flower beetles. Beetles and scoliid wasps all carried significant amounts of pollen. Other visitors such as flies and butterflies carried much lower amounts. The larvae of the jewel beetle species Astraeus crassus live in tunnels in dead and dying branches. Caterpillars which feed on Bursaria spinosa include Proselena annosana, two-ribbed arctiid (Palaeosia bicosta) and bark looper moth (Ectropis subtinctaria), while those of the clouded footman (Anestia ombrophanes) graze on algae and lichens which grow on the branches. The bright copper (Paralucia aurifera) and ant species Anonychomyrma nitidiceps form a complex symbiotic relationship on Bursaria spinosa. Butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves, and the caterpillars feed on the leaves before pupating in the soil at the foot of the plant. The ants excavate chambers in the soil where the caterpillars sleep and later pupate, and accompany the caterpillars when the latter are feeding. They are thought to feed on the caterpillars' secretions. Caterpillars of the fiery copper (Paralucia pyrodiscus) are likewise accompanied by ants of the genus Notoncus, and the third species, the endangered Bathurst copper (Paralucia spinifera), also breeds and feeds exclusively on the subspecies lasiophylla in Central New South Wales. Cattle and rabbits graze on young plants. Uses The drug aesculin, used in medical research and in the 1940s, as an ingredient in sunscreen, is harvested from the plant in the Sydney region. Although its thorns make it unpopular in cultivation, it can be useful as a deterrent barrier. It is can be grown from fresh seed or from cuttings and is hardy in most situations. Bursaria spinosa provides nectar for butterflies and a haven for small birds. References spinosa Pittosporaceae Plants described in 1797 Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Flora of South Australia Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (Australia) Drought-tolerant trees Trees of Australia Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles