Invertebrate Collection (page 16)

Siler semiglaucus, jumping spider
A close-up head-on view of the four eyes and fangs of the jumping spider (Siler semiglaucus) from Sri Lanka

Nautilus pompilius, nautilus
Specimen shell of the nautilus (Nautilus pompilius), which has been sectioned to show body chamber (largest section), septa (individual chambers) and siphuncle (tube canal)

Visbyshaera oligofurcata, acritarch
Scanning electron microscope image of a microfossil belonging to a group of marine phytoplanktonic organisms known as acritarchs that teemed in Silurian seas about 415 Ma ago

Insect body
Micrographia: or, Some physical descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses, with observations and enquiries there upon by Robert Hooke (1635-1703), 1665

Lampromyia sp. fly
Larvae of this family Vermilionidae behave like ant-lions, they make a funnel in the sand and wait at the bottom for other invertebrates to fall in. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Philoliche longirostris, horse fly
A horse fly specimen from India. This fly uses its long proboscis to feed at flowers. The mouthparts of the female also include shorter blades with which it takes blood

Detail of terracotta moulding of a dragonfly in the Waterhou
The Waterhouse Buiding at the Natural History Museum, London was designed by Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) and first opened its doors on Easter Monday 1881

Nephilengys malabarensis, orb-web spider
A tropical orb-weaving spider (Nephilengys malabarensis) on its web, photographed in Sri Lanka

Oestridae, botfly larva
Scanning electron microscope image of a botfly larva. They are parasites feeding on skin in the case of warble flies, nostrils in the flies that affect sheep and deer

Dragonflies and Fish
Dragonflies from Libellulinae Europaeae by Toussaint de Charpenter, 1840. Fish from Voyage de la Coquille, Zoology Atlas II by Duperrey

Sabatinca perveta, moth
Shown here is a moth belonging to the living pollen-feeding family Micropterygidae, preserved in Burmese amber of Late Cretaceous age

Scientists in Sri Lanka
Scientist searching for apple snails in a drain at Kabugannawa, Sri Lanka. Scientists on a trip that was part of a programme funded by the Darwin Initiative

Auchenorrhynchan bug, true bug
An example of an auchenorrhynchan bug or true bug from the Sinharaja rainforest, Sri Lanka

Pegasus draconis, sea moth
Specimen jar containing sea moths (Pegasus draconis), held in the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, London

Two birds on title page, waiting for crumbs
Heart-shaped enamel on metal badge made by Ernestine Mills (1871-1959), possibly for the W.S.P.Us Womens Exhibition of 1909

Ixodes ricinus, sheep tick
Close-up of a pair ofsheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus) on a black background. Ticks are blood-sucking parasites which feed on the blood of their host

Brasilia bradfordensis, ammonite
This Middle Jurassic ammonite has been sectioned to show its chambers with calcite crystals formed in some and hardened mud in others. The body chamber is missing

Diplopoda sp. plate millipede
Scanning electron microscope image of a lateral view of the head of a plate millipede. Image displayed on the glass screens in the Darwin Centre, at the Natural History Museum, London

Parasitic worms in spirit jars. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Parkinsonia dorsetensis, ammonite
This ammonite has an evolute shell and is displaying complex suture lines. Specimen originates from the Middle Jurassic

Kim Goodger with butterfly specimen
Kim Goodger a curator at The Natural History Museum, London. The specimen featured is a Papilio sp

Millipedes are common on the rainforest floor in Sri Lanka. This specimen belongs to the family Julidae

Brachyera family specimens
Examples of five Brachyera families showing diversity of appearance, Apioceridae, Mydidae, Empididae, Pelecorhynchidae and Nemestrinidae. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Dioctophyme renale, giant kidney worm
Photograph of a giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale)

Scientist working with parasitic worms
Museum scientist working with parasitic worms in a zoology laboratory

Mallophora infernalis, robber flies
Robber fly, male and female captured in Brazil carrying a katydid as prey (seen underneath). Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Aegocrioceras quadratus, ammonite
This Lower Cretaceous crytocone ammonite displays whorls which do not touch each other but form an open spiral

Brachycerous fly
The family Nemestrinidae comprises almost 300 species of brachycerous flies. Larvae of this family are parasitoids of Orthoptera and scarabeus beetle larvae

Hyperechia nigripennis, robber fly
A robber fly, an African predatory fly with a carpenter bee (Xylocopa) that it mimics. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Ceratolithoides aculeus, coccolith
Scanning electron microscope image of an isolated coocolith from Cretaceous chalk. These are thin calcite shells protecting the coccolithophore within

Boloria selene, small pearl bordered fritillary
Varieties of the small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly from the collection of the late R.M. Craske. Now in the National Collection of British Lepidoptera

Hermetia illucens, soldier fly
Soldier fly from Christmas Island. Example of a species of fly that has been spread by human activity. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Florosphaera profunda, coccolith
Scanning electron microscope image of a complete sphere of coccoliths from modern oceans. These are thin calcite shells protecting the coccolithophore within

Collecting insects
A trap of funnels set out in the forest to collect insects as they fall from the trees after fogging

Sir Hans Sloanes collection of shells
Plate 5 from Arhtur MacGregors Hans Sloane, 1994. Shell specimens showing Sir Hans Sloanes catalogue numbers

Neanura ?muscorum, plant mould
A magnifiied image of oak leaf mould. Specimen originates from Horstead, Norwich

Fossil shells of the Eocene Tertiary Period
Plate III from Principles of Geology, being an attempt to explain the former changes of the Earths surface. Vol. 3 1832-33 by Charles Lyell (1797-1875)

Plate 94 from the John Reeves Collection
John Reeves, a 19th Century Tea Inspector, travelled to Canton, China in order to develop a large collection of Chinese natural history drawings

Lucans (Odontolabis) gazella, Oriental stag beetle
Fig 5 of plate 26 from The Cabinet of Oriental Entomology, 1848 by J. O. Westwood

Danaus melanippus taimanu from Sumba Island (Indonesia), male, upper side. A butterfly specimen held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Collections

Physalia physalis, Portuguese man-of-war
Ff. 38 Vol 3. Watercolour painting by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage to explore the southern continent 1768-1771

Cleodora sp. holoplanktonic mollusc
Fossilised specimen of holoplantktonic molluscs originating from Pliocene rocks, near Turin, Italy

Papilio, black streaked little yellow butterfly
Illustration of a black streaked little yellow butterfly by John Abbot, Tab 241, Volume 16 from the Abbot Collection held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Library

Hyas araneus, great spider crab
Plate 112 from a collection of watercolour sketches by William W. Ellis (?-1785) made on Captain James Cooks third voyage to explore the south (1776-1780)

Silurian seafloor
An artists impression of the seafloor of the shelf sea surrounding Britain during the Silurian (443 to 417 million years ago), with trilobites, brachiopods, rugose corals, and molluscs

Fannia scalaris, fake fossil fly in amber

Tenebrio sp. mealworm in a sticky lollipop
Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

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