Crush-worthy cephalopods and beautiful bugs – vote for the invertebrate of the year

Of the 1.3m spineless wonders in the world, you told us your favourites.

Now it’s time to pick the winner

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It’s raining in Melbourne as I write this, and on my way to work I saw pale pink earthworms everywhere, scattered and exposed all over the footpath like soft-bodied streamers.

It was a visible reminder, as I dodged to avoid squishing the https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/12/earthworm-soil-maker-invertebrate">inaugural winners, in 2024, of the invertebrate of the year contest, of the magnificent array of 1.7m invertebrate species we share the planet with.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/07/could-uk-ever-run-out-of-water">Could England and Wales ever run out of water?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/11/extinction-caspian-tiger-release-female-kazakhstan-aoe">The return of the caspian tiger: how a species feared extinct has come back to Kazakhstan

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