Meet your finalists:

Gold Jim - Gold Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus aureus)

"However, sightings of this species, and many others, have become rare.

"That's why scientists are gathering data via the Christmas Beetle Count to learn more about these beetles to help protect them."

– Dr Kate Umbers, Invertebrates Australia

Leaf Man - Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly (Ogyris subterrestris)

"The critically endangered Mallee Bronze Azure butterfly embodies everything that makes Australian insects extraordinary — striking in appearance and ecologically remarkable.

"By celebrating this insect, we celebrate the importance of protecting entire ecosystems and the overlooked invertebrates that keep them functioning."

– Jessie Sinclair, Zoos Victoria

Regular Jim - Orchard swallowtail butterfly (Papilio aegeus)

"The orchard swallowtail, also known as the Australian citrus butterfly, is one of our largest and most spectacular butterflies.

"While the larvae occasionally nibble the leaves of backyard citrus, they rarely cause lasting damage and are well worth accommodating because the adult butterflies are important pollinators."

– AB Bishop, horticulture editor, Gardening Australia Magazine

Ooey Gooey - Otway glow-worm (Arachnocampa otwayensis) (Not actually a worm)

"Glow-worms are mysterious, ethereal, and beautiful … and they're not worms at all! They are juvenile flies: fungus gnat 'maggots', to be precise, which become bioluminescent to attract prey.

"This species (otwayensis) is unique to south-west Victoria and a magnificent tourist drawcard yet is highly susceptible to ecological disturbance."

– Mark Schutze, Australian Entomological Society

LongHardEyeStalks69(okcupid username) - Stalk-eyed signal fly (Achias australis)

"It's weird but beautiful. As its name suggests, it has eyes on stalks. Their purpose is to attract females and compete with rival males. The females have much smaller heads.

"This species is largest stalk-eyed fly in Australia, and is found in north Queensland, where it feeds on rotting fruit and animal faeces, helping to clean up the environment."

– Keith Bayless, CSIRO

Emily - Tortoise-shelled ladybird (Harmonia testudinaria)

"Beyond their spectacular appearance, these striking but tiny (about 6 millimetres) ladybirds are the mighty unsung heroes of our backyards and ecosystems.

"Both the adults and their larvae are voracious predators, eating soft-bodied pests like aphids. The tortoise-shelled ladybird proves Australia's most beautiful insects are often its hardest workers."

– Peter Rowland, nature writer and photographer

here: https://poll.fm/17484882