Show me your best bug of 2025! 🪲🎆 Another big year comes to an end and we found over 1000 different bug species between the Amazon & Australia! 🤯 Probably my favourite was this Giant Amazon Silkmoth from Peru! 🦋 I'm keen to see what beauties you guys found this year! 🥰🐝🐞

Bro is LOCKED IN! 🤠 Check this out! An inseparable mating pair of Leaf Mantids (Pseudoxyops perpulchra) from Ecuador! 💚 That small male at the back is hanging on for dear life! We all know what the female will do if she gets the chance! 😅😈

The Mimic Poison Frog! 🥰🐸 One of the world’s most special frogs, Ranitomeya imitator lives up to its name and mimics other Dart Frogs that are more toxic! 😮☠️ In this case here in the Peruvian rainforest it’s mimicking Ranitomeya summersi, a beautiful yellow & black frog! 💛🖤

TRILOBITE BEETLES!!! 😍🌿 Some of the coolest bugs in Asia’s rainforests are these female Lycid Beetles, that look like they’re from prehistoric ages!😱🦕 They retain their larval form as adults and feed on decaying matter in the leaf litter of the forest! 🍂 I get goosebumps every time I see them! 😁

Everyones favourite bees! 🐝 Did you know Australia has over 20+ species of Blue-banded Bees? 🥰 They are all so important for pollination of native flowers and are one of the main factors in our eco-systems being healthy! 🌳🌸 Make sure you are planting natives in your garden to attract these bees! 🌱🌼

ENOOOOORMOUS SNAIL!? 🤯🐌 PLEASE meet the Giant Amazon Land Snail (Megalobulimus popelairianus)! 🧡 These guys are the HEAVIEST terrestrial land snail and are just an all-round extraordinary critter! It was an absolute HONOUR bumping into this one on the beautiful paths of Maquipucuna’s forest! 🌳✨

These tarantulas are covered in urticating hairs, something that @nvolpe.bsky.social and @lucynak.bsky.social learned the hard way... The tarantula does not need to kick its urticating hairs for them to lift off. A small blow of air is enough to do that as well, so always be cautious around them!

MEET MR. MOSSY WEEVIL! 😍👋 This is the most ADORABLE little beetle strutting its mossy stuff around the Amazon! 🌳 LOOK at those adorable little antennas! 🥹💚 Measuring in at one centimetre long, I believe it is in the genus Ulocerus and it is another little GEM found at Manu Biological Station! 🪲💎

Woohoo! 😁 Last night Lucy and I braved the rain in Phuket to find this incredible Whip Scorpion (Catageus sp.) in the rainforest! 🌳 These incredible arachnids live and hunt on the massive boulder systems in the forest, scattering around like they are almost part of the rock!🪨

What a BEAUTY! 🤩 The Rothschildia Silkmoths from the neotropics are some of the most beautiful insects in the world! 🌳🦋 With over 30 species attaining a massive wingspan, they are absolute jewels to see in the dense rainforest! 💎 This one was found at around 1400m in elevation on Manu road in Peru!🌿

Pumpkin Patch Tarantula!🕷️🎃 One of the most incredible spiders in the world, this Tarantula (Hapalopus sp.) lives in the Ecuadorian Amazon!🌳 When people think of Tarantulas, we mainly think of large, plain coloured spiders, but in the neotropics we enter a world of colour!🧡🖤

The Blue Spotted Beauty! 😍🔵 One of the most STUNNING fish in the world, the Blue-spotted Fantail Ray has electric blue spots as a warning sign to predators of its venomous tail spines⚡ These rays patrol the sandy floors at night looking for crustacean and fish snacks! 🦀

The Tiny Bees Powering Giant Eucalyptus Trees! 🐝🌳 Australia's best superheroes are often overlooked! ⭐ Euryglossinae Bees are only found in Australia where over 400 species are pollinating Eucalyptus trees every day! 👊🌸 The catch? They are TINY! Only 3-8mm big! 🤯 (1/2)

Orchid-eating Mossy Stick Insect (Taraxippus sp.) 💚 Another couple of photos of this all so incredible phasmid! 🌿 They live in the dense montane forests of South and Central America where they ONLY feed on orchids, making them even rarer to see in the forest! 🌸

NO WAYYYY! 🤯🤯🤯 Is this the COOLEST stick insect ever?? 💚 This mossy girl (Taraxippus sp.) from Peru was the most incredible phasmid I have ever seen, I could not get over how perfectly camouflaged it was on the mossy trees! 🌳 So in awe of our natural world! 🌿

Bugs of the steamy Mayan Jungle! 🌳🇲🇽 A collage of our BEST BUG finds from staying at @h2ojostulum in Tulum! 🦂🕷️ Who is your favourite bug from here? 🤩 Mine is the Yucatan Red-rumpled Tarantula! 🖤🧡 I wish we could spend more time in the future in Mexico, there is so much diversity to uncover! 📸

WHAT A SPIDER!!! 🤯🤯 BEHOLD, one of the coolest arachnids in the world, the Long-horned Spiny Orb Spider (Macracantha arcuata)! 🕷😍 Found in the rainforests of SE Asia, these magnificent beasts are found usually at head-height in a web they’ve made to catch flying prey!🐞🕸️

One of the most IMPRESSIVE snakes I’ve ever seen was this amazing 2m long Oxybelis fulgidus in Ecuador 🌳😍 The speed on these arboreal snakes is intimidating, as they use their rear-fanged toxic saliva to chase down birds, mammals and other reptiles in the treetops! 🐍⭐️

WHAT A BUG! 🤩❤️ Perfectly camouflaged in the mossy cloud forests of South America, this Lanternfly (Diareusa conspersa) flashes its bright red spotted underwings if disturbed! 🔥 This threat display is to make it look bigger and more menacing so predators like birds think twice! 🦜⁉️

An ALIEN on earth!? 🤯👽 CHECK OUT this insane Treehopper from the Peruvian Amazon! 🌳 Membracids are known for their bizarre shapes and protrusions, but this genus goes to a whole new level! It is thought this crazy C shape is to aid in camouflage to avoid predation from birds! 🐦😳

CYCLOPTERA!! 😍💚 The big leafy dream! 🍃 One of the most incredible leaf mimics in the Amazon, Cycloptera speculata is one special katydid! 🌳 Camouflaging as your food is one of the smartest ideas, especially when you’re so BIG! We were SO happy to see this BEAUTIFUL BUG!! 🤩

PONGO BOY!! 😍🐸 One of the most beautiful Poison Dart Frogs, Ameerega pongoensis is endemic to the San Martín & Loreto regions of Peru! 🌳🇵🇪 The yellow and blues on this guy are INCREDIBLE! 💛💙 An absolute highlight of our trip with @andes2amazon.expeditions ✨

Dead leaf or BUTTERFLY!? 🤯🍂 Zaretis sp. from the Peruvian Amazon! 🦋 This one got very comfortable on our sweaty clothes and hands! 😅 So lucky!

WHAT A BUTTERFLY! 🤯❤️🖤 One of the most striking insects in the world, the amazing Blood Red Skipper is found in the Amazon rainforest! 🌳 The males are this bold red & black colour whilst females adorn a similar pattern but with most of the wings shining white! 😮 JUST WOWWWWW! 😍🦋💅

UFO LEAF MANTIS!? 🤯💚🛸 How CRAZY is this Choeradodis stalli boy from the Amazon!! 🌳 Looking EXACTLY like a leaf, he can stay hidden from predators whilst also catching any unsuspecting insect prey! 🦗👀 An absolute honor to run into this spectacular critter!!🤩

We won't neglect you buddy! 🥹🦋 One of the most beautiful butterflies here at Manu Biological Station is the Neglected Eighty-eight, that is a little ray of sunshine every time you see it!☀️ This group of butterflies is named 88 because of the numeric pattern on its wings! 8️⃣8️⃣

Just really sad how all my effort is for very little now on Facebook as AI pages use AI photos ripping off insect photographers and dominate the newsfeed. Very disappointing that Meta allows this shit to continue 😡😡😡

Welcome to the 50th butterfly species we've photographed for our guide on Insects of the Amazon! 🌳🦋 The spectacular Erichthodes antonina! Not too much is known on this species, but i LOVE the way it arcs its wings when at rest, almost like a leaf! 🍂

That mossy texture on this cute Ulocerus brentid weevil? That's REAL MOSS growing on it. Many beetles are long lived, just enough time for moss spores (and even lichens! although much rarer) to establish on their exoskeleton and start growing - similar to crabs covered in algae, anemones or sponges.

MEET MR. MOSSY WEEVIL! 😍👋 This is the most ADORABLE beetle strutting its mossy stuff around the Amazon! 🌳 LOOK at those adorable little antennas! 🥹💚 I believe it is in the genus Ulocerus and it is another little BEAUTY found here at Manu Biological Station! 🪲💎

MEET MR. MOSSY WEEVIL! 😍👋 This is the most ADORABLE beetle strutting its mossy stuff around the Amazon! 🌳 LOOK at those adorable little antennas! 🥹💚 I believe it is in the genus Ulocerus and it is another little BEAUTY found here at Manu Biological Station! 🪲💎

NEW video up of a BELTER of a BUG! 🤩 -youtu.be/JONRa6Ic138

NEW video up of a BELTER of a BUG! 🤩 -youtu.be/JONRa6Ic138

WASP OR MOTH!? 🐝🤯 One of the most incredible mimics in the world, this Tiger Moth (Orcynia calcarata) looks so much like a wasp I was almost nervous holding it! 😳 There are so many tiger moths mimicking wasps in the Amazon it’s crazy! 😯🌳 How amazing is nature! 💛🖤

WHERE MY FLY FREAKS AT!?🪰👀 The Amazon is home to some WEIRD & WHACKY flies, such as this male Paragorgopis sp. 🌳 Apart from looking like a hammerhead shark, we almost know nothing else about this genus of flies! There is still SO much to learn about the invertebrate world and it excites me so much!🤩

TARANTULA HAWK WASP!! 🤯😱 The world's most PAINFUL insect sting belongs to this crazy wasp! Paralysing the biggest spiders in the world, they mean business! 🕷️🐝 This wasp was very relaxed in Gwen's professional bug touching hands & I was NOT even close to game enough to try! 😳

AWESOME Hoatzin feeding on leaves at Manu Biological Station! 🌿 These birds are honestly real life dinosaurs! 🦖

The coral reefs of Darwin Harbour are one of Australia’s most biodiverse areas. 🐠🪸 Yet it is under threat again from industrialisation. 🚨 These reefs are so sensitive and have already been impacted greatly by past projects and also by a changing climate…

The world’s most beautiful bee? 🤯🐝💙 Metallic blue with a rainbow butt, the GLORIOUS Mixed Orchid Bee (Euglossa mixta) brightens the rainforest canopy of the Amazon as it buzzes in search of orchids! 🌳🌈

THE SABER-TOOTH TIGER IS BACK! 🤯🐯 De-extinction at its best, we have edited the genes of a Micrathena spider to bring back the ancient mammalian predator! 😅☠️ In all seriousness, HOW COOL is Micrathena evansi from the Amazon, one of the coolest patterns & shapes I have ever seen on a spider! 🕷️🌳🤩

MANTIS of my DREAMS! 🤩💚 This ENORMOUS Macromantis hyalina had me FLABBERGASTED! 🤯 I still can’t get over the size of these mantids, they literally rule the canopy of the Amazon rainforest! 🌳 This is the second boy I’ve seen and I’m DESPERATE to find a female! 🙏🥹

ABSOLUTE WOW! 🤯 The Spiny Devil Katydid (Panacanthus cuspidatus) is one of the most ICONIC insects of the Amazon! 🌳 With those MEAN spikes it can take down prey with ease, something I was NERVOUS my finger could become! 😂 A DREAM FIND! 🤩

LOOOOOOK at her MOON egg sack!!!! 🌕🕷️

HOW GOOD ARE SPIDERS!? 😍🕷️ These beautiful Thorned Heart Orbweavers are one of my favourite arachnids to find in the Amazon! ❤️🌳 The details in this spider are AMAZING when you zoom in! 🔍 The genus Micrathena is full of so many odd-shaped spiders and is SO diverse with over 100 species! 🤯

@euanritchie.bsky.social I just woke up in Peru and my AFL app isn’t working, can you let me know how much Richmond lost by? 😭🐯

PACMAN FOUND IN MANU! 🐸💚 One of the most adorable frogs in the world, the Amazon Horned Frog is the PERFECT ambush predator!😋 Sitting camouflaged in leaf litter, they wait until anything walks by before making them disappear in that GIANT mouth!👄 Such an incredible amphibian. I LOVE the Amazon🌳✨

MR. PEANUT HEAD!!🤯🤯🤯 In all its glory, MARVEL at this incredible Lanternfly which can be found in the Peruvian Amazon!🌳🥜 One of the BEST & most unique insects in the world, this giant bug can be tricky to find and only lives and feeds on a few specific trees! Another insane day at Manu Biolodge!💚

A beautiful Andean Guan! 🏔️ Living in absolute paradise in the cloud forests of Wayqecha Biological Station, these large tree chickens can be heard rustling around in trees feeding on any fruit! 🍒🌳

Our favourite Valentines Day present… ❤️ A RARE RED Poison Dart Frog (Ameerega silverstonei) 🐸🇵🇪 Can’t wait to share more content soon on this outrageous frog!! 😍