Pansy
Pansies are closely related to Violas and belong in fact the same genus. Distinguished by their velvety black or dark coloured markings, they come in many colours and colour combinations. They are actually biennials but are treated as ... [... more]
Janine's Garden |
Brown Boronia
Boronias were named after the Italian botanist Francesco Borone (1769-94). They have a wonderful perfume reminiscent of lemons, which is not surprising when you consider that they belong to the Rutaceae, along with their relatives the ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Mouse Spiders
Eastern Mouse Spiders are found in east coastal and highland regions of Australia. The common name of the Mouse Spider is derived from the mistaken belief that this spider excavates a deep mouse-like burrow. Mouse Spiders belong to the family ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Gordian Worms
Gordian worms belong to a small phylum, the Nematomorpha, a name that means 'form of a thread'. Their habit of writhing and contorting themselves into knots, with one or more worms tangled together, accounts for their common name, 'Gordian' Worm. ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Common Fossils of the Sydney Basin
The sediments of the Sydney Basin belong largely to two geological periods; the Permian, 300-250 million years ago, and the Triassic, 250-205 million years ago. The Sydney region, extending from Wollongong to Newcastle and Lithgow, is part of a ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Bogong Moths
Bogong Moths belong to the Family Noctuidae and are well known in south-eastern Australia for their mass migration in spring. In some years, they have descended upon cities such as Sydney and Canberra in their thousands, causing disruption around ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Ctenotus - Australian Lizards
The largest group of lizards in Australia belong to the genus Ctenotus. There are nearly 100 species in this genus. They are found throughout much of Australia, but are most diverse in the desert regions and tropical woodlands of Australia's ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Spiders that mimic ants
Several groups of spiders have evolved to look and behave like various species of ants. This is known as mimicry. There are also spiders that mimic other insects such as flies and wasps. Most spider mimics belong to a few families of Hunting ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Wanderer or Monarch Butterfly
Wanderer Butterflies belong to the Family Nymphalidae in the sub-family Danainae. The Wanderer or Monarch Butterfly is well-known in North America for its massive and wide-ranging migrations. In Australia, the species also makes limited migratory ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Redback Spider
Redback Spiders are found throughout Australia. They are common in disturbed and urban areas. Redback Spiders are found throughout Australia. They are common in disturbed and urban areas. They belong to the Family Theridiidae, which is found ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Earthworms
Earthworms belong to a large phylum, the Annelida, or segmented worms. They belong to the Class Oligochaeta. This name means 'few bristles' and refers to the few bristles, or setae, on each body segment compared with the many setae of marine ... [... more]
Australian Museum |
Brown Boronia - Plant of the Week
Don regards our Plant of the Week as a serious contender for the title of 'World's Best Perfumed Plant'. Brown boronias have wonderful, lemon-scented flowers, which is not surprising when you consider that they belong to the same plant family as ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
