The CSIRO Entomology PhD program offers university students an opportunity to conduct research with leaders in science.

Sawflies, or spitfires, are not flies but relatives of wasps, and are noted for the large clumps that their larvae form on gum trees.

Accidentally imported from Europe, European wasps now disrupt outdoor recreational activities and threaten native insects in southern Australia.

Although spider wasps look alarming, and sometimes paralyse spiders much larger than themselves, they are not aggressive towards people.

White-tailed spiders are common in urban environments and are often found wandering houses at night in search of prey. Their bite has been implicated in tissue ulceration; however there has been little evidence to substantiate such claims.

Wolf spiders are found throughout Australia ranging in habitats from coastal forests to inland woodlands, shrublands and alpine areas.

Willow sawfly, first identified in Australia in 2005 and now well established in the ACT and surrounding areas (Queanbeyan, Braidwood and Cooma) of south east New South Wales (NSW), attacks both pest and amenity willows.

Mouse spiders are widely distributed across mainland Australia and are a type of trapdoor spider, although they are often mistaken for funnel-web spiders.

Mud wasps are large, solitary Australian insects that build nests of mud and provide live, paralysed prey for their larvae to feed on.

The redback spider is one of Australia’s most recognisable species due to the distinctive red stripe on the top of their abdomen.

Black flower wasps are large, solitary native wasps with iridescent blue wings. The females burrow into the soil to lay their eggs on beetle larvae. They are not pests.

Despite their name, blue ants are wingless female wasps, which run around searching for prey to paralyse as food for their larvae.

Carpet beetles are widely distributed across Australia and can be found inside homes and other buildings often causing damage by feeding on a variety of animal products including carpets, clothing, soft furnishings and taxidermy specimens.

Bogong moths have migrated from their breeding areas to the mountains every spring for thousands of years.

Cicadas live a secretive life underground for most of the year but emerge, sometimes suddenly and in great numbers during late spring and early summer to fill the air with their deafening drone.

Find out how the aptly named Christmas beetle knows just when to arrive and what impact they can have on the Australian environment.

Common paper wasp nests occur around the home hanging from eaves, pergolas or vegetation. Adult wasps will defend their nest and can sting repeatedly if threatened or when the nest is disturbed. 

Flies belong to the diverse order of insects known as Diptera and many species exhibit a range of interesting and beneficial behaviour.

Black Portuguese millipedes, which can appear in plague numbers, are an imported nuisance pest in southern areas of Australia.

Thrips are often little known by most people, but some species are considered major agricultural pests.

CSIRO research on scribbly gums describes the lifecycle of the moth responsible for the iconic patterns on Australian eucalypts.

CSIRO research on scribbly gums describes the lifecycle of the moth responsible for the iconic patterns on Australian eucalypts.

White-stemmed gum moths are one of the largest species of moth found in eastern Australia and while adults are rarely seen, caterpillars can be found wandering suburban gardens in search of a place to pupate.

Ants are found in all Australian States and Territories and they are an important part of our ecosystems. So far around 15 000 species and subspecies have been described world-wide.