Insects

Insects

Add a sighting Subscribe View significant View unverified

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.

Continue reading

Insects

Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes)
Beetles (Coleoptera)
Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera)
Cicadas (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea)
Cockroaches (Blattodea, several families)
Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata)
Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids (Orthoptera)
Leafhoppers & planthoppers (Hemiptera, several families)
Moths (Lepidoptera)
Praying mantises (Mantodea)
Primitive insects
Psyllids, lerps, aphids & whiteflies (Hemiptera, several families)
Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)
Scale insects & mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccoidea)
Stick insects (Phasmatodea)
True bugs (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)
True flies (Diptera)
Wasps (Hymenoptera, Apocrita)
Other insects
Lacewings (Neuroptera)
Unidentified Insect Galls

Featured sightings

Latest sightings

Moderators

MichaelMulvaney
DiBickers
mcosgrove
become a moderator

Announcements

Platform update
5 May 2025

Hello NatureMaprsAs we move into the cooler months and sighting counts begin to wind down our team has been working tirelessly to ensure our platform’s usability and performance. All merch has been po...

Continue reading

Improvements to data import tool (coming soon)

NatureMapr welcomes Edgar McNamara

Platform wide attribute changes

New Feature: Moderator Quick Responses!

Discussion

DiBickers wrote:
23 min ago
Same @kasiaaus… I can see both sides too (no answer, vs answer at higher level, vs potentially incorrect genus/species level which others use to compare their photos and have a snowball effect). When I assist in the entomology groups we always state our certainty, with a suggestion at genus or species, so I’ve followed suit on here not realising that when I do that it’s not going back to unverified (& iNaturalist works much the same). I thought a verified sighting would sit in the verified taxon, but the suggestion would also plonk it back into the unverified list (I didn’t realise it was one or the other). It’s a tricky one, I’m not new to identifications and have been doing it nearly 10yrs, but I am very green with the CNM processes. I feel it’s getting a bit too hard.
Agamerion (Genus)
donhe wrote:
6 hrs ago
White band too narrow for G. mesodesma ? Also no white spots on forewing hind-margin.
Unverified Concealer moth (Oecophoridae)
donhe wrote:
6 hrs ago
Tarachota hemicosmana not in BOLD. How about Lobesia xylistis ?
Olethreutinae (subfamily)
donhe wrote:
6 hrs ago
Why E. fervens ?
Entometa fervens
donhe wrote:
6 hrs ago
Grapholita molesta ?
Olethreutinae (subfamily)

Significant sightings

Recent activity

Hoplostega ochroma at Belconnen, ACT

Agrypnus sp. (genus) at Belconnen, ACT

Agamerion (Genus)

Coccinellidae (family) at Belconnen, ACT

Pterohelaeus striatopunctatus

Ctenochares bicolorus at Melba, ACT

Hoplostega ochroma at Belconnen, ACT

Sinpunctiptilia emissalis at Melba, ACT

Theseus modestus

Daerlac cephalotes

Species Richness Score (SRS)

Top contributors

Top moderators

816,049 sightings of 22,238 species from 13,994 members
CCA 3.0 | privacy
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.