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:
19 min ago
Neuroptera, to my knowledge
- do not have spurs on their legs (shot2, 4)
- (except for dustywings - Coniopterygidae, which this is not) have translucent wings
- don't have square ended wings (shot1)
- have long 'neck' thorax with wings attached some distance from head
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?place_id=6744&taxon_id=48763&view=species

Psychidae (family) MATURE
WendyEM wrote:
1 hr ago
Zeuzera quieta
https://portal.boldsystems.org/bin/BOLD:AAO3534
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=1362695&place_id=6744&preferred_place_id=6744

Zeuzera quieta
1 hr ago
Possibly a Platybrachys species

Fulgoroidea (superfamily)
AlisonMilton wrote:
2 hrs ago
Thanks Jon. I wasn't sure as it wasn't flying

Australelis anthracina
AlisonMilton wrote:
2 hrs ago
Thanks Jon

Myrmecorhynchus emeryi
832,330 sightings of 22,919 species from 14,434 members
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