Flight of the Bogong moths in Australia

From September to November each year, the Bogong moths make their springtime mass migratory flight from the Darling Downs in Queensland, northern Australia, south to the Bogong Plains in Victoria. Right in their flight path is the Snowy Mountains and Canberra, the capital of Australia.

Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa), large and brown with a wingspan of 4 centimeters (1.5 inches), fly at night and rest during the day. They feed on the nectar of plants, especially grevilleas, and deliberately eat a lot in preparation for their long flight, just like runners load up with carbohydrates before a marathon. They add up to 60% of their body weight before they travel south-east. The flight is 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles) and many of them perish before they reach their destination.

They start their lives in Queensland as eggs in the soil. Caterpillars (called cutworms) emerge from the eggs and feed on plants and vegetables, such as cabbages, peas, and cauliflowers, growing up to 5 centimeters (2 inches) long. They pupate (change) into cocoons that are situated under leaves and the litter of plants for about a month before they emerge as moths. They fly south from September to November to escape the summer heat of tropical Queensland. From November to February, the summer months, they rest in the cool caves in the Victorian Alps. There they stay until autumn when the fly back to Queensland in March to mate and lay their eggs. After they lay their eggs, they die. The moths have a lifespan of one year.

During their migration, tens of millions of them cause quite a disturbance in cities as they cling to buildings, fly into air-conditioning ducts, and cover the ground and floors in people’s homes, looking like a brown carpet. There have been known to be about 17,000 moths per square metre and look like roof tiles.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog