More than 4,000 bug-curious people from across Australia were inspired by staff from Invertebrates Australia and the Invasive Species Council to join the Bug Hunt during National Science Week events from 15–23 August 2026. 

From Science in the Scrub in Western Sydney Parklands to the Festival of Bright Ideas in Hobart and school visits in Townsville, the Bug Hunt team was out encouraging everyone to become a citizen scientist and upload photographs of insects, spiders, snails and worms into iNaturalist.

Australians added more than 22,000 bug records representing 3,700 species to iNaturalist during National Science Week. 

Every insect, spider, snail and worm photographed and uploaded will help build our understanding of Australia’s remarkable invertebrates, and could even help detect new invasive species before they spread.

Upload your own bug observations to iNaturalist, and join the Bug Hunt Australia iNaturalist project.