Diuris chryseopsis

1 Golden Moth at Kenny, ACT

Diuris chryseopsis at Kenny, ACT - 23 Sep 2015
Diuris chryseopsis at Kenny, ACT - 23 Sep 2015
Diuris chryseopsis at Kenny, ACT - 23 Sep 2015
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Identification history

Diuris chryseopsis 23 Sep 2015 TonyWood
Diuris chryseopsis 23 Sep 2015 JasonC

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Significant sighting

AaronClausen noted:

23 Sep 2015

Only known occurrence of this species on Mount Majura. Potentially only a couple of plants may exist including another single plant in the same vicinity reported by Tony Wood in 2014.

8 comments

AaronClausen wrote:
   24 Sep 2015
Hi Jason, was this the only plant or did you see others? Tony found one last year at Mount Majura, but upon later visits it kind of went weird and looked like a weird Diuris hybrid. So I was super keen to check back this year at Mt Majura to try to find a pure/100% Golden Moth orchid. Great find...
TonyWood wrote:
   24 Sep 2015
It certainly looks like D. chryseopsis, although not fully open.
AaronClausen wrote:
   28 Sep 2015
Ok I've been searching again today for the "Majura Golden Myth" and I can't find it. I could be blind or it may have been munched already by a roo. But interestingly, I just checked Tony's unrelated sighting (http://canberranaturemap.org/Community/Sightings/Details/24259) from last year and you wouldn't read about it, but it was recorded almost spot on at the exact same spot as Jason's sighting. They are literally about 5m apart maximum. So there MUST be Golden Moths at this spot.
waltraud wrote:
   29 Sep 2015
Aaron if you can't find the Golden Moth chances are it has been grazed as we found in other orchid species as well as many forbs, grasses, Indigofera, Silverwattle ..... Mt Majura's northwest slope in particular is hammered by kangaroos. The rural land manager abutting nature reserve in the north implemented a roo fence to protect the farm pasture - this as well as the roo fence on the east to protect car drivers on Majura highway created a captive and increasing population of Eastern Grey Kangaroo. We can't win! We loose diversity in an ever faster way no matter how hard we work. How very depressing!
AaronClausen wrote:
   29 Sep 2015
I think so Waltraud, I see lots of roos around that side all the time, yes. Or I could still just be blind! But, considering now we've had 2 reports of this single plant in the exact same location, it might be worth seriously putting a small mesh cage around it just to give it a chance to pollinate and re-seed properly in the hope that it may spread more plants... What do you think? It would be a shame to see a single known plant wiped out completely etc.
AaronClausen wrote:
   26 Sep 2016
Hi Jason, a group of us went back to this point today to try to find your golden moth Orchid but we think the GPS coordinates may be off as the photo looks a bit different to the actual area where the GPS takes us to. Do you think you could remember how to find it again if you went back to Majura? Cheers Aaron.
JasonC wrote:
   26 Sep 2016
Broadly - walk up the trail off the Hwy about 60-80 m then it's in on the right 20-30 m - put a circle around that and it might be close!?!! Amongst a patches of wattle regen....
AaronClausen wrote:
   26 Sep 2016
Hmm I think that's exactly where we were looking. To no avail again this year!!! They should well and truly have greeted by now, yeah?

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 1 - 3 Abundance
  • 23 Sep 2015 04:39 PM Recorded on
  • JasonC Recorded by

Species information

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  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
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