A Mildura woman has unknowingly made a significant scientific discovery after photographing the rare Myrmeleon houstoni insect during a bushwalk near Red Cliffs. Judy Allen uploaded the image to i Naturalist, where experts confirmed it was the first known photograph of the species in the wild. Her daughter, Triona, later captured another image of the elusive antlion insect in a separate Mallee location. Scientists say the discovery highlights the important role citizen scientists play in documenting Australia’s biodiversity and understanding species distribution across the country.