. It has been two days since I noticed it.