Meet the contenders for the 2026 Australian Insect of the Year
Cast your vote for the 2026 Australian Insect of the Year until the end of October. The winner will be announced on November 9, coinciding with the start of Australian Pollinator Week.
Australia's favourite insect is set to be crowned, with six finalists vying for the top spot in this year's Australian Insect of the Year competition. The contenders, selected by experts, include a pair of butterflies, a couple of beetles, a glow-worm, and a fly with eyes on stalks.
The Australian Insect of the Year is an annual online poll run in partnership with insect conservation organisations. This year's top six were nominated by the CSIRO, Invertebrates Australia, Australian Entomological Society, Zoos Victoria, Gardening Australia magazine, and A Naturalist's Guide to the Insects of Australia.
The Finalists:
- Gold Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus aureus)
- Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly (Ogyris subterrestris)
- Orchard swallowtail butterfly (Papilio aegeus)
- Otway glow-worm (Arachnocampa otwayensis)
- Stalk-eyed signal fly (Achias australis)
- Tortoise-shelled ladybird (Harmonia testudinaria)
Eminent entomologist Ken Walker said each of this year's finalists represented an important story about insects.