Found when it landed on a white surface, in the sun, on 7th September.
3.2mm in length.
Our first sighting for the season ... and we have been on the lookout!
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.
We had one of these flies visit our Lemon Scented Gum tree Eucalyptus citriodora, late on very hot days before sunset. It was always 2m above the ground on the sunny side. It sat head toward the sky.
On 3 Jan 2012 two flies visited and I noted:
"This week there have been two flies sitting on the Lemon Scented Eucalyptus tree trunk.
They always sit head up and between 1 to 2 metres from the ground. This year one has stayed around most of the day, despite thunderstorms and strong wings strong enough to blow it off the trunk of the tree.
During the heat of the day they sat with their bodies close to the trunk of the tree. (I never realised how cool a tree trunk could be) When disturbed, they raised their bodies away from the tree. After a while I noticed that one would tap one front leg as if it was annoyed at being disturbed for such a long time. "
A fly visited each year for approx 4 years around the same time each year.
Agapophytus albopunctatus was sitting on a Grass Tree under the singed hanging fronds.
The area had been burned 12 months before with a very hot wildfire.
With prey - presumably fresh-caught, as she spent some time maneuvering it before flying off.
Her prey is a bug, and appears to be planthopper in the family Dictyopharidae.
After perching on this leaf, she flew to the ground and started clearing the opening of an existing burrow. I collected her for identification/documentation. For full details, see my workbook notes:
https://southernforestlife.net/notes/2023/austrogorytes-spryi
see also working notes:
https://southernforestlife.net/notes/2023/austrogorytes-spryi
On pink flowering Marri
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.
Female
Feeding on Darwinia sp. Karonie on Private property
Feeding on Pericalymma ellipticum while flying slowly and buzzing.
Not quite dead but almost. Wedged under door mat and paver. Probably trying to evade one of our many insect eating birds.
The wasp was feeding on Sandalwood Santalum spicatum flowers.