1. Hullia commoni
Series of 8 No 1
Before today, Hullia commoni had been extremely difficult to locate in the Greenmount bushland. We could only manage to find scattered individuals. Today’s observations changed all that.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 2
Today for the first time we found that Hullia commoni were grasping the fronds of grass trees when copulating.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 3
Grass trees are most unusual plants that look almost prehistoric in form – a sturdy trunk with a dense head of cascading fronds. Simply put, the taller ones are Kingia australis and generally the shorter ones are Xanthorrhoea preissii – both are different species with a somewhat similar morphology. Here you can gauge the height of some Kingia australis.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 4
These grass trees grow among a plethora of stunning wild flowers and gum trees.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 5
No 5-8. This afternoon we observed a lek of Hullia commoni in a wholesale process of copulation. This seemed to be a compliant, peaceful gathering of M-F with no apparent aggression. It was common to see up to 4 pair of Hullia copulating on the fronds of a single grass tree. Some were within 1 m of the ground while No 8 shows a pair on the upper tips of fronds to c. 2 m high. We observed and photographed Hullia sp. on the fronds of grass trees over an area approximately 100 m x 50 m. WOW! it was amazing to see so many and so easily visible on the grass tree fronds above the ground. Wish you were here to see this spectacle. We haven’t observed this mob behaviour in robber flies before. There were many more still to be seen as we left for home after 5 pm.
Photo: Fred
1. Hullia commoni
Series of 8 No 1
Before today, Hullia commoni had been extremely difficult to locate in the Greenmount bushland. We could only manage to find scattered individuals. Today’s observations changed all that.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 2
Today for the first time we found that Hullia commoni were grasping the fronds of grass trees when copulating.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 3
Grass trees are most unusual plants that look almost prehistoric in form – a sturdy trunk with a dense head of cascading fronds. Simply put, the taller ones are Kingia australis and generally the shorter ones are Xanthorrhoea preissii – both are different species with a somewhat similar morphology. Here you can gauge the height of some Kingia australis.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 4
These grass trees grow among a plethora of stunning wild flowers and gum trees.
Photo: Jean
Series of 8 No 5
No 5-8. This afternoon we observed a lek of Hullia commoni in a wholesale process of copulation. This seemed to be a compliant, peaceful gathering of M-F with no apparent aggression. It was common to see up to 4 pair of Hullia copulating on the fronds of a single grass tree. Some were within 1 m of the ground while No 8 shows a pair on the upper tips of fronds to c. 2 m high. We observed and photographed Hullia sp. on the fronds of grass trees over an area approximately 100 m x 50 m. WOW! it was amazing to see so many and so easily visible on the grass tree fronds above the ground. Wish you were here to see this spectacle. We haven’t observed this mob behaviour in robber flies before. There were many more still to be seen as we left for home after 5 pm.
Photo: Fred