Thousands choose festive favourite as 2026 Australian Insect of the Year
www.abc.net.au
More than 44,000 Australians voted in this year's ABC Australia Insect of the Year campaign, but which of our six finalists took home the gold?

The gold Christmas beetle is the newly crowned 2026 ABC Australian Insect of the Year.

The golden-jacketed summer visitor from northern Queensland won over more than 39.3 per cent of online voters in the annual campaign run across the ABC News website.

A grand total of 44,472 people voted for the third ABC Australian Insect of the Year, with 17,454 nominating the gold Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus aureus) among a field of six finalists.

The poll proved a beetle quinella, with the cute-as-a-button tortoise-shelled ladybird (Harmonia testudinaria) snaring just under a quarter of the vote (11,069 votes, 24.9 per cent).