Over the last few months I’ve come across some interesting creatures in my garden so thought I’d share a few with you.
Red Triangle Slug is an air-breathing land slug native to Eastern Australia. Although common, this is the one and only time I have spotted it in my garden.
Red Triangle Slug
Australian Grass Mantis egg case. Typically, they contain about 100 eggs. To date I have not seen any nymphs emerge from this casing but am hopeful I may be lucky one day.
Australian Grass Mantis Egg Case
After rain you may be lucky to come across some interesting garden fungi. This one is Phallus Multicolour, a true stinkhorn due to their ‘rotting meat’ smell. Flies and insects are attracted to the smell and rapidly remove all traces of it. They also spread the spores.
Phallus Multicolour
Lastly I couldn’t resist sharing this rather unusual mud wasp nest with you. Great creatures albeit rather annoying at times.
Mud Wasp Nest
For me, iNaturalist is very helpful in identifying the plants and animals around my garden, in fact you could say I’m hooked on using this very useful resource.
Each creature contributes to the unique ecosystem of our gardens. Observing their habits and interactions is a gentle reminder of the beauty and diversity that can be found just outside our back door.
It’s nice to share what we see in our gardens with others, so what are you waiting for UWG Members, we’d love to hear from you!
Keron Hilton