Insects

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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

Featured sightings

Anthela phoenicias at Cunnamulla, QLD - 30 Aug 2010 by Harrisi

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Discussion

Halina wrote:

just now

Thank you @WendyEM, @ibaird and @donhe 🙏 It's great to put a name to such a beautiful caterpillar.

Anthelidae (family)

WendyEM wrote:

9 min ago

see https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/261958961

Hypeninae sp. (3) (MoV Part8) (Erebidae (Hypeninae))

WendyEM wrote:

16 min ago

excellent record. Keep your eyes peeled for more. At the time of publication of Moths of Vctoria Part 8 in 2017 only 6 specimens had been found in the ANIC, Museum Victoria and several private collections.

Hypeninae sp. (3) (MoV Part8) (Erebidae (Hypeninae))

RogerF wrote:

29 min ago

A male

Coptaspis brevipennis

LyndalT wrote:

2 hrs ago

Well done Hejor1

Gracillariidae undecribed species