Mayor Rattenbury is letting us know about the work he’s been doing on Golden Sun Moth preservation and the Majura Parkway:
Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, today joined ecologists from the University of Canberra (UC) and SMEC Australia Pty Ltd to translocate Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana) larvae, from the Majura Parkway alignment, as part of a joint research project.
The ACT Government has provided over $50,000 to support continuing research on the translocation potential of the Golden Sun Moth by UC.
“This is ground breaking research and a beneficial partnership between Government and the University.
If the project is successful it can help protect Golden Sun Moth populations that are threatened by development,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“The Golden Sun Moth is a critically endangered species and an important part of the ACT’s and Australia’s biodiversity. It is a day-flying moth whose larvae live in soil for several years and feed on the roots of perennial grass species.
“This project saw over 500 Golden Sun Moth Larvae collected from the Majura Parkway alignment and other project sites in the ACT.
“They were raised in a controlled environment at the University of Canberra and are now ready to be translocated to a suitable habitat close to the National Arboretum Canberra.”Dr Bill Sea, postdoctoral fellow from the University of Canberra’s Institute for Applied Ecology, said that translocation is a key tool in the conservation of threatened species.
For such a rare and threatened species they do seem to turn up pretty much anytime anyone does an environmental assessment of grasslands.
[Pictured: Shane Rattenbury and Sun Moth Larvae]
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