Top 20 Most Common Insects in Cairns

Ceriagrion aeruginosum is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. Its common name is redtail. It is found in Indonesia, the Moluccas, New Guinea, Australia and possibly the Solomon Islands.

Male. "The upperside of the male is chalky-white, sometimes with a more or less broad and clearly defined basal sulphur-yellow area on both fore and hind wings; this sulphur-yellow colour is at times diffused over the whole surface of the wings, though generally it becomes paler towards the terminal margins. For the fore wing, the whole, or sometimes only the apical half, of the costa narrowly black, this color widened out irregularly at the apex; termen widely black at the apex, the colour narrowed posteriorly. This border in some specimens almost reaches the tornus, in others terminates above vein 4; occasionally it is continued posteriorly by a series of block dots at the apices of the veins. The Hind wing generally are uniform, unmarked, and some specimens bear minute black dots at the apices of the veins. "On the underside the groundcolour is very variable, with white with a slight to strong ochraceous tinge, greenish white or sulphur-yellow. The fore wing is typically without markings, in some specimens with a patch of sulphur-yellow on either side of base of median nervure, in the very yellow examples the tornal area is often widely greenish white, in others (Catopsilia catilla, Cramer) it bears a spot variable in size on the discocellulars. This spot has a pearly centre and an outer reddish line. Many specimens have an irregular angulated narrow discal reddish line (the colour varies in intensity) that runs from the costa obliquely outwards to vein 7, and then obliquely inwards to vein 2, though this line is often absent in specimens that bear the discocellular spot; apex and termen sometimes very narrowly reddish. The hind wing is typically uniform, without markings." Female. "On the female upperside the ground-color varies as in the male, but sometimes it is chalky white at the bases of the wings, with the terminal margins more or less broadly sulphur-yellow. Fore wings always with a round, occasionally quadrate, black discocellular spot variable in size; in some specimens the costa is black only towards the apex of the wing, in others broadly black throughout and opposite the apex of cell so widened out as to touch the discocellular spot. In lightly marked specimens in addition to the discocellular spot, there is only an irregular terminal black band dentate inwardly and widest at the apex of the wing; in others there is in addition a more or less diffuse highly curved macular postdiscal band that extends from the costa obliquely outwards down to vein 7, where it often touches the terminal black band, and thence is continued downward and slightly inclined inwards to interspace 1, getting gradually paler and fainter posteriorly. Hind wing are a series of terminal inter-spacial black spots that vary in size, and in the dark forms coalesce into a terminal black band."

This is a spectacular species of dragonfly, although small in size (wingspan 6 cm, length 3.5 cm). The male is brilliant red, the female yellow-ochre. Females have yellow infuscation suffusing the outer wings, while the males have similar colour at the bases of the wings.

The stunning ulysses butterfly can be easily spotted among flowers in gardens and forests due to the bright blue coloring of its wings. Often found in Oceania, it has become a symbol to draw people to visit Queensland, Australia. Its name, "Ulysses," is taken from the hero of the Greek poet Homer's Odyssey, albeit the Roman version.

Anchiale briareus is an insect of the order Phasmatodea and the family Phasmatidae. The scientific name of this species was first validly published in 1834 by Gray.

Alcides metaurus is a moth of the family Uraniidae. It is known from the tropical north of Queensland, Australia. The wingspan is about 100 mm. Adults are black with iridescent bands of yellow and pink. The underside is iridescent pale green with black bands. They are on wing during the day and feed on flower nectar. They rest with their wings open and out flat. The larvae feed on various Euphorbiaceae species, including Endospermum medullosum, E. myrmecophilum, and Omphalea queenslandiae. These plants contain poisons which might protect the larvae from predation. The various instars have colours varying from green with a black band, to black with white bands and a red thorax, to red with black bands and orange legs. Pupation takes place in a cocoon made in a crevice or between dead leaves.

At 1.2 cm (female), this is one of Australia's larger green jumping spiders, and very common in Queensland. The males are strikingly colored and decorated with long white "side whiskers", which rise to a peak surmounted by a topknot of black hairs. Females lack the whiskers and topknot, but instead feature a red and white "mask".

The wingspan is around 7 cm.