Are there bugs in your backyard? You could help people like Jess Ward-Jones learn more about our tiny but mighty neighbours. Photo: Hayden Starr.
Step outside and take a closer look at the secret world in your own backyard this week.
You might find you share your space with more creatures than you thought – myriad bugs.
The mini-beasts are the subject of Australia’s newest citizen-science project, Bug Hunt, held during the first-ever Bugs in My Backyard Week that runs until Sunday, 23 November.
Families, schools and all nature lovers are encouraged to photograph and record the tiny creatures that live alongside us, and upload their captures to the free iNaturalist app.
It can help scientists better understand the still-undiscovered biodiversity of Australia’s invertebrates, and help catch pests before they become a problem.
Invasive Species Council’s Citizen Science Coordinator Jess Ward-Jones said the world of bugs was one where there were plenty of discoveries still to be made.
“When we say ‘bugs’, we don’t just mean insects, we’re talking about all invertebrates, from beetles and butterflies to snails, spiders, millipedes and worms,” she said.
“About 70 per cent of our native invertebrates are undescribed by Western science.
“Our mini-beasts are the quiet workers of nature, pollinating plants, building soil and feeding our most iconic animals, but invasive species, land clearing, pollution and climate change put them under massive pressure.
“Right now, fire ants are marching through parts of Queensland and could spread across Australia, devastating wildlife, our way of life and costing our economy $2 billion per year if we don’t contain them.
“These invaders move fast and travel silently through pot plants, mulch or stormwater drains and by the time authorities detect them, it’s often too late.
“Every photo you take helps scientists understand and protect Australia’s incredible wildlife, and could even stop the next fire ant borer outbreak before it spreads.”
The first-ever Bugs in My Backyard Week will be supported by Australian Geographic with fun activities, special features and prizes to be won.
You can sign up right now at bughunt.org.au and start snapping straight away. Just take a clear photo and upload it through the free iNaturalist app.
There’s no need to touch or disturb what you find – a simple photo is all that is needed to help experts.
Invertebrates Australia’s Bug Hunt coordinator Alison Mellor said taking a closer look at our world helped us as much as the bugs.
“When we look closely, we discover how much life is right under our noses,” she said.
“A lovely Christmas beetle or bogong moth on our windowsill is just as fascinating and important as a koala or a kookaburra.
“We’re hoping Bug Hunt will inspire people to join the growing movement of folks learning to appreciate these tiny wonders, while in turn discovering the health benefits of connecting with the little critters around them.
“Australia’s native invertebrates are wonderful, sometimes bizarre and often brilliantly adapted to their environment.
“We have peacock spiders that dance, beetles that glow and snails found nowhere else on Earth.”
