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

WendyEM wrote:
2 hrs ago
AnneliesePhillips, do you have a way to crop the second (both) image closer to the moth and add that to the record? I tried myself but hit an error. I can't see enough detail to ID this, Wendy

Neumichtis nigerrima
WendyEM wrote:
2 hrs ago
It appears to be a female ovipositing

Endoxyla encalypti
Mike wrote:
Yesterday
Dinner for the spider.

Calliphora sp. (genus)
chriselidie wrote:
Yesterday
Thanks KimberiRP!

Anomalomorpha anthracina
Yesterday
In the words of Paul Whitngton's sawfly guide within his Southern Forests website. "P. affinis and P. dorsalis can only
be reliably separated from then pattern and morphology of the hairs of the ovipositor valves. In P. affinis these hairs are very dense and fine with the tips of hairs not spooned, whereas in P. dorsalis there is a considerable distance between the hairs and the tips of hairs are spooned "

Perga sp. (genus)
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