PURPLE NUDI! ๐
The Red-lined Flabellina has a VERY SPECIAL TRICK! ๐ชผ
They feed on minuscule hydroids/jellyfish and are able to digest their stinging cells and pass them through to the long projections on their back. They can then FIRE those stinging cells as their own defence! ๐คฏ
Posts by Nick Volpe
MORPHO!!! ๐ฆ๐
It is always the BEST feeling finding these fairies in the rainforest! ๐ฟ
A quick catch and release of Morpho achilles, an absolute gem of the Amazon! ๐
Beautiful Clearwing from this morning! ๐ฅฐ๐ฆ
What a stunning butterfly! โจ
Two Beetle Friends! ๐ฅฐโค๏ธ
Yep had macro and flash!
NOOOOO WAYYYYY! ๐คฏ
Dream come true, a Caria trochilus!
Very rare & very PRETTY butterfly! ๐
Would love that!
BUG HIGHLIGHTS from the first Bug Review episode out now! ๐ชฒ๐ฆ
Hereโs the video! youtu.be/8fflfC7F6VE
Check out this FLUFFY beauty! ๐คฉ๐ฆ
Introducing you to Sarota chrysus, one of the most stunning butterflies in the world! ๐
Seeing this is one of the highlights of my year! ๐ฅฐ
See how we found this incredible butterfly in our first episode of the Bug Review! โจ
EVERYONE WE ARE LIVE WITH OUR FIRST EPISODE!!!! ๐คฉ๐ฆ๐ชฒ๐
Learn all about bugs with our new series the Bug Review!
youtu.be/8fflfC7F6VE
LOVE LOVE FIDDLER BEETLES!!
YESSSSSS CICADAS ARE THE BEST!
Show me your best bug of 2025! ๐ชฒ๐
Another big year comes to an end and we found over 1000 different bug species between the Amazon & Australia! ๐คฏ
Probably my favourite was this Giant Amazon Silkmoth from Peru! ๐ฆ
I'm keen to see what beauties you guys found this year! ๐ฅฐ๐๐
Bro is LOCKED IN! ๐ค
Check this out! An inseparable mating pair of Leaf Mantids (Pseudoxyops perpulchra) from Ecuador! ๐
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! ๐
๐
The Mimic Poison Frog! ๐ฅฐ๐ธ
One of the worldโs most special frogs, Ranitomeya imitator lives up to its name and mimics other Dart Frogs that are more toxic! ๐ฎโ ๏ธ
In this case here in the Peruvian rainforest itโs mimicking Ranitomeya summersi, a beautiful yellow & black frog! ๐๐ค
TRILOBITE BEETLES!!! ๐๐ฟ
Some of the coolest bugs in Asiaโs rainforests are these female Lycid Beetles, that look like theyโre from prehistoric ages!๐ฑ๐ฆ
They retain their larval form as adults and feed on decaying matter in the leaf litter of the forest! ๐
I get goosebumps every time I see them! ๐
Everyones favourite bees! ๐
Did you know Australia has over 20+ species of Blue-banded Bees? ๐ฅฐ
They are all so important for pollination of native flowers and are one of the main factors in our eco-systems being healthy! ๐ณ๐ธ
Make sure you are planting natives in your garden to attract these bees! ๐ฑ๐ผ
ENOOOOORMOUS SNAIL!? ๐คฏ๐
PLEASE meet the Giant Amazon Land Snail (Megalobulimus popelairianus)! ๐งก
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 Maquipucunaโs forest! ๐ณโจ
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! ๐๐
This is the most ADORABLE little beetle strutting its mossy stuff around the Amazon! ๐ณ
LOOK at those adorable little antennas! ๐ฅน๐
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! ๐ชฒ๐
Woohoo! ๐
Last night Lucy and I braved the rain in Phuket to find this incredible Whip Scorpion (Catageus sp.) in the rainforest! ๐ณ
These incredible arachnids live and hunt on the massive boulder systems in the forest, scattering around like they are almost part of the rock!๐ชจ
What a BEAUTY! ๐คฉ
The Rothschildia Silkmoths from the neotropics are some of the most beautiful insects in the world! ๐ณ๐ฆ
With over 30 species attaining a massive wingspan, they are absolute jewels to see in the dense rainforest! ๐
This one was found at around 1400m in elevation on Manu road in Peru!๐ฟ
Pumpkin Patch Tarantula!๐ท๏ธ๐
One of the most incredible spiders in the world, this Tarantula (Hapalopus sp.) lives in the Ecuadorian Amazon!๐ณ
When people think of Tarantulas, we mainly think of large, plain coloured spiders, but in the neotropics we enter a world of colour!๐งก๐ค
The Blue Spotted Beauty! ๐๐ต
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 spinesโก
These rays patrol the sandy floors at night looking for crustacean and fish snacks! ๐ฆ
Itโs currently Australian Pollinator Week, where we celebrate our important pollinators!๐
These bees are ecosystem heroes and found in every Australian street and itโs our job to protect them!๐ซก ๐ฆ๐บ
Keep planting native trees & say no to pesticides to keep native bees thriving!โ๏ธ
The Tiny Bees Powering Giant Eucalyptus Trees! ๐๐ณ
Australia's best superheroes are often overlooked! โญ
Euryglossinae Bees are only found in Australia where over 400 species are pollinating Eucalyptus trees every day! ๐๐ธ
The catch? They are TINY! Only 3-8mm big! ๐คฏ (1/2)
Thanks to @wizentrop.bsky.social for letting us know about their incredible specific diet!
Orchid-eating Mossy Stick Insect (Taraxippus sp.) ๐
Another couple of photos of this all so incredible phasmid! ๐ฟ
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! ๐ธ
NO WAYYYY! ๐คฏ๐คฏ๐คฏ
Is this the COOLEST stick insect ever?? ๐
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! ๐ณ
So in awe of our natural world! ๐ฟ