[featured image] [This post is adapted from a book I’ve just finished, which will be published sometime next year by Thames and Hudson.] Nematodes are typically small animals that to the naked eye look very much alike; however, these creatures are fantastically diverse – at least on a par with …
[featured image] The intriguing little animal below is the first instar larva of the puss moth (Cerura vinula). The egg that it has very recently emerged from is to the right. These caterpillars and their close relatives have a couple of brilliant adaptations to ward off many, many potential predators. …
[featured image] In the last post, we were introduced to an industrious, leaf-rolling weevil. This post concerns a related, albeit more glamorous …
[featured image] At this time of year in temperate climes insect activity should be at it peak. Often, the insects themselves may …
[featured image] Although the alder leaf beetle (see last post) can swell to rather substantial proportions in an effort to produce lots …
[featured image] Leaf beetles (chrysomelids), the often gaudy insects you see sitting on various plants in the summer have only a few …
[featured image] In the last post, we saw a compliant little rotifer getting on with the pressing activity of collecting food. In …
[featured image] Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a man of magnificent hair and considerable talent, was the pioneer of microscopy. Using a device he …
[featured image] Well, it’s not much of a dragon, but it does live in mud. These animals, correctly known as kinorhynchs, are …
[featured image] Flies are supremely successful animals, but they tend to get a lot of bad press and let’s be honest, the …