Insect species
Moderators
The following moderators provide local knowledge and expertise for Insects:
Overview
A book which we highly recommend is "Insects of South-eastern Australia" by Roger Farrow, which covers many local insect species.
A guide to Australian insect families (from CSIRO) can be found at:
http://anic.ento.csiro.au/insectfamilies/
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
Following is a list of the moderators for insects with their usernames and area of expertise:
Peter Abbot (PeterA) - Bees
Ian Baird (ibaird) - Moths
Michael Batley (michael.batley) - Bees
Ethan Beaver (ethanbeaver) - Case Moths
Suzi Bond (SuziBond) - Butterflies
Katarina Christenson (kasiaaus) - Moths
John Bromilow (jb2602) - most insects
Simone Clark (SimoneC) - Wasps
Dianne Clarke (DianneClarke) - Moths
Glenn Cocking (GlennCocking) - Moths
Chris Cohen (Myelaphus) - True Flies
Greg Daniels (GregD) - True Flies, a Robber Flies specialist
Roger Farrow (RogerF) - Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids, Other Insects, Unidentified Insect Galls
Matthew Frawley (MatthewFrawley) - Butterflies
Cristy Froehlich (Cristy1676) - Ants
Stuart Harris (Harrisi) - Jewel Beetles
Mark Hanlon (MarkH) - Jewel Beetles
Don Herbison-Evans (donhe) - Moths
Owen Holton (owenh) - Butterflies
Bronwyn King (Bron) - True Bugs & Moths
Hauke Koch (HaukeKoch) - Scarab Beetles (national)
Martin Lagerwey (martinl) - Leaf Beetles
Jon Lewis (JonLewis) - Ants
Sandra Lauer (Illilanga) - Cockroaches & Leafhoppers
James Lumbers (jgl) - True Flies
Michael Maconachie (maconachie) - Dragonflies & Damselflies
Korinne McDonnell (KorinneM) - Dragonflies & Damselflies
Alison Milton (AlisonMilton) - Ants, Beetles & Leafhoppers
Daniel Montes (Amata) - Wasps, Beetles
Harvey Perkins (HarveyPerkins) - Dragonflies & Damselflies
Lindsay Popple (lpopple) - Cicadas
Trevor Preston (trevorpreston) - Cockroaches, Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids
Kim Pullen (KimberiRP) - all insects, especially Beetles
David Rees (DPRees125) - Most Beetles
Sam Reid (samreid007) - Sawflies
Ella Shaw (Ella) - Beetles, True Bugs, Praying Mantiises, Stick Insects
Graeme Smith (GBS) - Silverfish
Allen Sundholm (entom2) - Jewel Beetles
Alice Wells (Alice) - Caddisflies
We are still in need of specialist moderators for a variety of insects. Enquiries are welcome.
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.
No species currently belong to this list.
-
Cosmopolitan (change?)
* designates formal legal status
- Severe weed or pest (change?)
Insects
- Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
- Bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes)
-
Beetles (Coleoptera)
- Click beetles (Elateridae)
- Darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae)
- Carab beetles (Carabidae)
- Jewel beetles (Buprestidae)
- Lady beetles (Coccinellidae)
- Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae)
- Longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae)
- Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae)
- Stag beetles (Lucanidae)
- Water beetles (several families)
- Weevils (Curculionoidea)
- Other beetles
- Checkered Beetles (Cleridae)
- Rove beetles (Staphylinidae)
- Butterflies (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera)
- Cicadas (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea)
- Cockroaches (Blattodea, several families)
- Dragonflies & Damselflies (Odonata)
- Grasshoppers, Crickets & Katydids (Orthoptera)
- Leafhoppers & planthoppers (Hemiptera, several families)
-
Moths (Lepidoptera)
- Anthelid moths (Anthelidae)
- Case moths (Psychidae)
- Concealer moths (Oecophoridae)
- Curved-horn moths (all Gelechioidea except Oecophoridae)
- Emperor moths (Saturniidae)
- Geometer moths (Geometridae)
- Hawk moths (Sphingidae)
- Noctuoid moths (except Arctiinae)
- Pyralid or Snout Moths (Pyralidae & Crambidae)
- Sun moths (Castniidae)
- Swift and Ghost moths (Hepialidae)
- Tiger moths (Arctiinae)
- Tortricid moths (Tortricidae)
- Wood moths (Cossidae)
- Other moths
- 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)
- Bee flies (Bombyliidae)
- Blow flies (Calliphoridae)
- Bristle Flies (Tachinidae)
- Crane flies, midges, mosquitoes & gnats (several families)
- Flower-loving flies (Apioceridae)
- Hover flies (Syrphidae)
- Long-legged Flies (Dolichopodidae)
- March or Horse flies (Tabanidae)
- Mydas flies (Mydidae)
- Pelecorhynchid flies (Pelecorhynchidae)
- Robber flies (Asilidae)
- Stiletto flies (Therevidae)
- Tangle-vein flies (Nemestrinidae)
- Other true flies
- Wasps (Hymenoptera, Apocrita)
-
Other insects
- Plant Lice (Psocodea, Pscoptera, several families)
- Caddisflies (Trichoptera)
- Dobsonflies & Alderflies (Megaloptera)
- Earwigs (Dermaptera)
- Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)
- Scorpionflies and Hangingflies (Mecoptera)
- Stoneflies (Plecoptera)
- Termites (superfamily Termitoidea)
- Thrips (Thysanoptera)
- Webspinners (Embioptera)
- Fleas (Siphonaptera)
- Lice (Psocodea, Phthiraptera, several families)
- Lacewings (Neuroptera)
- Unidentified Insect Galls
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