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.

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

Latest sightings

Unidentified Cicada (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea) at Ghan, NT by Logrunners

Unidentified Stick insect (Phasmatodea) at Ghan, NT by Logrunners

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Discussion

lpopple wrote:

5 Jan 2025

Please change to a more representative location. This species does not occur in central Australia.

Unidentified Cicada (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea)

lpopple wrote:

5 Jan 2025

Can a more specific location be given? This species does not occur in central Australia

Unidentified Cicada (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea)

MichaelBedingfield wrote:

25 Nov 2024

Hello Brouhaha. I notice "defaulted to Lambert Centre" on a lot of your sightings. To correct the location, click on "Edit", then use the map and zoom into the correct location. Click on the correct spot. Regards.

Scutiphora pedicellata

AlisonMilton wrote:

20 Oct 2024

@atticus This is a shield bug, not a beetle.

Antestiopsis sp. (genus)

MatthewFrawley wrote:

27 May 2024

These guys have a big distribution @stellabellaxx here is one I saw on Mount Taylor: Comocrus behri (Mistletoe Day Moth)

Comocrus behri