These animals belong to the phylum Arthropoda (which includes crustaceans, insects and spiders). Insects include flies, cicadas, moths, earwigs, fleas, bugs, cockroaches, bees, dragonflies, termites. The study of the systematics and biology insects is called entomology.

Characteristics of insects

• Six jointed legs
• Skeleton outside the body
• Body divided into three parts
• Head has a pair of antennae
• Mouthparts are adapted for particular diets

Research

• Systematics and general biology of Flies (Diptera) of Australia and the Pacific.
• Sexual behaviour in Flies.
• Ecological studies of Flies in endangered habitats
• Insect morphology
• Rainforest biodiversity
• Taxonomy of Australian earwigs
• Systematics of the true bugs (Heteroptera)
• Systematics of Australian cicadas
• Systematics and biology of hawk moths (Sphingidae)
• Biological indicators of the health of freshwater streams.
• Environmental survey work.
• Supervising post-graduate research

Collections

The collection contains about 4 million specimens, including approximately 3,500 primary and 6,000 secondary types. The majority of specimens are Australian but there is a strong non-Australian representation for Psocoptera, Coleoptera, higher Diptera and butterflies. Notable collections include the World's largest holdings of Psocoptera (bark lice) and Australian Acalyptrate Diptera (flies), major collections of Neuroptera (antlions), Megaloptera (alderflies) and Coleoptera (beetles).

Further Information

Insects website

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