Goblin Shark

This is the goblin shark, a bizarre and rarely spotted creature found in water deeper than 200m throughout the world.

Very little is known about their life history or reproduction, as encounters with them in their native habitat are incredibly rare. Most specimens are dragged up by deep sea fishers.

They are famous for their strangely shaped heads - they have snouts much longer than any other shark, and retractable jaws.

Read More

Cereal Leaf Beetle Infestation

This is a juvenile form of the Cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus) after being parasitized by Tetrastichus julis, a parasitoid wasp which lays its eggs inside the larva of the beetle. They eggs hatch within the larvae and begin to feed while it is still alive, before they burst out and kill it.
These parasites are often used as a biological control, as the Cereal leaf beetle is considered a pest and regularly feeds on crops.

Read More

Glass Beach

This is "Glass Beach" near Fort Bragg, California. During the early 20th century, residents of local towns used the cliffs above the beach as an unofficial rubbish dump. All sorts of things were thrown off of those cliffs - household appliances, cars, and lots and lots and lots of glass.

In 1967 the North Coast Water Quality Board closed the area and attempted a clean up operation. Although the larger appliances and rubbish was removed, cleaning up the millions of glass shards proved too costly.

Over the years, the waves have worn down the glass as it does stones. The shards have turned into a sparkling, multicoloured beach of smooth glass, earning it the name of Glass Beach.
It's now an unofficial tourist destination and is visited by thousands of people every year.

Read More

Death's-head Hawkmoth

The death’s-head hawkmoth, Acherontia atropos, is found throughout tropical Africa and adjacent areas. It also migrates into temperate regions and is regularly found in the UK.

Death's-head hawkmoth

It is one of the UK’s largest moths and is readily identified by its large size, the skull-like marking on the thorax and its yellow-striped abdomen.

The females are very similar to the males but have thinner antennae, slightly broader and more rounded wings, and fatter bodies.

Unlike most moths that collect nectar from flowers, the death’s-head hawkmoth is very well adapted to raiding honeybee colonies and sucking honey directly from the comb.

Read More

Large Duck Orchid

Caleana major is a terrestrial orchid, very difficult to spot because of its size and inconspicuous colouring in bushland. It is found in exposed sunny locations in heath, woodland and open forests, often in groups.

2-4 flowers grow on a green stem to 40cm high. The single leaf, arisng near the base of the stalk, is about 10cm high and reddish.

The 'upside-down' flower is reddish-brown, 15-20 mm long. The labellum or tongue, at the top, is a deep red and attached to the rest of the flower by a sensitive strap. Pollination is via male sawflies. When the insect touches the sensitive labellum it snaps shut, trapping the insect in the sticky body of the column. It deposits pollen it may be carrying and picks up more. It is then released to fly to the next orchid.

Read More

Carnivorous Caterpillar Found in the Islands of Hawaii

Biologists have discovered a new species of caterpillar in the Hawaiian rain forest that ensnares snails in silken webs, then feasts on them like a famished cannibal until nothing but the shell is left.

It's the first time such behavior has been documented in caterpillars - or any other member of its biological order, Lepidoptera, which includes moths and butterflies.

"It was like finding a wolf that dives for clams," said University of Hawaii biologist and entomologist Daniel Rubinoff, who reported the discovery with William P. Haines, a biologist at the university, in Friday's edition of the journal Science.

Although all caterpillars have silk glands, this species is the first to be seen using that organ like a spider. And although nearly all Lepidopterans are vegetarians, "This caterpillar wouldn't sample foliage even if it were starving," Rubinoff said.

Read More

Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)

A diver shares a tank with an adult arapaima fish at an aquarium in Manaus, Brazil. Known as the pirarucu in Brazil and the paiche in Peru, this South America giant is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Some reach lengths of more than 10 feet (3 meters) and weigh upward of 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

Large megafish like these have become rare worldwide due to heavy fishing. The arapaima is the focus of several conservation projects in South America, including no-fishing reserves and fishing quotas.

Read More