Desert Weevil

Found this good-sized weevil clinging to a shrub recently on a quick trip to the red centre. It was just on daybreak (cold!) near Uluru.

After having a couple of photos taken of it, the weevil decided it didn't like the camera, and opened its legs up and dropped into a spinifex clump below.

Edit 24-08-06: Martyn Robinson from the Australian Museum tells me this looks to him like a species of Leptopius, the so called 'Wattle Pigs'. Thanks Martyn.

Egyptian Beetle, Blaps polychresta

Here's an animal that I'm rather fond of. I've been keeping it for just over two years now, after it was given to me by a friend (they're long-lived - my friend has had them last about 4 years after collecting them as adults).

This exotic species occurs in southern Australia, where it occurs in semi-arid areas and is a trivial stored grain pest.

The old girl hasn't had companions for a while, but today I obtained a couple more individuals, hopefully I'll have success with raising offspring and expanding my colony. Oh, and by the way, these beetles are in the Tenebrionidae - the same family as the humble mealworm beetle.

Bleached Bone

Now for something completely different again, I suppose. This is a shot from the dunes down at Kurnell, of a small vertebra from some unfortunate animal. I like it for some reason.
















Okay, so I'll chuck in another dune photo too while I'm at it. Shame about the power-lines.