Australian Insect Common Names Database

The Australian Insect Common Names Database includes insects in the
phylum of Arthropods, classes - Arachnida, Chilopoda, Collembola,
Diplopoda, Insecta, Malacostraca, and Symphyla.

This website database provides ready access to the correct scientific
name of every insect or related creature for which there is a common
(or vernacular) name in use in Australia. The site also enables the
user to discover the common name or names used in Australia for a
species for which the user knows only the scientific name. Species are
also listed in family groupings. An index of commonly used
abbreviations of authors' names has also been included. This index is
intended to assist in the interpretation of abbreviations which may be
encountered in entomological literature. It is recommended, however,
that in present-day usage authors' names be quoted in full to avoid
ambiguity.

While scientific nomenclature is governed by strict rules, vernacular
nomenclature is not. Inevitably there will be differences of opinion
over what constitutes an appropriate common name or over whether a
particular common name is or is not in wide use. In preparing the
lists which follow we have endeavoured to include common names which
are used in conversation and in the literature. We have also taken the
opportunity to weed out a few contrived or clumsy names which have
appeared in earlier editions of the Handbook but which seem not to be
in use. Few Aboriginal names have been included but we believe that
such names would enhance future versions of this website.

We have included the common names of Australian butterflies listed by
M. Braby in The Butterflies of Australia (2001), although with some
rationalisation.

The following conventions are used:

1. Where changes of scientific or common names have occurred since the
previous edition of the Handbook, the earlier names are listed and
cross referenced to entry's new name.

2. We have avoided hyphenation whenever possible, preferring such
fusions as 'stemborer', leafminer', 'stumptailed', 'blackheaded',
etc. Where a common name is taxonomically incorrect, e.g. 'whitefly'
(Hemiptera, not Diptera) and 'whitemoth' (Trichoptera, not
Lepidoptera) the two words comprising the name are fused. When the
common name is taxonomically correct, the words are used separately,
e.g. 'bed bug' and 'hawk moth'. Exceptions are made when usage over
many years has fused two words that would be separated if this
convention was strictly applied, e.g. blowfly, mealybug.

3. Where a common name is applied to more than one species, this is
indicated by bracketing the name, e.g. '(canegrub)'.

4. For each species there is an indication whether the organism is an
native, exotic or introduced as a biological control agent and that it
has been successfully established.

5. In the distribution maps, presence of the species in a State is
indicated by a shading of the entire State or Territory. This does not
imply that the species necessarily occurs throughout the State or
Territory in question. A large question mark superimposed on the map
of Australia indicates that the distribution of the species within
Australia is unknown to us.

Information was obtained from "http://www.ento.csiro.au/aicn/".