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

MarkH wrote:
1 hr ago
It’s not a Melobasis Kimberi. See comment trail.

Buprestidae sp. (family)
KimberiRP wrote:
Yesterday
Good images Katarina, but unfortunately I can't place this one, even to family. Surely either Coccinelloidea or Cucujoidea, but these 2 superfamilies encompass 12 and 21 families respectively, and there are very few images online of the small species (which is most of them). I'll have to investigate in the ANIC.

Unverified Beetle (Coleoptera)
Frecko wrote:
Yesterday
Thanks, will bear that it mind

Unverified Termite (superfamily Termitoidea)
WendyEM wrote:
Yesterday
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=1291671&place_id=6744&preferred_place_id=6744

Unverified Insect
DonFletcher wrote:
Yesterday
Hi @Frecko these look to be all worker termites. For any hope of photo ID, soldiers are needed. Some people can ID workers, but I think you need dead ones and a microscope.

Unverified Termite (superfamily Termitoidea)
829,791 sightings of 22,852 species from 14,360 members
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