Following on from the huge success of Bring Us Your BUGS, a second event to capture spring “Bugs” was organised by the University of South Australia, the SA Museum and fauNature. This time a “Most Wanted” list was created, but the researchers were after virtually any invertebrates (animals without backbones) from the ‘wilds’ of Adelaide – whether they fly, crawl, slither, slide, swim or burrow! The aim was to find out what invertebrates we have living around us!
On the day probably 2000 people participated in the event. Some 700 children arrived with a bottle, jar or vial in hand ready to make their contribution. Thousands of invertebrates were collected, and many were excellent specimens!
A range of displays were set up by the Barbara Hardy Centre, SA Museum, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board, Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Beekeepers Society of South Australia and Urban Forest Biodiversity Program.
fauNature’s James Smith again helped deliver the project and was involved from its inception. On the day James was involved with a range of activities from classifying specimens and co-ordinating experts through to organising the four photographers who digitally recorded the stars of the event. The specimens were photographed for a local identification guide book: The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide (2016).
Elephant Weevil image by John Hodgson, courtesy of the Barbara Hardy Centre.