Bring Us Your BUGS, a public event organised by the University of South Australia and the SA Museum was a phenomenal success! fauNature’s James Smith worked on this project from its inception and shared a sense of tremendous satisfaction, with all those involved in the way the public embraced the concept.
The organisers were hoping the public would bring a few hundred specimens into the museum lawns. In the end it turned out to be over 1600!
One of James’ contributions to the success of the event was collecting a cryptic sun moth, from his own backyard. The moth caused quite a stir as it is very rare, the adult only lives for three to ten days, and few specimens have ever been found in Adelaide.
Events like Bring Us Your BUGS allow our local community to have fun and learn while contributing to serious research. The event was organised and specimens photographed to be included in an upcoming the book: The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide (2016).