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:
1 hr ago
It is till doing it today. Have you asked "management" or plant/monocot moderators bout this? Aira is a genus of grass (Poaceae) called Hairgrass. ALA does not list Dura as a synonym for Aira as far as I can see. There are however a couple of moncots that have dura as a species - Sclerochloa dura (Hardgrass) is introduced grass found in Australia used for turf also - Lomandra multiflora subsp. dura - Stiff Iron-grass whose natural S.A. community is critically endangered.
OR this has nothing to do with it.

Unverified Noctuoid moth (except Arctiinae)
WendyEM wrote:
1 hr ago
Yes a very good match incl. striped antennae & legs. There are slight variations in spot sizes. Yellow from biggest spot does not seem to continue along the inner margin to the wing base in the live specimen but it may be the way it is holding/rolling its wings obscuring this.

Limnaecia (genus)
WendyEM wrote:
2 hrs ago
https://bold-au.hobern.net/specimens.php?taxid=20282

Theretra latreillii
PJH123 wrote:
3 hrs ago
@ibaird Certainly close, the problem I had with most of the Limnaecia was the apical joints of the palps being black. In this regard ANIC14 matches my specimen in having an “orange” colour throughout.

Limnaecia (genus)
ibaird wrote:
Yesterday
https://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/sphi/latreillii.html

Theretra latreillii
829,370 sightings of 22,828 species from 14,342 members
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