Scutter or flutter? Who wins your vote for the 2026 ABC Australian Insect of the Year? - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The gold Christmas beetle is among the 2026 Australian Insect of the Year finalists. (Supplied: Alan Henderson, Minibeast Wildlife)

Two very different butterflies, a pair of cute beetles, the iconic Otway glow-worm and a super-fly guy with eyes on stalks.

These are the 2026 ABC Australian Insect of the Year finalists selected by experts ahead of a national vote to choose the nation's favourite small wonder.

The Australian Insect of the Year is an annual online poll run by the ABC in partnership with insect conservation organisations.

This year's top six were nominated by the CSIRO, Invertebrates Australia, Australian Entomological Society and Zoos Victoria, along with Gardening Australia magazine and A Naturalist's Guide to the Insects of Australia.

This year's ABC Australian Insect of the Year finalists each have a fascinating story. (Supplied: Indra Bone, Karl Magnacca, Peter Rowland)

Eminent entomologist Ken Walker, who nominated last year's champion, the graphic flutterer dragonfly, said each of this year's finalists represented an important story about insects.

He said that through charismatic creatures like butterflies and beetles, Australians could learn about insects, most of which remained unnamed and unknown.

"A review by the Academy of Science in 2018 looked at the state of our understanding of the Australian fauna of insects and estimated only 30 per cent of our insect fauna is named, which means 70 per cent of our insect fauna is unnamed," Dr Walker said.

"When you're used to things going along quite nicely, you don't notice something until it goes wrong. So much of that is due to insects doing things like pollination. It's easy to forget 90 per cent of crops rely on insect pollination.

"On the other hand, only 1 per cent of known insects are pest species, but we tend to know those quite well."

Ken Walker says insects are vital to our planet. (Supplied: Museums Victoria)

Dr Walker said it was vital that people protect insects for our environment.

"Through Insect of the Year, we can highlight the importance of conservation. Insects play an essential role in nature and agriculture," Dr Walker said.

The blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata) was the inaugural ABC Insect of the Year, with the graphic flutterer dragonfly (Rhyothemis graphiptera) winning last year's popular vote.

The blue-banded bee (2024) and graphic flutterer dragonfly (2025) are previous winners of the ABC Australian Insect of the Year.  (Supplied: Peter Rowland, PRPW)

Dr Walker said much of the public awareness of insects centred on the adult life stage, which included familiar butterflies, beetles, flies and ants.

He said the nomination of the Otway glow-worm, the larval stage of a gnat, highlighted the complex life cycle of many insects.

"People might only think about the adult stage, but they've got eggs, larvae and pupae," Dr Walker said.

"So much of their life we don't notice them because they're out of sight.

"It's great then, with the Otway glow-worm, we have one of the contenders as the grub or larval stage."

Two finalists, the Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly and the gold Christmas beetle, are currently subjects of conservation programs at Zoos Victoria and Invertebrates Australia, respectively.

Dr Walker said countless insect species could be subjects of conservation programs if more was known about their plight.

"They do need our conservation and protection."

The 2026 ABC Australian Insect of the Year will be announced on November 9, coinciding with the start of Australian Pollinator Week.

"These iconic and much-loved beetles emerge over the festive season and were once a common fixture of summer nights.

"However, sightings of this species, and many others, have become rare.

"That's why scientists are gathering data via the Christmas Beetle Count to learn more about these beetles to help protect them."

Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly. (Supplied: Indra Bone, iNaturalist Australia)

"The critically endangered Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly embodies everything that makes Australian insects extraordinary — striking in appearance and ecologically remarkable.

"By celebrating this insect, we celebrate the importance of protecting entire ecosystems and the overlooked invertebrates that keep them functioning."

Orchard swallowtail butterfly (female form). (Supplied: Peter Rowland, PRPW)

"The orchard swallowtail, also known as the Australian citrus butterfly, is one of our largest and most spectacular butterflies.

"While the larvae occasionally nibble the leaves of backyard citrus, they rarely cause lasting damage and are well worth accommodating because the adult butterflies are important pollinators."

Otway glow-worm. (Supplied: Karl Magnacca, iNaturalist Australia)

"Glow-worms are mysterious, ethereal, and beautiful … and they're not worms at all! They are juvenile flies: fungus gnat 'maggots', to be precise, which become bioluminescent to attract prey.

"This species (otwayensis) is unique to south-west Victoria and a magnificent tourist drawcard yet is highly susceptible to ecological disturbance."

Stalk-eyed signal fly. (Supplied: Kai Squires, iNaturalist Australia)

"It's weird but beautiful. As its name suggests, it has eyes on stalks. Their purpose is to attract females and compete with rival males. The females have much smaller heads.

"This species is largest stalk-eyed fly in Australia, and is found in north Queensland, where it feeds on rotting fruit and animal faeces, helping to clean up the environment."

Tortoise-shelled ladybird. (Supplied: Peter Rowland, PRPW)

"Beyond their spectacular appearance, these striking but tiny (about 6 millimetres) ladybirds are the mighty unsung heroes of our backyards and ecosystems.

"Both the adults and their larvae are voracious predators, eating soft-bodied pests like aphids. The tortoise-shelled ladybird proves Australia's most beautiful insects are often its hardest workers."