Tag Archives: Queensland

Turnix olivii Robinson

Buff-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix olivii)  

The Buff-breasted Buttonquail was described in 1900; it is, or maybe was, restricted to the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia.

The species reaches a size of 18 to 23 cm, as in all buttonquail species, the females are larger than the males.

The Buff-breasted Buttonquail was allegedly last seen in 2015; however, this sighting is unconfirmed; subsequent species-targeted surveys between 2018 and 2021 including things like camera trapping, call playback etc. did find all of the other Australian buttonquail species yet not this one.

The species’ population may have been affected by predation by introduced mammals, especially by feral cats, but buttonquails are also known to be highly vulnerable to climate changes due to their high climate change sensitivity and low adaptive capacity; thus it is very likely that this species is already extinct.

*********************

Depiction from: ‘Gregory M. Mathews: The Birds of Australia. London, Witherby & Co. 1910-1927’

(public domain) 

*********************

edited: 19.02.2024

Argynnis hyperbius ssp. inconstans (Butler)

Australian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius ssp. inconstans)

 

The Australian- or laced Fritillary was described in 1873, originally as a distinct species, but is now regarded as a subspecies of the Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius (L.)) (see photo). It is endemic to eastern Australia, where it is restricted to coastal areas of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The species inhabited damp areas where the host plants of its larvae, Banks’ Violet (Viola banksii K. R. Thiele & Prober) and the Arrow-leaved Violet (Viola betonicifolia Sm.), were found growing abundantly.

Most of the sites that this species was known to inhabit, have been destroyed due to human activities, thus the populations broke down and disappeared completely; the very last known specimen was finally caught on April 17th, 2001, the Australian Fritillary is now most likely totally extinct.

*********************

References:

[1] Trevor A. lambkin: Argynnis hyperbius inconsistans Butler, 1873 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae): a review of its collection history and biology. Australian Entomologist 44(4): 223-268. 2017

*********************

Indian Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius)

Photo: Shriram Bhakare
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/milind_bhakare

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

*********************

edited: 07.08.2022

Amphibromus whitei C. E. Hubb.

White’s Wallaby Grass (Amphibromus whitei)  

White’s Wallaby Grass is only known from the type material, that was collected in the year 1933 at the edge of a large fresh water swamp in an area named Maranoa in the south of Queensland.  

It is an about 20 to 35 cm tall grass.  

The species was never fund again, and is considered most likely extinct.  

*********************  

edited: 23.09.2017

Taudactylus acutirostris (Andersson)

Sharp-nosed Torrent Frog (Taudactylus acutirostris)

The Sharp-nosed Torrent Frog, also known as Sharp-snouted Day Frog, was described in 1916 and is resp. was endemic to the upland rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.

The species was locally abundant, but its population begun to decline rapidly in 1988 certainly due to the spread of the deadly chytridiomycosis fungal disease that killed and still kills amphibian species all over the world.

*********************

Depiction from: ‘Lars Gabriel Andersson: Results of Dr. E. Mjöbergs Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910-1913; IX Batrachians from Queensland. Kungl. Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar 52(9): 1-20.1916’

(public domain)

*********************

edited: 13.01.2019

Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum D. L. Jones

Blue Pool Fern (Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum)  

This species was described in 1998, it is known from a single plant that was found in the subtropical rainforest in the Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia.  

The species was characterized by small, 4 to 8 cm long, coriaceous fronds, narrowly winged stipes and short sori on the lateral veins.  

*********************  

edited: 12.01.2019

Oberonia attenuata Dockrill

Elongated Oberonia (Oberonia attenuata)  

The Elongated Oberonia comes from the southern part of the Cape Your Peninsula in northern Queensland, Australia, it allegedly also occurs (or occurred) in New Guinea, however. 

The species is considered extinct, the reasons therefor, however, appear to be unknown.

*********************  

edited: 21.06.2020

Persoonia prostrata R. Br.

Prostrate Persoonia (Persoonia prostrata)

The Prostrate Persoonia is, or maybe was, endemic to the northern tip of Fraser Island in Queensland, Australia, where it was found growing in sand dunes as well as in woods.

The species was described in 1810, it is known from only two collections and may in fact just be a prostrate form of another species, the Broad-leaved Persoonia (Persoonia stradbrokensis Domin) (see photo), which, however, is not known to grow on Fraser Island. [1]

The Prostrate Persoonia was a prostrate shrub with elliptic to spathulate, up to 5 cm long leaves.

The species is probably extinct.

*********************

References:

[1] Peter H. Weston; L. A. S. Johnson: Taxonomic changes in Persoonia (Proteaceae) in New South Wales. Telopea 4(2): 269-306. 1991

*********************

Broad-leaved Persoonia (Persoonia stradbrokensis)

Photo: C. T. Johansson

(under creative commons license (3.0))
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

*********************

edited: 09.11.2021

Paspalum batianoffii B. K. Simon

Batianoff’s Paspalum Grass (Paspalum batianoffii)  

Batianoff’s Paspalum Grass was described in 1992, it was collected in the Statue Bay, about 6,5 km southeast of the town of Yeppon in the Gladstone District (formerly Port Curtis District) in Queensland, Australia.

The species had 20 to 40 cm long, creeping stems. 

Batianoff’s Paspalum Grass inhabited a very narrow foredune with open wood land consisting of some common, widely distributed plant species, it was found growing directly above the flood mark, acting as a sand stabilizer. 

***

The species is apparently extinct today, however, the reasons for this appear to be unknown. 

*********************

edited: 19.06.2020

Conilurus capricornensis Cramb & Hocknull

Capricorn Rabbit Rat (Conilurus capricornensis)

The Capricorn Rabbit Rat was described in 2010 based on fossil and subfossil dental remains that were recovered from the deposits inside the Capricorn Cave in Queensland, Australia and that can be dated to Late Pleistocene- to Early Holocene age.

The species probably died out sometimes during the Early Holocene.

*********************

edited: 19.08.2022