Back of Beyond The NT

The Flood Revisited I

This years flooding of northern Australia and the Arnhem Land sandstone plateau is nothing new.

In the mid-Proterozoic, about 1 billion years ago, huge deposits of fluviatile sediments covered much of the region and now form the relatively flat-bedded sandstone plateaus which, with their escarpments, dominate the landscapes of Kakadu, the Kimberly and Cape York. These sandstones have all the expected features of shallow water deposition: cross-bedding, ripple marks, mud cracks and rain prints. The theory it seems is that these sands were deposited in vast river deltas which over time took many different courses over northern Australia.

Assassin Bug II Reduviidae sp. Close Up Sandstone Country

Assassin Bug II Reduviidae sp. Sandstone Country

Assassin Bug Reduviidae sp. Sandstone Country

Blue Argus Junonia orithya albicincta catepillar Feeding On Buchnera sp. Sandstone Country

Broadmouthed Fly Euprosopria inermis Sandstone Country

Buchnera sp. Sandstone Country

Cleome viscosa Sandstone Country

Clerodendrum floribundum In Flower Sandstone Country

Clerodendrum sp Budding Sandstone Country

Common Assassin Bug - Pristhesancus plagipennis 3rd Instar With Prey Sandstone Country

Common Assassin Bug - Pristhesancus plagipennis 4th Instar Sandstone Country

Common Assassin Bug - Pristhesancus plagipennis 4th Instar With Prey Sandstone Country

Common Assassin Bug - Pristhesancus plagipennis 5th Instar Sandstone Country

Common Crow Euploea core corinna Mating Sandstone Country

Cricket GRYLLIDAE sp. Sandstone Country

Cricket Salmanites taltantris Nymph Sandstone Country

Erebus terminitincta Adult Moth Sandstone Country

The Flood Revisited II

Erebus terminitincta Adult Moth Sandstone Country

Erebus terminitincta 1st Instar Sandstone Country

Erebus terminitincta Cocoon Sandstone Country

Erebus terminitincta Early Instar Sandstone Country

Erebus terminitincta Late Instar Sandstone Country

Flower Wasp TIPHIIDAE sp. Sandstone Country

Flower Wasp TIPHIIDAE sp. Covered In Pollen Sandstone Country

Fully Grown Stabilimentum only a small zig-zag remains Wheel Weaving Argiope sp Sandstone Country

Grevillea heliosperma Sandstone Country

Hibbertia dilatata Sandstone Country

Jumping Spider Hypoblemum sp. Sandstone Country

Leaf Beetle Chrysomelidae sp Sandstone Country

Leafroller TORTRICIDAE sp. Sandstone Country

Long-jawed or Four-jawed Orb Weavers Male Sandstone Country

Long-jawed Spider - Tetragnatha nitens Sandstone Country

Looper Moth Anisozyga aphrias Larva Feeding On Billy Goat Plum Terminalia ferdinandiana Sandstone Country

Lopper Moth Anisozyga aphrias Cocoon Sandstone Country

Lopper Moth Anisozyga aphrias Moth Sandstone Country

LYMANTRIIDAE sp Sandstone Country

Mecytha fasciata larva Sandstone Country

Mitrasacme connata Sandstone Country

Native Coachroach Ellipsidion sp., nymph on Gravillea dryandri Sandstone Country

Northern Dwarf Tree Frog Litoria bicolor Sandstone Country

Notodontidae Possible Cerura multipunctata Split Tail Cocoon - Thanks to Dave Nowak & Don Herbison-Evans for Help With Identification Sandstone Country

Notodontidae Possible Cerura multipunctata Split Tail Larva - Thanks to Dave Nowak & Don Herbison-Evans for Help With Identification Sandstone Country