A mass of flowering Leptospermum polygalifolium Johnson in Sydney's outer western suburbs.

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Here, I briefly describe some of the bupresting that can be done around Sydney on a month-by-month basis. One must have a vehicle (ideally a 4WD with air conditioning), long net poles, a good hat and lots of drinks.

Due to the vagaries of climate and probably other unknown factors which cause variations in numbers and species that emerge, no two seasons are ever the same. There have been fantastically brilliant seasons, great seasons, good seasons, okay seasons, seasons similar to seasons gone past, and generally lousy ones (though not without some good spots if one looks hard enough). However, I have found that in general, not always, one must have warm weather, with reasonably good falls of rain, and more warm sunny days to follow, preferably with some humidity and a gentle breeze. These conditions appear to help cause good emergences of Buprestidae. A lot can also depend on the flowering or otherwise of the host plants, and very often a certain host plant will be revisited time and again as it was so productive during one or more previous seasons.

I have been "bupresting" around Sydney since the Spring of 1978, and there have been two excellent buprest emergence periods, generally co-inciding with peaks in sun-spot activity (it has only recently been shown that sun-spot activity does indeed cause a general warming of earth's temperature. An article reported on this finding in New Scientist, so it must be true!). These warmer summers have been the best seasons for buprestidae, especially if co-inciding with just perhaps a little extra rain in the weeks prior to due date of emergence. The 1976-77 to 1980-1981 period was excellent, then the 1986-87 to 1993-1994 period was brilliant. Since then, the seasons have been generally declining or mediocre, and the season just finished, being the 1997-1998 season, was pretty much rock bottom in many areas that can sometimes be brilliant. Hopefully we are over the worst and the seasons will get better from now on.

During most seasons I travel around Sydney (naturally, as I live here!), and to continue recording data for a buprestid survey I began in c. 1980, some of it done under a National Parks permit. I often travel to parts further afield though, and I have gone bupresting through all the Australian States, though as always there are still some areas I'd like to get to sometime. Anyway, I'll relate that stuff about bupresting around Sydney now:

During July, its winter in Sydney, and one rug ups and thinks about where one might want to go in the coming months ahead. I have never recorded any emerged adult buprestidae around Sydney in July, its usually too cold with daily top temperatures of around 16 or 17 C or sometimes as low as, yuk, 14 C, which to us Aussies is bloody freezing! Its a good idea however, if the opportunity permits, to go out and carefully observe and record the budding and flowering stages of the buprestid adult host plants and of other plants as indicators. This is to try and determine if the coming season is early, on time, or late. You will need to know the flowering stage of your host plants as the season progress, as very often the species you want to find are only out for a very short period. If you miss the flowering of a known host plant then you will likely have to wait for at least another year. You must also note how much rain is falling. With too little rain, there are usually very few buprestid emergences.

After a patch of particularly cold weather usually in mid-August, and sometimes horribly windy, the days finally begin to become warmer during the latter half of August. Within a day or two of the nicest warm and windless days that come along, with a top temp of around 21 C, you can expect to find three or four species co-emerging: Cisseis acuducta Kirby, Melobasis cuprifera L & G, Ethon fissiceps Kirby, and Castiarina parallela White. The first three occur on the flowers of several Fabaceae plants e.g. Dillwynia, Pultenea spp., generally known as the "Egg & Bacon Peas", so-called as the flowers are a rich yellow (the egg) sometimes with red centres (the bacon). Interestingly, the first three species mentioned do not feed on the nectar of these flowers, instead they chew on the petals, as do the several species of Ethon that emerge soon after. Castiarina parallela White is highly opportunistic, and though still in very low numbers and very difficult to find, over the years I have found it on the flowers of plants as diverse as Leptospermum laevigatum, Micromyrtus spp., Epacris microphylla, Callytrix tetragona, and even the odd Grevillea spp. and Boronia ledifolia.

To left is a view of the habitat along part of the Heathcote Road, an area in Sydney's south that I have visited many times over the years. The pinkish flowers are of Calytrix tetragona, on which in the warmer spots you might find Castiarina parallela White and Castiarina decemmaculata Kirby. The habitat here is entirely unique but parts of the bush have been destroyed for housing and other purposes. Sometimes the area is burned (e.g. 1997), or the roadside is selectively cleared for fire prevention purposes, but if left alone it quickly regrows. It will otherwise senesce and become overgrown. I have recorded around 40 species of Buprestidae along this stretch here, but taking into account the whole length of the road that I have surveyed, I have recorded around 85 species.

Along the Heathcote Road there is a spot where every year one can reliably see Castiarina parallela having a particular preference for the flowers of Eriostemon australasiae, as it awaits the flowering of its next preferred host plant, Leptospermum parvifolium. The season in Sydney's northern suburbs and in the Hawkesbury River area to the north is a week or so earlier than the southern or western suburbs.Pultenea flexilis and other Fabaceae in that area often have good numbers of Ethon corpulentum and the odd Melobasis cuprifera on their flowers, and also if you are lucky, Melobasis cruentata var. gloriosa. There are usually found with lots of early-emerging native bees, wasps and small beetles, as well as the introduced Apis Honey Bee in droves. Castiarina watkinsi and Castiarina pertyi are always good finds.

The buprestid diversity is beginning to really pick up, and during the month more and more species can usually be found, but one or two of the early-emerging species have just about dissapeared for another year. The favourite adult host plant flowers to look on are Leptospermum attenuatum and Helichrysum diosmifolium, and sometimes Melaleuca linariifolia. Towards the end of the month one is also looking on the first of the Leptospermum polygalifolium to flower, which is easily the best of all the Leptospermum species to look on for buprestidae anywhere in New South Wales, and similarly the first flower bunches of Kunzea ambigua. As for largely non-nectar-feeding species, on the leaves of Allocasuarina littoralis, in certain years, one might find Astraeus crassus, Astraeus pygmeaus and Astraeus dilutipes. All species in Astraeus have elytra which fly open with such force that they can instantly "spring" out of range of a predator.

In spots, the small but attractive Castiarina livida Barker can typically be found on the freshest flowerheads of Helichrysum diosmifolium, which is a plant that capitilises on habitat disturbance as it is often growing vigourously where the bush has been burned or partially cleared.

Towards the end of October one might be lucky enough to find Castiarina burchelli on Melaleuca nodosa or more likely, the low purple-flowering Melaleuca thymifolium. In November Castiarina burchelli can be found on the flowers of Leptospermum polygalifolium, Melaleuca linariifolia and, occassionally, Angophora spp.

In the subtropical areas Acmena smithii can be quite brilliant for the range of buprestids that adorn its flowers, if you can reach them. One year, we hired a cherry-picker to get at them, and were therefore amongst those who found two brand new Castiarina species this way. In the Blue Mountains, a whole new ball game is starting to happen; due to altitude and habitat differences, one is chasing some of the most gorgeous buprestids around. Castiarina deyrollei comes immediately to mind, as well as Castiarina klugi, Castiarina semicincta, Castiarina erythromelas, and Castiarina variopicta. I am still awaiting another emergence of that huge-for-a-Cast Castiarina hoffmanseggi, which I last saw around here back in December 1981 or so!

The incredibly nice and big Chalcophorinid Pseudotaenia waterhousei has relatively recently been found within the Sydney Basin. I first found this species out near Grenfell in western New South Wales, then later in the Pilliga Scrub, then again even further out west. More recently I saw it again in the Hunter Valley where its known range has been newly extended to, and its occurence there helps support my assertion of the close ties the western part of Sydney has with areas further inland despite the barrier of the Blue Mountains.

Things have pretty well finished for most species on the Sydney Plains. One is generally escaping the hot and humid weather brought on by low pressure systems extending southwards from the tropics by going to the Blue Mountains and other high regions, or to north or south in the outermost regions of the Sydney Basin. Occassionally, mallee in parts of the higher Blue Mountains will flower prolifically and some of the nicest species can be found on its flowers. Also occassionally, late-flowering species of Leptospermum can produce a scarcity such as Castiarina bremei, Castiarina piliventris or Castiarina marginicollis, or, more likely, the highly active and irridescent Torresita cuprifera.

Nearly all flower-frequenting species have gone. In most seasons, so has the worst of the heat and humidity, but in some years (e.g. January-February 1998) it can continue to be hot and humid. Air conditioner salesmen get rich. One of the few late-emerging species is Castiarina tricolor, which can sometimes be found on the flowers of the late-flowering Bloodwood group of Eucalypts. Cisseis leucostricta is also a late-emerger, being found on Acacia decurrens. Though I have paid little attention to them, there are likely to be a host of other leaf-chewing buprestids that occur in this latter part of the season. These species relate to the "wet" season that the north of Australia experiences when many northerly species emerge, and which effects are occasionally felt in the south of the continent.