• myGriffith
    • Staff portal
    • Contact Us⌄
      • Future student enquiries 1800 677 728
      • Current student enquiries 1800 154 055
      • International enquiries +61 7 3735 6425
      • General enquiries 07 3735 7111
      • Online enquiries
      • Staff phonebook
    View Item 
    •   Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Journal articles
    • View Item
    • Home
    • Griffith Research Online
    • Journal articles
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

  • All of Griffith Research Online
    • Communities & Collections
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • This Collection
    • Authors
    • By Issue Date
    • Titles
  • Statistics

  • Most Popular Items
  • Statistics by Country
  • Most Popular Authors
  • Support

  • Contact us
  • FAQs
  • Admin login

  • Login
  • Predation on butterflies and other insects by breeding Rainbowbirds (Merops ornatus: Meropidae) in south-east Queensland

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    94166_1.pdf (16.96Mb)
    Author(s)
    Orr, Albert
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Orr, Albert G.
    Year published
    2013
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The diet of a family of Rainbowbirds (Merops ornatus Latham) nesting in the Currimundi Environmental Park, southern Queensland, was investigated over approximately four months. Three birds were involved, a breeding pair and a helper male. Insect prey was monitored photographically with 836 items being recorded. The recorded diet of the adults before hatching and that brought to the nestlings differed considerably, with Hymenoptera being the most important adult prey class for adults, both numerically and in terms of biomass. However, few honeybees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) were eaten by adults. Conversely, the most important ...
    View more >
    The diet of a family of Rainbowbirds (Merops ornatus Latham) nesting in the Currimundi Environmental Park, southern Queensland, was investigated over approximately four months. Three birds were involved, a breeding pair and a helper male. Insect prey was monitored photographically with 836 items being recorded. The recorded diet of the adults before hatching and that brought to the nestlings differed considerably, with Hymenoptera being the most important adult prey class for adults, both numerically and in terms of biomass. However, few honeybees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus) were eaten by adults. Conversely, the most important components of the nestling diet in terms of biomass were cicadas, dragonflies (Anisoptera) and various Diptera. Large numbers of honeybees were also brought to the nestlings during their later development, particularly by the female bird and these comprised almost all the Hymenoptera fed to the nestlings. Lepidoptera, chiefly butterflies of all families, formed a minor but conspicuous part of the diet, particularly of the adults. Relatively fewer were fed to the nestlings, possibly because of the abundance of cicadas and dragonflies in the foraging territory.
    View less >
    Journal Title
    Australian Entomologist
    Volume
    40
    Issue
    3
    Publisher URI
    http://www.esq.org.au/index.html
    Copyright Statement
    © The Author(s) 2013. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. For information about this journal please refer to the journal’s website or contact the author.
    Subject
    Zoology not elsewhere classified
    Zoology
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/60723
    Collection
    • Journal articles

    Footer

    Disclaimer

    • Privacy policy
    • Copyright matters
    • CRICOS Provider - 00233E
    • TEQSA: PRV12076

    Tagline

    • Gold Coast
    • Logan
    • Brisbane - Queensland, Australia
    First Peoples of Australia
    • Aboriginal
    • Torres Strait Islander