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The "Zara" exclosure (approximately 35°10'21''S, 144°41'59''E) is on a source-bordering dune on the Riverine Plain north of Deniliquin. The vegetation of this sandhill closely represents the original vegetation that once covered sandhills of the south-west Riverina prior to European occupation. Three vegetation communities comprising six associated Map Units were defined by cluster analysis within the 60 ha exclosure. These were the Callitris Mixed Woodland (Map Units 1, 2, 3, and 6), the Black Box Woodland (Map Unit 5) and the White-top Grassland (Map Unit 4). Seventy-seven taxa were recorded during the survey, and the vegetation was dominated by species from the families Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae. Three shrubs, the exotic weed Lycium ferocissimum and the natives Rhagodia spinescens and Enchylaena tomentosa occurred at more than 75% of sites. The distribution of vegetation communities was strongly associated with attributes of the soil (e.g. soil texture and organic carbon) and plant and litter cover. Vegetation communities occupying remnant sandhills such as the "Zara" exclosure are some of the most vulnerable communities on the Riverine Plain.
This checklist synthesises historic collections of Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) made during the summer months in the Cayman Islands in 1938 and 1975 with modern records drawn from a variety of sources. We report observations and collections made in all seasons of the year and provide natural history and larval food details. Four species, Phryxus caicus (Cramer) in all three islands, plus Isognathus rimosa (Grote), Enyo lugubris (Linnaeus), and Eumorpha satellitia (Linnaeus) in Grand Cayman only, are here reported as new records, for a total of 25 sphingid species occurring in the Cayman Islands. Seven species are new records for Grand Cayman, five are added for Little Cayman and two for Cayman Brac. Potential hawkmoth pollinators for the Cayman Islands endemic ghost orchid, Dendrophylax fawcettii Rolfe (Orchidaceae: Angraecinae) are reviewed and Cayman records of hawkmoths as prey of the big-eared bat Macrotus waterhousii minor Gundlach (Phyllostomidae) are discussed.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E57614B3-ED85-4910-98E3-65BB323863D