Insects

Butterflies are among the most prominent insects in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The Park has 118 species, including two endemic subspecies. This represents 30 per cent of all known butterfly species in Australia, and includes several that are rare or little known.

Visitors are often surprised to find butterflies flying between islands on the Reef. Several species are strong fliers and can easily manage flights of several kilometres across open water.

Other land-based invertebrates found on the cays and islands of the Reef include:

• pseudoscorpions;
• mites;
• spiders;
• centipedes;
• isopods; and
• 36 families of insects in 10 orders.

Many have yet to be identified and there have been few comprehensive or systematic studies.