A review of research on the invertebrates of western New South Wales

Literature on the invertebrate fauna of western New South Wales is reviewed. Few ecological studies devoted to the region have been conducted, and those which have been published have tended to be directed towards a few higher taxa, notably the Formicidae, Isoptera and Collembola. There may be a small number of rare species, or those with restricted distributions within western New South Wales, in the Orthoptera and Lepidoptera. Threatening processes are discussed. The effects of grazing and clearing are considered to be the most widespread and severe for most species. It is concluded that the invertebrate fauna of the region is very poorly known and a first step towards its conservation management should be an attempt to document and map the invertebrate habitats of the region.