Ptunarra brown butterfly surveys at Vale of Belvoir
Ptunarra brown butterfly surveys at the Vale of Belvoir are underway, with the butterflies halfway through their three week flying season. Surveys completed on Monday 21 March have supported previous findings of a large population of Oreixenica ptunarra, which are endemic to Tasmania and listed in Tasmanian legislation as vulnerable. This is the second year that surveys have been conducted at the Vale of Belvoir, with assistance from volunteers and financial support from Cradle Coast NRM. Researchers and volunteers walk slowly around permanent 10m wide transects, recording how many male and female ptunarra browns that they see, as well as other species of butterflies. This work is being undertaken as part of a greater study on ptunarra brown butterflies, including an assessment of the threats to this species, which include European wasps.
[Caption:"Ptunarra Brown Butterfly at the Vale of Belvoir. Photo: Denna Kingdom"]