We went to Qld for Christmas and each time I've been to Queensland I'm impressed by the bugs that they have up there. They're bigger and brighter than we have here in NSW. I don't think it's my imagination...I'm pretty sure it's true. It's something I don't consciously think about and then when I'm there, I'm blown away all over again.
I think they further north you go in Australia, the more interesting the bugs. I remember being in the Daintree and they had cockroaches that wouldn't leave much space when you sat them in the palm of your hand. Truly a large cockroach!
I think colour also is more intense the further north you go. Colours here for beetles and bugs are brown or black. Once you go north, they become more iridescent and intense. Look at the colour of butterflies in North Queensland...they're stunning.
This Longicorn Beetle (I think) in the photo is not the greatest example of colour...but he was a descent size (close to an inch). We don't have many beetles that size. And this is just taken with my digital pocket camera, nothing fancy. I'm sure NSW bugs don't photograph with this much detail!
I did a bit of a google search to see if there's been research looking at gradients of insect size or colour...and you know, I couldn't find anything. Now that would be a fun project, wouldn't it? Travelling Australia catching bugs to see if you could detect size and colour gradients between north and south and/or east and west. Imagine the fun! Oh, but the stats should be a nightmare.
Better get back to writing :)
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