The ABC Australian Insect of the Year is an annual online poll run by the ABC in partnership with insect‑conservation organisations. This year the shortlist features the gold Christmas beetle, the Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly, the orchard swallowtail butterfly, the Otway glow‑worm, the stalk‑eyed signal fly and the tortoise‑shelled ladybird.

Only about 30 % of Australia’s insect species have been formally named, meaning roughly 70 % remain unknown to science, according to Dr Ken Walker, an eminent entomologist.

Dr Walker explains that insects underpin our food supply: “Around 90 % of crops rely on insect pollination, yet only 1 % of the insects we know are pests.” He adds that the public usually only sees the adult stage, so a campaign like Insect of the Year helps highlight the whole life cycle, including hidden stages such as the larval glow‑worm.

Two of the finalists – the gold Christmas beetle and the Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly – are already part of conservation programmes at Zoos Victoria and Invertebrates Australia. Dr Walker says many more species could benefit from protection if we knew more about them.

The winner will be announced on 9 November, the opening day of Australian Pollinator Week. By linking the poll to this national event, the contest aims to raise awareness of insects’ ecological roles and encourage people to support conservation actions.

Voting for an insect isn’t just a fun quiz; it shines a light on the 70 % of unnamed bugs that keep our farms and gardens thriving.