Australian Insect Common Names Database

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 "ento.csiro.au/aicn/".