Barry the Pyrenees Furry Teddy Bear Moth - A Mystery Visitor

How cute is this little furry face? I’m calling it Barry the Pyrenees Furry Teddy Bear Moth - at least for now!

Proteuxoa species are part of Australia’s pollination network

As you probably know, I’m a big fan of all insects, but lately, I’ve fallen head-over-heels for moths. On the farm, if I’m up late at night, I sometimes get surprise visits from curious little creatures fluttering into the shed. They’re drawn to the glow of the LED lights we’ve set up.  So when I’m sipping a cuppa and having a bickie, I’ll often yelp with excitement when a moth friend comes in to say hello.

Whenever I can, I take a photo and upload it to iNaturalist - one of my favourite tools for learning and connecting with other nature lovers.  I’m also contributing to a huge global biodiversity data set for conservation and land managers - every observation counts.  Thanks to the incredible community there, I’ve been expanding my knowledge of Australian moths. One of the things I’ve learned is that Australia has a huge biodiversity of moths with over 22,000 species, but only about 10,500 have actually been named and described! That leaves a whole world of moth mysteries still to be uncovered.

I went to great lengths to try and figure out who this little moth is. I used the AI powered image recognition built into iNaturalist, I chatted with other naturalists, and even reached out to the wonderful people from the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (a brilliant facebook group if you’re a fellow nature nerd). The verdict? This moth remains unnamed, but it does belong to the genus Proteuxoa — pronounced proh-TEE-uh-sow-ah.

Here is a quick look at its Taxonomy:

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)

• Class: Insecta (Insects)

• Order: Lepidoptera - the second-largest order of insects, includes both moths and butterflies.

• Superfamily: Noctuoidea — a huge group of mostly nocturnal moths.

• Family: Noctuidae - one of the largest moth families worldwide, including some pest species and many important native ones.

• Subfamily: Noctuinae - sometimes called "cutworms" or "dart moths" in their caterpillar stages.

• Tribe: Agrotini - ecologically significant grassland moths.

• Genus: Proteuxoa - a genus found mostly in Australia and nearby islands.

• Species: Proteuxoa sp. [undescribed] - meaning it hasn’t yet been officially named and described in scientific literature.

Why This Moth Matters

Even though it might not have an official Latin name yet, this moth is far from insignificant. Like many moths, Proteuxoa species are part of Australia’s pollination network - the night shift workers of the pollinator world! While bees and butterflies often steal the spotlight, nocturnal pollinators like this one play a crucial role by visiting night-blooming flowers, especially those that are pale, fragrant, and open after sunset.

Their caterpillars also serve as important herbivores, and both caterpillars and adult moths are a valuable food source for birds, reptiles, bats, and other insect-loving creatures. Plus, they contribute to the nutrient cycling that keeps ecosystems healthy.

So many important jobs for such a small, cute fuzzy creature! Until someone officially describes it, I’ll just keep calling this one Barry - my adorable little Pyrenees Furry Teddy Bear Moth.

Want to Help Moths (and Other Pollinators) Too?

If you love learning about moths, bees, butterflies, and other fascinating pollinators, checkout my Citizen Science and Habitat for Pollinators workshops.

In these workshops, we explore how you can: Identify pollinators, even the elusive nocturnal ones like moths. Create pollinator-friendly habitats at home, on farms, or in community spaces and become a citizen scientist using platforms like iNaturalist to help build your biodiversity knowledge.

I run workshops for community groups, schools, kinders, and anyone who wants to make a difference (and have a lot of fun doing it!).

If you'd like to know more, visit www.friendswithhoney.com.au or get in touch - I'd love to connect with you!

Sing, Dance, Learn: The Power of Music, Movement and Storytelling in Bee Education

I grew up dancing - classical ballet was my jam. My childhood was spent in a pink leotard, my hair pulled tight into a bun, and my tape deck full of Tchaikovsky.

A lot has changed since my days studying ballet at the National Theatre in St Kilda. These days, you’re more likely to find me in a beekeeping suit than a tutu. But my love of dance? That has never changed..... And that brings me to Sing, Dance, Learn.  It’s more than just a tagline - it’s at the heart of how we teach at Friends with Honey.

These days, you’re more likely to find me in a beekeeping suit than a tutu

The Birth of the Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show

Last year, we poured 12 months of creativity and passion into producing the Friends with Honey Musical Kids Show Album. What started as a simple idea to create some songs for my bee incursion programs quickly turned into something much bigger.  Once the album was complete, we saw an opportunity to bring our Sing, Dance, Learn philosophy to life through a 45-minute musical kids’ show.

By fully embracing storytelling and weaving educational messages into a performance, we found the perfect way to engage children and teach them fundamental lessons about bees and biodiversity.

Benny recording the Album - the toy piano features on 'Some Bees'

Learning Through Storytelling, Music, and Movement

In our show, I play the beekeeper, and Benny is the musician.  He visits my farm, full of curiosity about bees.  Along the way, he gets into some sticky situations - literally!  But each time he learns something new, it sparks an idea for a song.  And when he sings, he can’t help but dance!  Through this cycle of storytelling, singing, and dancing, we reinforce learning in a way that is interactive, memorable, and fun.

Why does this work so well?

• Sing – Singing enhances memory, breathing, and language skills.

• Dance – Movement supports rhythm, coordination, and emotional well-being.

• Learn – Storytelling engages imagination, emotions, and curiosity while making information easier to understand and remember.

Music, movement and storytelling aren’t just fun - they offer incredible developmental benefits. They help children improve cognitive growth, problem-solving, self-expression, and social skills.

Dress rehearsals are full of fun and dancing!

Backed by Science and Tradition

The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework recognises performing arts - music, dance, and drama - as essential components of early childhood education. But long before formal education systems existed, cultures worldwide have used storytelling, song, and dance to pass down important lessons, historical knowledge, and life skills.

Children exposed to music and movement show higher cognitive development, better knowledge retention, improved self-expression, and greater emotional competence.

Bringing Sing, Dance, Learn Into Your Classroom

To help teachers incorporate Sing, Dance, Learn into their sustainability education programs, we’ve created a resource pack, available for download alongside our music on streaming platforms. You can also book:

• A Friends with Honey bee incursion

• A performance of our Musical Kids Show

• A professional development workshop for educators

We’d love to bring the magic of music, movement, and bee education to your school.

Taxonomy & Citizen Science Through The Eyes Of A Beekeeper

I’m not a scientist. In fact, growing up, I was far more interested in dancing, singing, drawing, and making all sorts of cool stuff with my Janome sewing machine. Nature was something I loved, but I didn’t really think too deeply about it. However, as I’ve gotten older my curiosity about the world around me has taken a whole new path. Now, one thing that fascinates me is biodiversity and how we can look after the amazing living things all around us.

It all started when I became a beekeeper. I had to think more about what the bees needed to survive and, suddenly, I became more aware of the plants and animals around the beehive. At first, I didn’t think about how everything fit together. I’d spot a flowering gum tree, a sunflower or a European wasp, but I wasn’t thinking; Corymbia Ficifolia, Helianthus Annuus, or Vespula Vulgaris.

That all changed when I started using iNaturalist to track the biodiversity on our farm. Suddenly, I was stepping into a whole new world of learning! The scientific names gave me a fresh lens through which to view the natural world. And because iNaturalist is a global platform, I realised that Latin names are a universal language across all regions and scientific communities. That's one of the greatest strengths of Citizen Science - it unites and harnesses the power of a global community of nature enthusiasts.

Making an observation on iNaturalist is very easy!

But Wait - What About Common Names?

I’ll admit, I still use common names! I’m not about to give up calling a dog “dog” or a sunflower “sunflower.” But as I observe more and more biodiversity, particularly lesser-known species, I’ve come to realise something interesting: Most classified organisms don’t have common names!

While many familiar animals and plants have widely recognised common names, the majority of species - especially microorganisms, insects, fungi, and deep-sea creatures are only identified by their scientific names.

Why Do Some Organisms Lack Common Names?

• Limited Human Interaction: Many species are so obscure or live in areas we don’t often visit - deep-sea creatures for example! so they don’t have widely recognized names.

• High Biodiversity: With over 2 million classified species, it’s just not practical to assign common names to all of them.

• Scientific Precision: Some species look so alike that a general name would be misleading - thousands of beetles, for example, look almost identical.

• Regional Naming Variations: Different areas and languages often have different names for the same species, so scientific names offer global consistency.

Bandidus canifrons - an insect with relatively few observations in iNaturalist. This one came into our shed at the farm when we were working late one night

What Is Taxonomy?

Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming organisms. It’s like a giant filing system for the natural world! Taxonomy helps scientists organise living things based on their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. It follows a hierarchical structure, from broad categories (like kingdoms eg Plants, Animals, Fungi etc) down to specific ones (like species). This classification helps us understand where different species fit into the broader picture of life on Earth.

Whenever I try to identify a species on iNaturalist, I always check the Taxonomy tab to see how far I’ve come in figuring out where the species fits in the big classification puzzle. The goal, of course, is to get all the way to the species level!

So, What Does Taxonomy Look Like for Bees? 🐝

Bees are a great example of how taxonomy works. Here's a quick guide to the taxonomic hierarchy for bees, from the highest level all the way down to the specific species level:

• Kingdom: Animalia (all animals)

• Phylum: Arthropoda (invertebrates with segmented bodies, exoskeletons, and jointed legs)

• Class: Insecta (six-legged arthropods)

• Order: Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps, and sawflies)

• Superfamily: Apoidea (bees and some wasp relatives)

• Family: Apidae (the largest bee family, including honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees, and carpenter bees)

Genus: (some examples)

• Apis – Honey bees

• Bombus – Bumblebees

• Tetragonula – Stingless bees

• Xylocopa – Carpenter bees

Species: (some examples)

• Apis mellifera – European honey bee

• Bombus terrestris – Buff-tailed bumblebee

• Tetragonula carbonaria – Australian native stingless bee

• Xylocopa violacea – Violet carpenter bee

  
  

This is just a quick peek with some examples. There are over 20,000 species of bees worldwide, and in Australia, we have over 2,000 species! That’s a lot of buzzing biodiversity to keep track of. 🐝

Australia is home to around 14 species of blue-banded bees in the genus Amegilla. These native bees are known for their vibrant blue stripes and their role in buzz pollination, which helps pollinate crops like tomatoes and blueberries.

Pronunciation Challenge!

Okay, I admit it - I still find myself Googling how to pronounce Latin names and I rarely get them right. However, YouTube is a great help!

Thankfully, we have so many resources to help us learn about the biodiversity that is all around us. I can be standing on top of hill, 5km up a 4WD track and be able to whip out my smartphone to make an observation in iNaturalist. It's very empowering! The more I learn, the more motivated I am to do my part in protecting the planet and building habitats on our farm to support biodiversity.

Get Involved in Citizen Science!

The beauty of citizen science is that you don’t need to be a scientist to contribute! Whether it’s using an app like iNaturalist, identifying species, or participating in a bioblitz event, everyone can play a part in recording the biodiversity around us.

If you’re curious about how you can start recording biodiversity and become a citizen scientist, Friends with Honey offers workshops on just that! From using apps like iNaturalist to running your very own bioblitz event, we’ll guide you through it all - and have a great time in the process!

Ready to become a citizen scientist? Get in touch with us today, and let’s get started!