Insects

Daintree Rainforest insects are as rich in diversity, primitiveness and endemism as every other Daintree class, phyla and kingdom.  The list (below) catalogues what has been established so far: 

Pterygota (winged insects)

Odonata (Dragonflies, etc)

Anisoptera

Giant Petaltail Dragonfly (Petalura intengissima)

Neoptera

Hemipteroids

Hemiptera

Auchenorrhyncha (cicadas & planthoppers)

Sternorrhyncha (aphids & mealybugs)

Heteroptera (true bugs)

Pentatomorpha (flat bugs, stink bugs, etc.,)

Pentamoidea

Cydnidae (burrowing bugs)

Pentatomidae (stink bugs)

Cimicomorpha (assasin bugs)

Reduviidae (assassin bugs, thread-legged bugs)

Emesinae

Thread-legged Assassin Bug

Stenopodainae

Assassin Bug (Oncocephalus sp.)

Endopterygota

Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions, etc)

Hemeribiidae

Lacewings

Coleoptera

Polyphaga (scarabs, weevils, ladybirds, fireflies, etc)

Scarabaeiformia (scarabs, stag beetles, dung beetles, etc)

Lucanidae (stag beetles)

Lucaninae

Prosopocoilus

Stag Beetle (Prosopocoilus terresensis)

Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles)

Cetoniinae (flower chafers)

Schizorhinini

Green Scarab Beetle (Ischiopsopha wallacei Thompson 1857)

Rutelinae (christmas beetles)

Elateroidea (fireflies, click beetles, soldier beetles, etc)

Lampyridae (fireflies)

Cucujiformia (weevils, longicorns, leaf beetles, etc)

Chrysomeloidea (leaf beetles, longhorn beetles, etc)

Cerambycidae Longicorns

Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles)

Chrysomelinae

Phyllochartini

Lamprolina

Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina jansoni)

Cucujoidea (flat bark beetles, lady beetles, sap beetles, etc)

Cerylonid Series (lady beetles, handsome fungus beetles, etc)

Coccinellidae (lady beetles)

Endomychidae (handsome fungus beetles)

Curculionoidea (Weevils)

Molytinae

Pissodini

Elephant Weevil (Orthorhinus cylindrirostris)

Anthribidae (fungus weevils)

Belidae (cycad weevils)

Brentidae (straight-snouted weevils)

Brenthid Weevil (Ithystenus hollandiae)

Tenebrionoidea (darkling beetles, blister beetles, etc)

Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles)

Amarygmini

Darkling Beetle (Amarygmus sp.)

Cyphaleus

Giant Darkling Beetle (Cyphaleus imperialis)

Pterohelaeus

Pie-dish Beetle (Pterohelaeus sp.)

Diptera (Flies)

Brachycera

Asilidae (robber flies)

Cyclorrhapha (circular-seamed flies)

Neriidae (banana stalk flies)

Banana-stalk Fly (Telostylinus lineolatus)

Hymenoptera (wasps, ants, bees & sawflies)

Apocrita

Aculeata

Apoidea (bees, digger wasps)

Apidae (carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, honey bees, etc)

Apinae (honey bees, orchid bees, stingless bees)

Apini (honey bees)

Meliponini (stingless bees)

Nomadinae (cuckoo bees)

Neon Cuckoo Bee (Thyreus nitidulus)

Xylocopinae (carpenter bees)

Vespoidea (Hornets, spider-wasps, ants, etc)

Formicidae (ants)

Formicinae (weaver ants, carpenter ants)

Oecophylla (weaver ants)

Green Tree or Weaver Ants (Oecophylla smaragdina)

Lepidoptera

Neolepidoptera

Ditrysia (most butterflies and moths)

Bombycoidea (hawk moths, emperor moths, etc)

Saturniidae (emperor moths)

Atlas or Hercules Moth (Coscinocera hercules)

Geometroidea

Geometridae

Geometrinae

Peacock Jewel or 4 O’Clock Moth (Dysphania numana)

Uraniidae (swallowtail moths)

Night Citrus Swallowtail Moth (Lyssa macleayi)

Zodiac Moth (Alcides metaurus)

Papilionoidea (true butterflies)

Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies)

Chequered Swallowtail (Papilio demoleus)

Orchard Swallowtail (Papilio aegeus)

Ulysses Butterfly (Papilio ulysses)

Hepialidae (ghost moths)

Embiidina (web-spinners)

Phasmatidae

Phasmatinae

Anchiale

Strong Stick Insect (Anchiale briareus)

Tropidoderinae

Extatosomatinae

Macleay’s Spectre (Extatosoma tiaratum)

Malandania

Beautiful Malanda Stick Insect (Malandania pulchra)

Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, etc)

Caelifera (shorthorned grasshoppers and locusts)

Acridoidea

Pyrgomorphidae

Pyrgomorphinae

Desmopterini

Large Forest Pyrgomorph (Desmoptera truncatipennis)

Acrididae

Cyrtacanthacridini (giant spur-throated grasshoppers and locusts)

Hedge Grasshopper (Valanga irregularis)

Ensifera (crickets, katydids, wetas)

Gryllacridoidea (monsters, raspy crickeets, king and forest crickets, etc)

Stenopelmatidae (King & Forest Crickets)

Henicinae (Forest Crickets)

Papuan Forest Cricket (Papuaistus flavocalceata)

Australian Forest Cricket (Penalva sp.)

Gryllacrididae (raspy crickets)

Gryllacridinae

Raspy Cricket (Chauliogryllacris sp.)

Xanthogryllacris punctipennis

Tettigonioids

Tettigoniidae (katydids, long-horned garsshoppers and bush-crickets)

Conocephalinae

Agraeciinae

(Austrosalomona_sp.)

Listroscelidinae (katydids that are unassigned to tribes)

Requenini

Jin’s Ginger Katydid (Xingbaoia karakara)

Phisidini (Delicate predatory katydids)

Chopard’s Spiny Katydid (Paraphisis chopardi)

Tettigoniinae (Shield-backed katydids)

Phaneropteridae

Mecopodinae (long-legged katydids)

Mecopodini (rainforest katydids)

Spiny-legged Rainforest Katydid (Phricta spinosa)

Sexavini (palm katydids)

Queensland Palm Katydid (Segestidea queenslandica)

Phyllophorinae (giant katydids)

Phyllophorella

Giant Queensland Katydid (Phyllophorella queenslandica)

Phaneropterinae (bush katydids)

Polichne sp.

Holochlorini

Leucopodoptera eumundii

Pseudophylliinae (false leaf katydids)

Phyllomimini

Leaf-mimicking Katydid (Acauloplacella queenslandica)

Simoderini

Chloracantha

Delicate False-leaf Katydid (Chloracantha lampra)

Mastigaphoides

Haffner’s Snub-nosed Katydid (Mastigaphoides haffneri)

Grylloidea (true crickets and allies)

Gryllidae

Eneopterinae

Eneopterini

New Guinea Rainforest Cricket (Cardiodactylus novaeguineaensis)

Dictyoptera (cocroaches, termites, mantids)

Blattaria (cockroaches)

Isoptera (termites)

Mantodea (mantids)