Male Brush Footed Trapdoor
Location: Queensland Au
October 21, 2010 12:22 am
Hi Guys,
We have been having heaps of rain down here and it bought this stunning male Brush Footed Trapdoor (Idiommata iridescens) to my back verandah. I didn’t find out till I got an ID that it is highly venomous in the same sort of toxicity as our infamous Sydney Funnel Web.
Signature: aussietrev
Brush Footed Trapdoor Spider
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for sending us another excellent photo of an unusual Australian species. We had not heard of any highly venomous Trapdoor Spiders, so we decided to do a bit of internet sleuthing to find some information. Our first hit, the Find A Spider Guide for the Spiders of Southern Queensland, produced your very photograph. Not much else of any use turned up.
Flying nectar loving bugs
Location: Sydney, Australia
October 14, 2010 5:58 pm
Two that I photographed yesterday around a flowering bush in Sydney, Australia.
None of my friends can identify either of them and so far I’ve been unable to identify them on-line.
Signature: Mike Gordon
Possibly a Sawfly
Dear Mike,
We wish your photograph better illustrated the features of the antennae of your second insect, but we believe this may be some species of Sawfly. Sawflies are in the same insect order as wasps and bees, but they do not sting. There is one photograph on the Brisbane Insect website that looks quite similar to the individual in your photograph. We found another page on the Brisbane Insect website containing that photograph that identifies the insect as the Bramble Sawfly, Philomastix xanthophilus, though the head appears to be different from your individual, though that may be due to the blossom obscuring the details in your photograph. The Pergidae of the World website has a page on the genus Philomastix that contains this fascinating information: “Females of Philomastix spp. pierce the leaf from above and place the egg on the underside of the leaf (Macdonald & Ohmart 1993). All species of this genus exhibit maternal care. Females stand near their egg mass and young larvae or near the leaf petiole with the head directed to the stem and when disturbed they shake and create a buzzing sound with their wings (Macdonald & Ohmart 1993, Naumann & Groth 1998). This behaviour lasts until they die. Larvae feed during daylight hours (Macdonald & Ohmart 1993).“ More information on North American Sawflies can be found on BugGuide.
Ed. Note: Correction
October 22, 2010
New information contained in a newly submitted email with better images leads us to believe this is some species of March Fly in the family Bibionidae.
2
Flying nectar loving bugs
Location: Sydney, Australia
October 14, 2010 5:58 pm
Two that I photographed yesterday around a flowering bush in Sydney, Australia.
None of my friends can identify either of them and so far I’ve been unable to identify them on-line.
Signature: Mike Gordon
Common Hover Fly
Hi Mike,
For classification purposes in our own confusing archives, we like to have each species of insect identified on its own posting. The first image you have submitted to us we quickly identified on the Brisbane Insect website as the Common Hover Fly, Melangyna viridiceps, though in the photograph posted there, the wings are covering the abdomen of the insect and the markings are not as apparent. We followed the link provided to the Csiro website, and the photo provided there indicates a much more obvious match.
¶ Posted 15 October 2010 § Flies ‡ ° Also tagged: Goliath Stick Insect – short on legs
Location: Boodjamulla National Park, Queensland, Australia
October 13, 2010 7:06 am
Hi,
this is just to enjoy: attached a couple of pics of a beautiful Goliath Stick Insect, taken 19.04.2010 in Boodjamulla National Park, Queensland, Australia. It was huge – that is a large man’s large hand beside it – and seemed to be in good health even with two legs missing…
(i resized the pictures for uploading, if you would like the originals, just say the word)
Yours
Signature: St. Jules
Darwin Stick Insect
Dear St. Jules,
The Goliath Stick Insect, Eurycnema goliath, is an impressive creature, even if shy a few legs. More information on one of Australia’s largest Phasmids can be found on Oz Animals.
Correction
December 6, 2011
Thanks to a comment, we have been informed that this is a Darwin Stick Insect, Eurycnema osiris, and we found an illustration by Emily S. Samstra who does Science Illustration. Though FlickR is not necessarily a reliable source, we did find this information: “This phasmid (Eurycnema osiris) is extremely common in the Northern Territory and may be found in many domestic gardens. have been rearing this species very easily for quite some time now and have distributed it to many people in the PSG. It thrives on acacia, cypress pine, eucalyptus and guava. Body length: male 115-134 mm, female 170-221 mm. Coloration: Green in female with bold pink longitudinal band on mesonotum, greenish brown in male.” That would indicate that this image is a female and perhaps the pink stripe that is barely visible was the identifying feature.
French’s Longicorn
Location: Etty Bay, Far North Queensland, Australia
October 4, 2010 1:58 am
Thanks so much for your wonderful site. It has helped me to identify a friend that decided to visit our tent whilst we were on holiday at Etty Bay, Far North Queensland, Australia.
Signature: The O’Brien Family
French's Longicorn
Dear O’Brien Family,
We are thrilled to read that you were able to use our extensive archives to self-identify your French’s Longicorn, Batocera frenchi. We will once again cite the vintage postcard upon which it appears that also contains the data: “This is one of the finest Longicorn Beetles in Australia. It is found in the rain forests from northern New South Wales to north Queensland. It measures 2” or more in length and is found in certain native fig trees, in the branches and trunks of which its grubs feed. This beetle is a common species of the family Cerambycidae.“ It is also pictured on the Csiro Entomology website. Your male specimen sure has some impressive antennae.
Can you guess?
Location: Queensland, Australia
September 22, 2010 6:23 pm
Hi guys,
I took this shot this morning just outside my back door. There were several of these flying and hopping around. I know what it is but am seeing if you can guess. Only clue is, it’s not where you would expect to see one.
Signature: aussietrev
Backswimmer???
Hi Trevor,
We are guessing that this is a Backswimmer in the family Notonectidae. These aquatic insects can fly and they are attracted to lights. Here is a BugGuide image.
What the heck might this be
Location: Queensland. Au
September 18, 2010 12:11 am
Hi guys,
Thanks for the info on the lacewing nymph. Now to this one. It is only about 3mm body length, has antennae and legs like a moth but appears to only have two wings like a fly. Do you have any idea on what type of thing it may be?
The book is looking good, hope it sells really well.
Signature: aussietrev
Bathroom Fly
Hi Trevor,
This is a Bathroom Fly or Drain Fly, probably in the genus Clogmia in the Moth Fly family Psychodinae. According to BugGuide: “Adults often found around sewage installations, in public washrooms, and bathrooms in homes, and are attracted to light; larvae live in organic sludge that forms on inner surfaces of drains and sewage pipes; pupae occur on the surface of the organic film that the larvae have been living in.“
What’s this freaky thing?
Location: Queensland, Australia
September 13, 2010 10:16 pm
Hi guys,
Can you give me any idea on what this little critter is? Not the big dark bit that appears to be the remains of an ant head but the little shrimp like creature underneath that has attached it to its back like some sort of hermit crab. It also appears to have pincers similar to an ant lion. Is it possibly something along the lines of a lacewing nymph? It is minute, hardly visible under its load.
Help!
Signature: aussietrev
Lacewing Larva
Hi Trevor,
We haven’t begun to try to research your species on the Australian insect websites, but we are certain that this is the larva of a Lacewing, many of which carry about shelters constructed from the carcasses of their victims. Here is a link to some North American debris carrying Lacewing Larvae on BugGuide. The Brisbane Insect website has a page on Green Lacewings in the family Chrysopidae that includes a photo of a debris carrying Lacewing Larva. In North America, these larvae are sometimes called Aphid Wolves.
Lacewing Larva
I like This
