Hoverflies go by many other names, such as flower flies, syrphid flies, and drone flies. They make up the insect family Syrphidae and belong to the order Diptera (true flies). Hoverflies are an extremely common species; in total, there are about 2000 species of hoverflies worldwide of which 182 species have been recorded in Australia …
The elephant hawk moth (Deilephila elpenor) is a species in the family Sphingidae. Although it gets its common name from its size (and because the caterpillar looks like an elephant’s trunk), this moth is not the largest in terms of wingspan. A lepidopteran that is often called a sphinx moth due to its very unique …
The cinnabar moth (scientific name Tyria jacobaeae) is a moth in the family Eribidae and the genus Tyria. The moth is named for the red mineral cinnabar, whose pigment it bears on its wings that is similar to the ore of the metal Mercury. This pigment gives its name to this species of moth – …
The crane fly (tipula paludosa) is a large insect belonging to the Tipulidae family (which contains many families of parasitic insects) and order Diptera. They go by many different names, such as the shovel fly, mosquito hawks. More commonly in the UK, they go by the name daddy longlegs, which is also a term used …
Hailing from Argentina and Bolivia, the peacock butterfly (inachis io) is an iridescent jewel of nature. It is the only member of the genus known as Marpesia in the family Nymphalidae, and it’s easy to see why when you take a closer look. Often mistaken for a moth, the peacock butterfly has an opalescent green-blue colour …
