Adelaide bug list
This page provides a list of common invertebrates that can be seen around Adelaide. It is organised by seasons because different invertebrate species are abundant at different times of the year.
Summer
-
Giant Grey Wood Moth (Endoxyla affinis)
(previously known as Xyleutes lituratus) -
Bristle Flies (Rutilia spp.)
-
Red-eyed Cicada (Psaltoda moerens)
-
Blue Ant (Diamma bicolor)
-
Banded Bee (Amegilla sp.)
-
Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus spp.)
-
Crusader Bug (Mictis profana)
-
Tailed Emperor Butterfly (Polyura pyrrhus sempronius)
-
Robber-fly (various species)
-
Mud Wasp (Sceliphron laetum)
Autumn
-
Case-making Caterpillar (Clania ignobilis)
-
Vine Hawk Moth Caterpillar (Hippotion celerio)
-
Inch Ant (Myrmecia gulosa)
-
Tree Cricket (Gryllacrididae spp.)
-
Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa sp.)
-
Processionary Caterpillars (various species)
-
Giant Swift Moth (Trictena argentata)
-
Dingy Swallowtail (Papilio anactus)
-
Wanderer Butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus)
-
Pittosporum Bug (Pseudapines geminata)
Winter
-
Gum Snout-nosed Moth Caterpillar (Entometa fervens)
-
Cottony Cushion Scale (Icerya purchase)
-
Saw Wasp Caterpillars (Perga spp.)
-
Green Lacewings (Chrysopa spp.)
-
Red-shouldered Phasmid (Tropidoderus childreni)
-
Woolly Bear Caterpillar (Spilosoma glatignyi)
-
Leaf-eating Beetle (Paropsis spp.)
-
Granny Moth Caterpillar (Dasypodia selenophora)
-
Looper Caterpillars (various species)
-
Praying Mantids (various species)
Spring
-
Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri)
-
Cup Moth Caterpillar (Doratifera spp.)
-
Gum-leaf Skeletoniser (Uraba lugens)
-
Gum Moth Caterpillar (Antheraea helena)
-
Thrips (Thripidae spp.)
-
Rat-tailed Maggot (Eristalis tenax)
-
Honeybee Swarms (Apis mellifera)
-
Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Teia anartoides)
-
Winged Termites (various Isoptera species)
-
Grapevine Moth Caterpillar (Phalaenoides glycinae)
Information for this page was provided by the South Australian Museum
from their publication:
Morris, B. & Valero, J.M. (1993) When to see common Adelaide insects.
Click here for a pdf version of this factsheet