Creatures that belong to the phylum Arthropoda all have an external skeleton, a segmented body and jointed appendages. There are over a million species of arthropods — this is over 80% of all the living species on Earth that have been identified so far. Arthropods include not only insects and spiders; but also scorpions, centipedes and crustaceans. They can be found in the air, on land and under water.

An estimated 75% of Australian invertebrate fauna has not yet been formally described and doesn't have a scientific name. Many arthropods can't be identified past Family and even that is only with considerable expertise. Some species are very similar and cannot be distinguished without the use of a microscope. Typically, arthropods are quite small and fast-moving so they sometimes are very difficult to photograph. We've done our best to identify the arthropods listed here, but if you think we've made a mistake or can help us better identify a creature, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.