Cache #23
THE CACHE IS NOT AT THE LISTED COORDINATES - YOU COULD REACH IT FROM THERE BUT THIS IS A STEEP CLIMB!
Nailcan Hill provides an opportunity for many butterflies to hilltop – where males establish a position at a high point and the females visit to mate before returning to the preferred food plant to lay their eggs. A couple of favoured hilltopping sites include near the chair at the top of “Hernia Hill” and the point marked in the cache details (the cache is about 500 metres from this spot). The interesting thing is that on the Baranduda Range that you can see just across the river there are a range of species that I have yet to find on Nailcan, and the further you go into Victoria (say Beechworth), the variety of species increases even more.
I have put photos that I have taken of many of these species in the Gallery. They are most common between September and April, but the odd individual can be found in the winter months. While I have listed the host plants for many species below, they often easier to find either at flowers where they feed. Butterflies are also surprisingly aggressive and they frequently chase rivals (and even different species that are bigger) from their territories.
To find the camouflaged 200ml Sistema container you will need to solve the following equation:
South - (K+2)° (M-L).(F×6)+(D×2)+G+L-1
East – (A+E+H)° (2×J)+1.(B×3)+(C×2)+(N×4)-1
Following advice that the numbers that are sought can be difficult to get exact I have added extra detail - the number in brackets is the sum of the digits involved - if 42 then (6) - I hope this makes it easier
Swallowtails
Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus) = A (13)
Also called the Dingy Swallowtail, this is a large bright butterfly that circles low above the ground and frequently settles on low shrubs with its wings spread. The caterpillars feed on a range of citrus species, and its range has expanded greatly with the planting of backyard fruit trees. The even larger Orchard Swallowtail (P. aegeus) also uses introduced citrus as a host, but is less frequently encountered in Albury.
Skippers
The only two species of skipper I have encountered on Nailcan are the Yellow Ochre (see GC7PQRP) and Green Grass-dart (Ocybadistes walkeri). The latter is a small species, commonly found in gardens in town, but rarely venturing to the hill. To see a wider range of this challenging family you do not need to venture far into Victoria, with at least 3 species easily found around Beechworth.
Whites
Spotted Jezebel (Delias aganippe) = B (7)
This species uses mistletoes and quandongs as its host plant, and is frequently seen soaring around the tallest trees on the hill. Other ‘whites’ that occur in the area include the Small Grass-yellow (Eurema smilax) whose numbers fluctuate annually, the Caper White (Belenois java) which does not breed locally, but sometimes arrives in huge number in spring, and the introduced Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) which is a common resident in the gardens in Albury, and probably the species most likely to be seen in mid-winter.
Nymphs
The nymphs include the familiar Monarch butterfly but there are a number of local breeding species.
Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) = C (7)
The Painted Lady is one of the most well-known European butterflies (and is found on all continents except South America) and this is the closely related Australian species. It probably breeds locally (on a variety of native daisies) but numbers can fluctuate annually based on breeding events inland – they even turn up occasionally in New Zealand after good years (and strong winds). This and the following species are some of the first to appear in spring and the last to be active in autumn.
Yellow Admiral (Vanessa itea) = D (5)
With its distinctive yellow wing flashes, this is not a common species on Nailcan Hill as it usually favours moister habitats where its preferred host (various nettles including the introduced Stinging Nettle) occur. In late autumn it can be found basking in open situations late in the day to catch the last of the sun’s warmth.
Meadow Argus (Junonia vilida) = E (4)
Another widespread species, this one frequently basks on the ground with its wings spread to expose the “Argus” eyes. It uses a wide range of native and introduced plants for its caterpillars and is a common species on the hill.
Tailed Emperor (Charaxes sempronius) = F (12)
This is the largest of the butterflies regularly encountered on the hill and is more often encountered in the mornings before it gets too hot. It frequently lands on the outer foliage in a “head-down” pose. They use a wide range of host plants (though usually peas), including a number of common garden plants.
Common Brown (Heteronympha merope) = G (11)
The female is much larger than the male, and looks very different. The males are present early in the season, and although the females hatch at the same time, they hide in the long grass (which is what the caterpillars feed on) and survive much longer, being one of the last species to disappear before winter.
Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura klugii) = H (12)
A smaller “brown”, this one is less frequent on Nailcan Hill, being most common in the summer months. Another species that uses native (and introduced) grasses including Poa species and Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra).
Blues
Another large family, these are some of the smaller butterflies that occur on the hill. I have also seen one of the Jalmenus Hairstreaks (Imperials are common at Baranduda across the river) and the Common Grass-blue (Zizina otis), another blue that uses a wide variety of pea species, is also a common species.
Fiery Jewel (Hypochrysops ignites) = J (8)
I was very pleased when I found this species to be quiet common last season – not only is it a beautiful species but it appears to be well outside its known distribution at Albury. I will be interested to see if I can find it next year (and hopefully I can get a better photo). This is a small species and was most regularly seen perched at the tops of Acacia and Eucalypt species, but I suspect it may have been laying its eggs one of Hibbertia species.
Broad-Margined Azure (Ogyris olane) = K (7)
This is the smaller of the two Azures on the hill - the other (the Southern Purple Azure O. genoveva) occurs at the same spots but is less common and is the largest blue present. Both species use mistletoes as hosts, and they are most frequently seen late in the afternoon on hot days where they spend long periods in aerial duels, but occasionally rest on dead sticks where they blend in with their surroundings (getting a photo of the upper wings is almost impossible).
Two-spotted Line-blue (Nacaduba biocellata) = L (8)
The smallest of the butterflies on the hill, this is also a species that spends a lot of time in the tops of the wattles over the summer months. It can be distinguished by the two “eye spots” on the hind wing, and its caterpillars feed on the flower buds of Acacia species.
Fringed Heath-blue (Neolucia agricola) = M (2)
This is probably the least commonly encountered species on the hill – I had a single individual in a territory for about 3 weeks last summer, though it may be more widespread as the pea it seems to be attracted to is quite common. Another small species it is much more common closer to the coast.
Long-tailed Pea-blue (Lampides boeticus) = N (7)
This is reputedly the most widely distributed butterfly in the world, and it occurs in small numbers at various high points on Nailcan Hill. Caterpillars feed on a wide range of native and introduce peas, and like many blues the caterpillars are attended by a number of species of ants. It is slightly bigger than the Common Grass-blue which is the common small butterfly that you might see flitting about your lawn.
The information to solve this puzzle is available on the web, though my searches revealed there isn't a single site that has every species (hence the difficulty). A good field guide (there are a couple) should have it solved relatively quickly. At GZ be aware of fast approaching muggles!
Wildlife of Albury Series
Albury and Wodonga have a great range of reserves within the urban areas. This means that there is still a large diversity of native animals still present not far from houses. This series will hopefully take you to some nice patches of bush north of the Murray River, and give some background on some of the species that you might see.
Nailcan Hill is the focus of most of the caches, and in patches this can be steep. The other sites should be a bit easier to access but all have the potential for snakes (I have seen a few on Nailcan, but the most likely site is Wonga Wetlands where there are lots of frogs for the black snakes to feed on). However, if you walk with care you shouldn’t have any problems.
Each of the initial caches will have a clue for the final (which is the only one at Wonga Wetlands). There are other caches around each of the locations, so for new cachers enjoy, for those that have been around awhile, another excuse to get out and about in Albury. I have suggested two parking spots, but you could start at a number of others on the hill (including Pemberton Street) which would take you past a number of other caches (including some in this series)
Enjoy!
FTF - Congratulations wackyweedos and TheClazzas