| Thanks to everyone who helped create the first springtime snapshot of bugs across Australia! Over 40,000 observations of insects, spiders, snails and worms were submitted from 17 – 23 November by more than 4,800 iNaturalist users. |
Special shout out to the sixty-two bug hunters who recorded 100 or more bug observations across the week, and to the new users of iNaturalist who submitted their first observations.
Congratulations to Dianne Clark who recorded the most species during the week (270!) and will be receiving one of the Bugs In My Backyard Week prizes. We have contacted the five winners of the random prize draws through iNaturalist, and the winner of the most geographically remote record was taken in Tanami, Western Australia. Many stunning images are being reviewed for the most epic / beautiful photo prize – stay tuned!
We received records all across the continent, from Broome, to Hobart, and Norfolk Island.
Topping the charts as the most commonly observed species during the week, with almost 300 observations, was the Lesser Grass Blue Butterfly (Zizina otis) and Common Grass Blue (Zizina otis ssp. labradus).
Caption: Snapshot of the most commonly observed species during Bugs In My Backyard Week. Source – iNaturalist.
You can peruse records from the week here.
Moths and butterflies in the spotlight
Did you hear in our Bug Hunt webinar that moths were the most commonly recorded invertebrate Matt Holden observed amongst the 1,150 species found on a suburban block in Brisbane over a year?
Bugs In My Backyard Week saw more than 9,000 observations of more than 1,400 species of moths and butterflies (insects in the order lepidoptera).
Caption: This photo by Dianne Clark of a stunning Geometer Moth (Chlorocoma stereota) was one of many moths observed by Dianne, who recorded the most species during Bugs In My Backyard Week.
We were delighted to see dozens of observations of Bogong Moths from SA, VIC, WA and NSW. These moths have profound cultural, ecological and economic importance, and are amongst almost 1,000 invertebrates listed as threatened in Australia.
Caption: A Bongong Moth recorded by Terry Savidis during Bugs In My Backyard Week.
Encouragingly, an observation was made in Victoria of the endangered Eltham Copper Butterfly (Paralucia pyrodiscus ssp. Lucida).
We were pleased to not have any records of the Spongy Moth (Lymantria dispar). Originally from Europe, Asia, and North Africa, they are a highly destructive defoliator capable of stripping entire forests and urban trees. If they established in Australia, they could threaten native bushland, agriculture and urban greenery through repeated large-scale defoliation and population outbreaks.
Beetles in the limelight
More than 6,000 records of more than 800 species of beetles were recorded from 17 – 23 November. In the top 15 species most commonly recorded, four species were ladybird beetles.
Caption: Some highlights include this beautiful image of a Golden Stag Beetle (Lamprima aurata) taken in the ACT by Claudia Schipp. This particular specimen is a male, which uses its large mandibles (mouth parts) to wrestle with other males.
We were also thrilled to see almost 300 records of 14 species of Christmas Beetles during Bugs In My Backyard Week. Please keep submitting your beetle records – and all your bug observations over summer!
Caption: A stunning Christmas Beetle called the Granny Smith Beetle (Anoplognathus prasinus), photographed by kevin-jackson during Bugs In My Backyard Week.
How do your sightings in iNaturalist help?
Each photo added to iNaturalist contributes to vital knowledge – helping protect lesser-known but critical species and detect invasive species before they spread.
Records from iNaturalist feed into the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA), the most comprehensive dataset of Australian biodiversity. The recent ALA webinar on How biosecurity data are protecting Australia’s ecosystems highlighted how iNaturalist records are being used for early detection of high-risk pests. Dive into the article iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research to further explore how scientists around the globe use this data.
Keep bug hunting and follow us on socials
Though Bugs In My Backyard Week has wrapped up, the Bug Hunt project runs all year round.
Keep submitting your observations through iNaturalist and join the Bug Hunt Australia project for project updates.
Follow Invertebrates Australia on Instagram and Facebook, and the Invasive Species Council on Instagram and Facebook. You can also sign up for Invasive Species Council e-news and Invertebrates Australia e-news.
Fire Ant feature
Red imported Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) are small, aggressive reddish-brown ants that form large colonies and swarm rapidly, delivering painful stings that threaten people’s health, pets, livestock, wildlife, and ecosystems. First detected in Brisbane in 2001, they have established across parts of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Experts warn they could potentially spread across 95% of Australia, causing serious economic impacts by damaging crops, infrastructure, and property. Australia’s eradication program relies on surveillance, movement controls, and targeted treatment. Everyone can help: watch for fire ants and report any sightings immediately.
Got a buzzing question?
We’re here to jump on it! Please visit our website for frequently asked questions or email us at [email protected].
Happy bug hunting,
The Bug Hunt Team