This brown butterfly, B’lmrai, occurs in moist lowlands, from Cooroy to Landsborough on the Sunshine Coast. Research by Andrew Atkins.

Sunshine Coast localities of research for the Swordgrass Brown butterfly, Tisiphone abeona rawnsleyi, conducted by Andrew Atkins. Note: The coordinates listed are the nearest road-points to the Swordgrass colonies searched (visible to within a hundred metres). The elevation is listed in feet (ft).

LOCALITIES

A  Beerwah-Landsborough

    

      a. Landsborough –Mooloolah  South. S 26° 47’; E 152°58’ (132ft)

      b. SE Ewan Maddock Dam S. 26°47’; E 152° 59’ (130ft) 

      c. N.  Ewan Maddock Dam S. 26°46’; E 153°00’ (171ft.)

      d. SW Ewan Maddock Dam S. 26° 46’; E 152°58’ (171ft)

B. Glenview- Palmview- Sippy Downs

      a.’Daisies’ (Caloundra Interchange) S26° 45’; E153° 02’ (76 ft) 

      b. ‘Evergreen’ S 26° 45’; E 153°01’ (59ft)

      c. Glenview Reserve S 26°45’; E 153° 02’ (58ft)

      d.  Palmview Estate S 26° 44’; E 153° O2’ (59ft)

      e. Sippy Downs S 26° 43’; E 153° 02’ (85ft)

C. Tanawa- Ilkley- Chavallum

     a. Marroochy Botanic Gardens. S 26°43’; E 153° 01’ (167ft)

     b. Missing Link. S 26°44’; E 152° 59’ (130 ft)

c   Chevallum (old school) S 26°44; E 152° 59’ (77ft)

D. Mountain Creek

     a. Glenfields (south-west) S 26°42; E 153° 05’ (40ft)

E. Eudlo-Palmwoods

     a.  Eudlo Creek NP. S 26°42’; E 152° 57’ (94ft)

     b. Palmwoods Duck Pond S 26° 41’; E 152°57 (67ft)’

  • Palmwoods (SE) S 26° 41’; E 152° 58’ (72ft)

 F. Mapleton

  1. Swamp  (East) S 26° 37’; E 152°. 51’. (1211ft)
  2. Swamp (West) S 26°36’; E 152° 51’ (1212ft)

G. Rosemount

     a.  Nambour Rd (East) S 26°38’; E 153° 01’ (12ft)

H.  Yandina.

     a. Parklands NP. S 26°33’; E 162° 55’ (30ft)

     b. West Sports Ground.(Steggals Rd.) S 26°43’; E 152°56’ (33ft)

I. Cooroy

     a. Nth Noosa Botanic Gardens/Lake Macdonald   S 26°20’; E 152° 55’    (366ft)

J. Doonan (Wurst Road area)

    a. Noosa Valley Golf Course S 26° 26’; E 153°00’ (87ft)

    b. Wattlebird Drive S 26° 25’; E 153° 00’ (36ft)

    c. Livistona Ave. S 26°25’; E 153°92’ (46ft) & E 153 01 (77’)

K. Noosaville West

   a. Lake Entrance Blv. S 26°25’; E 153°02 (24ft)

   b. Wooroi Forest Track (Cooroy Rd) S 26° 23’; E 153° 00’  (73ft)

L. Tewantin-North

    a. Ringtail Creek area  S 26°18’: E 152°58’ (21ft)

    b. Tewantin NP 379 Eumundi-Noosa Rd (near Hollett Rd.) S 26°25’; E 15° 01’ (47ft)

M. Booreen Point

  1. Camping Ground  S  26° 16’; E 152°59’ (31ft)
  2. Boreen Forest   S 26°15’; E 151°58’ (29ft)

N. Mt. Coodoo-Mt. Wolvi

   a. Doggell Forest   S 26°12’; E 152° 55’ (336ft)

     

Note:  These records represent an average of five random visits at each locality during 2009 -2019 mostly during flight times but also between seasons (searching for immature stages and larval eats). The Swordgrass Brown (adults or juveniles and larval eats) was not found in the spring of 2019 at the listed areas Aad, Bbce, Cac, Da, Eabc, Fab, Ga, Hab, Ia, Jb and Mb., indicating a probable rapid decline or even absence at these localities.  The butterfly was only found in reasonable numbers (more than 12) at areas Ja, Ka and Fa. There was a general reduction of more than 50%. However some recovery is expected if the rainfall returns to the average of 1500mm- 2000mm. per annum.

Andrew F. Atkins, FRES. December, 2019..