Southbank

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Insect identifier

Bee or wasp

  • Adult winged
  • Two pairs of wings often hooked together; membranous (transparent)
  • Narrow waist (start to abdomen)
A Blue-banded bee, Amegilla sp. These bees are solitary, meaning each female constructs her own nest, a burrow in the soil. However, they are often communal, with many females digging burrows in the same area. Scolia soror
Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla sp) Flower wasp (Scolia soror)

Ant

  • Adult wingless (usually)
  • Narrow waist; long bent antennae
  • Live in complex nests
Giant Bulldog Ant (Myrmecia brevinoda) Green-head Ant (Rhytidoponera metallica)

Fly or mosquito

One pair of forewings; hind wings reduced to knobs; membranous (transparent)

Longlegged flies Dengue mosquito
Longlegged flies (Austrosciapus connexus) Dengue mosquito (Aedes aegypti)

Butterfly or moth

  • Two pairs of wings; covered in scales
  • Coiled mouthparts
Wanderer Bag-shelter Moth
Wanderer (Danaus plexippus) Bag-shelter Moth (Ochrogaster lunifer)

Cockroach

  • Flat body top to bottom
  • Two pairs of wings (adults may have no wings)
  • Forewings partly hardened; hind wings not
Barred Cockroach American Cockroach
Barred Cockroach (Cosmozosteria sp.) American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Beetle

  • Forewings form hard cover over hind wings
  • Two pairs of wings
Jewel beetle Rhinoceros beetle
Jewel beetle (Thermognatha carpentaria) Rhinoceros beetle (Xylotrupes gideon)

Bug

  • Two pairs of wings
  • Forewings partly hardened
  • Tube mouthparts (for sucking)
Assassin Bug Mallotus Harlequin Bug
Assassin Bug (Mallotus Gminatus wallengreni) Harlequin Bug (Cantao parentum)

Grasshopper or cricket

  • Two pairs of wings
  • Forewings partly hardened
  • Enlarged hind legs for jumping
Hedge Grasshopper King Cricket
Hedge Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) King Cricket (Penalva sp.)

Queensland Museum's Find out about... is proudly supported by the Thyne Reid Foundation and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation.

Museum information:

  • Corner of Grey & Melbourne Streets, South Bank, South Brisbane
  • 9:30am to 5:00pm daily Public Holiday Opening Hours
  • Phone: +61 (0)7 3840 7555