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

WendyEM wrote:
44 min ago
The closest I can see is Idaea pseliota
https://bold-au.hobern.net/specimens.php?taxid=363588

Unverified Geometer moth (Geometridae)
donhe wrote:
1 hr ago
Procometis hylonoma ?

Oecophoridae (family)
TimL wrote:
3 hrs ago
Thanks Peter. And thanks for the ID.

Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) sp. (genus & subgenus)
ibaird wrote:
4 hrs ago
I'm not sure this is M. melanomitra compared to the BOLD (Hobern) evidemce given the labial palps are different, there seems to be much more white at the base of the forewing here, and the first white band seems more oblique with ragged edges.

Macrobathra (genus)
PeterA wrote:
4 hrs ago
Great pictures, Tim - so tiny! Might be L. tridens or L. humei , but very difficult to identify.

Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) sp. (genus & subgenus)
809,103 sightings of 21,996 species from 13,757 members
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