I have just known that there's a National Caterpillar Day, celebrated on September 15!

I missed it this year, so let me celebrate it a month late! 🐛

Here are some caterpillar photos I took last year.

📷Fujifilm Xt2, Xh2

Tamron 90mmf2.8 macro, laowa 65mm f2.8 macro

One shot and stacked

After its discovery in 1897, the teardrop white-eye (Rukia ruki) was long believed to inhabit a microscopic range. Within the Western Pacific, endemic to Micronesia. Within Micronesia to the Caroline Islands. Within the Carolines, to Chuuk Atoll. Within Chuuk, only the Faichuk island group. And within that group, it was known only from the island of Tol, from the summit of its tallest mountain: Winipot.

Dominating the upper canopy of Mount Winipot is the endemic Chuuk poison tree (Semecarpus kraemeri). It produces a highly toxic sap that causes severe allergic contact dermatitis and painful blistering in humans. Historically, this toxic tree shielded Winipot’s native forests from fire and axe — offering sanctuary to the teardrop white-eye.

Unlike most of its white-eye cousins in the Zosterops genus — which are small, yellowish, and difficult to tell apart — the teardrop white-eye is noticeably larger, has sombre olive-brown plumage, and features bright orange legs. Beneath its eyes, it has distinct white feather crescents that look like permanent teardrops.

In the 1980s, surveys estimated that 382 teardrop white-eyes lived on Tol. They also found tiny, restricted populations of the species across a few neighbouring islands. But “restricted” is the key word here: 93 on Polle, 32 on Paata, and just 19 on Onei. Those same surveys estimated that the white-eye’s total known range was only about one square kilometre, or less than a third the size of Central Park. 

More recent surveys on neighbouring islands have either turned up empty or been impossible to undertake due to local opposition and other difficulties. We cannot say whether the teardrop white-eye exists anywhere outside of Tol today. 

There is some hope, however, for the species. A recent birding expedition, undertaken in June 2026, saw at least seven white-eyes creeping along vines and branches in the old-growth forest below Mount Winipot. 

Read the teardrop white-eye’s full story here!

A spider weaving its web beneath a stem covered in green aphids, alongside an aphid-eating hoverfly larva

📷 Fujifilm Xh2 + xf30mmf2.8 macro

🔦 Godox v860ii + diy diffuser

Stacked < 50 frames

These photos are not mine, I found them online

“A beetle with armor?

Let me introduce you to the beetle of the genus Cyrtonota (one of its many representatives).

Although in the photo it looks giant, in reality these beetles of the family Chrysomelidae are tiny jewels measuring only between 8 and 17 millimeters in length (they barely fit on the tip of your finger!).

These incredible creatures inhabit the neotropical forests of South America, and their shells not only protect them completely but also shine with spectacular metallic colors.

Evolution at its finest aesthetic expression!”

Such a beautiful little creature! Thought you guys might enjoy too :)
They are a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae, found on the western coast of South Africa.

Photo by Yinan Li, as found on iNaturalist. Stumbling upon this little guy felt like the "Who is this???"-meme :D

You might be like me and thing, i know what a mole looks like. Its a little mouse but with buck teeth and funny hands. Ummm, this is not that. And this is really awesome.