Zizina labradus, commonly known as the Common Grass Blue, Grass Blue, or Clover Blue, is a small Australian butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. Adults are purplish blue on the upper wing surface with a black body and black or brown wing margins. These margins are larger on the female than the male. The lower wing surface is brown to pale brownish-grey with a pattern of fawn bands and spots, with the body covered in white or grey hairs. The wingspans of females are slightly larger than males, females having a wingspan of 23 mm and males 20 mm. Common Grass Blues have a weak, fluttering flight and so usually fly close to ground level close to a food source. Eggs are white or pale blue and have a mandarin shape with a pitted surface. Caterpillars reach about 7 mm in length, and their appearance is primarily green with a yellow stripe at the sides and a darker green stripe on the back, and brown or black head usually obscured under the thorax. In captivity, fed on an artificial diet, larvae come in highly variable colours, ranging from white through red to dark purple. Pupa are 10 mm long with erect hairs. Colouration varies, ranging from pink, greyish or greenish cream and contains mottled dark spots. The subspecies Zizina labradus labradus is found over most of continental Australia, as well as on Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island, while the subspecies Zizina labradus labdalon is restricted mainly to Cape York Peninsula. The Common Grass Blue is often misidentified as the Lesser Grass Blue, Zizina otis. Zizina labradus labradus, as its name suggests, is very common and can be found in suburban gardens, particularly perching in grass; lawns and fields. Single eggs are laid which can hatch in a matter of days. The eggs are laid on leaves, stems, flower buds and young pods of food plants, chiefly legumes of the Fabaceae family such as beans, clover, and various native species. Newly hatched larvae eat small holes from young leaves or flower buds, and later feed mainly inside flowers. The larvae are considered a minor pest and will feed on leguminous plants such as garden beans by eating a small hole into the pods and then devouring the soft seeds within. In captivity when food is scarce the larger larvae will cannibalize smaller ones. The larvae are typically attended by ants of the genera Paratrechina, Rhytidoponera, and Tapinoma. The pupa attaches to the lower leaf surface of the food plants with anal hooks and a central girdle.
Ischnura heterosticta, one of at least two species with the common name common bluetail, is a common Australian damselfly of the family Coenagrionidae. It is the largest of the six Ischnura species in Australia. They are generally found near slow-running or still water. The species is also salt tolerant. It flies from October to March. The common bluetail is a small damselfly. Most males have blue eyes, a blue thorax, and a blue ringed tail. The females have a variety of forms including green, brown, black, and a form with very similar colourings to the male. In Australia, Ischnura heterosticta is found throughout the entire continent including Tasmania. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischnura_heterosticta
Tenodera australasiae, the purple-winged mantis, is species of praying mantis. Found in Australia, it is common in most parts of Brisbane (QLD). Both males and females are capable of flight. The species has not been shown to be parthenogenetic. The purple-winged mantis has varied diet consisting mainly of other insects, however, they have been seen eating much larger animals such as small frogs, lizards etc. Tenodera australasiae can be cannibalistic but not quite an aggressive mantis. Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis. The closest relatives of mantises are the termites and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are all within the superorder Dictyoptera. Mantises are sometimes confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea), other elongated insects such as grasshoppers (Orthoptera), or other unrelated insects with raptorial forelegs such as mantisflies (Mantispidae). Mantises are mostly ambush predators, but a few ground-dwelling species are found actively pursuing their prey. They normally live for about a year. In cooler climates, the adults lay eggs in autumn, then die. The eggs are protected by their hard capsules and hatch in the spring. Females sometimes practice sexual cannibalism, eating their mates after copulation. Over 2,400 species of mantis in about 430 genera are recognized. They are predominantly found in tropical regions, but some live in temperate areas. Mantises are generalist predators of arthropods. The majority of mantises are ambush predators that only feed upon live prey within their reach. They either camouflage themselves and remain stationary, waiting for prey to approach, or stalk their prey with slow, stealthy movements. Larger mantises sometimes eat smaller individuals of their own species, as well as small vertebrates such as lizards, frogs, and small birds. Most mantises stalk tempting prey if it strays close enough, and will go further when they are especially hungry. Once within reach, mantises strike rapidly to grasp the prey with their spiked raptorial forelegs. Some ground and bark species pursue their prey in a more active way. Mantises are preyed on by vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, and birds, and by invertebrates such as spiders, large species of hornets, and ants. Some hunting wasps, such as some species of Tachytes also paralyse some species of mantid to feed their young. Generally, mantises protect themselves by camouflage, most species being cryptically coloured to resemble foliage or other backgrounds, both to avoid predators and to better snare their prey. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenodera_australasiae
