Family: RUTACEAE
The white doughwoods are flowering around the district now.Their flowers are very attractive to insects, and especially to beetles, as you can see from this lovely fiddler beetle, one of dozens which have been coming to my tree.
Plants which attract insects are a good choice for a wildlife-friendly garden, as not only do the insects provide “life” in themselves - but they bring in the birds which prey on them.
See January 2011 for more on this local shade tree.
great photo of the beetle!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great looking beetle, Judi - and quite common in certain areas around Toowoomba.
ReplyDeleteThe larvae live in rotting wood, usually in logs which are decaying on the ground, so need a bit of well-balanced environment to survive. It's a reminder that our gardens shouldn't be too tidy if we want native wildlife.
Cheers, Trish