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.

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Discussion

ibaird wrote:
3 hrs ago
Hi JaneJane, thanks for your sighting. The media you provided is missing or unclear. To help us verify this sighting, please provide additional media.

Aglaopus pyrrhata
ibaird wrote:
3 hrs ago
Possibly Chezala conjunctella but the expected 2 dots not visible.
https://bold-au.hobern.net/taxon.php?taxid=160581
Chezala (genus)?

Unverified Curved-horn moth (all Gelechioidea except Oecophoridae)
ibaird wrote:
3 hrs ago
Yes, good suggestion, several O. rufobrunnea specimens a similar dot pattern. The difficulty here is the angle of the shots and the expected underlying mottled pattern is not obvious.

Oncopera rufobrunnea
WendyEM wrote:
3 hrs ago
I immediately thought Fraus but was not happy with any of the sp for matching the wing pattern. The specimens on Don's site do not have white spots like the above moth has. Also Kallies, A. et al in Moths of Victoria Part 6 CD p2/2 for that sp say it used to be found widely in eastern Victoria now mainly in the Alps above 1400m. Also if it is bigger than male Elhamma australasiae it way too big for any of the Fraus sp.
I have been considering Oncopera rufobrunnea
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=6744&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=892233

Oncopera rufobrunnea
KMcCue wrote:
3 hrs ago
Thanks Peter
This bee hardly stopped, I don't know how you got such good pictures of them in your book.

Leioproctus sp. (genus)
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