Insects


A guide to Australian insect families (from CSIRO) can be found at:
http://anic.ento.csiro.au/insectfamilies/

Daley, A. & Ellingsen, K., 2012. Insects of Tasmania: An online field guide

A useful introduction to Insects, visit:
http://australianmuseum.net.au/uploads/documents/9362/invertebrate_guide.pdf

A diagram of Insect morphology illustrating terminology with legend of body parts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_morphology#/media/File:Insect_anatomy_diagram.svg

A diagram of an insect illustrating terminology based on a worker ant, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaster_(insect_anatomy)#/media/File:Scheme_ant_worker_anatomy-en.svg

Photographing insects

There are two main ways to photograph insects with a camera: using a macro close-up lens or a zoom lens. If the insect tolerates your getting very close, then you can use the macro lens. For example, some moths will remain quite still when approached, believing they are camouflaged and invisible. However, many insects, especially those that can fly, will move away when you approach. This is especially true for insects like butterflies and dragonflies. So a good zoom lens is very useful for photographing many insects. If you are using a smartphone, then use a macro lens or a macro attachment. E.g. OlloClip for iPhone. If you want to have an insect identified to species then clear photographs are usually needed because minute parts of the anatomy may need to be checked. It is valuable to take several photos from various angles so that these anatomical details can be seen. Many insects are have particular plants that they feed on, and they can be identified more easily when the associated plant is known. So if the insect is resting or feeding on a plant, take note of what the plant is or ensure that a photo shows the plant clearly.

Announcements

1 hr ago

Hello everyone. Alison Milton has produced the June quarterly CNM newsletter. It has some interesting information about what the Nature Mappers have been doing and finding. We hope you enjoy the read....


Continue reading

Known issue affecting NatureMapr mobile app 6.3.0

NatureMapr Mobile App Update

Platform consolidation and impact to regional functionality

Improvements to Search

Discussion

PJH123 wrote:
Yesterday
It was originally, Xyleutes donovani

Trismelasmos donovani
RogerF wrote:
Yesterday
Known site

Urnisa guttulosa
ibaird wrote:
Yesterday
Both distribution maps indicate M. sarcolueca has somewhat of an Australia wide northerm distribution, but show no records from SE Australia. Until recently the stonghold of representation NatutreMapr has been predominently SE Australia, so personally, I'm not surprised such a distinctive moth has not showed up until now.

Macrobathra sarcoleuca
ibaird wrote:
Yesterday
Cryptophasa russata certainly apparently has a far north tropical distribution in Far north Queensland and the Northern Territory, but most seem to be darker coloured. A minority of C. rubescens shown on the ALA have a terminal darker outter edge to the forewing, and its distribution apparently includes far North Qld., but that may not be a sufficiunt basis.

Unverified Curved-horn moth (all Gelechioidea except Oecophoridae)
ibaird wrote:
Yesterday
The AFD accepts Trismelasmos donovani as a valad name but doesn't mention E. donovani in that entry. A search for E. donovani on AFD finds no entry.

Trismelasmos donovani
829,547 sightings of 22,846 species from 14,351 members
CCA 3.0 | privacy
NatureMapr is developed by at3am IT Pty Ltd and is proudly Australian made