Feather-tailed Possum

Mammals > Diprotodontia

The Feather-tailed Possum (Distoechurus pennatus) is an enchanting, miniature arboreal marsupial endemic to the lush tropical rainforests of the island of New Guinea. Representing the sole surviving member of the genus Distoechurus within the family Acrobatidae, this...

Starry Trilobite Beetle

Invertebrates > Coleoptera

The Starry Trilobite Beetle (Platerodrilus foliosus) is one of the most astonishing living fossils and morphological anomalies in the insect kingdom. Belonging to the family Lycidae (net-winged beetles), this remarkable Bornean species is famous for extreme sexual...

Morgan’s Sphinx Moth

Invertebrates > Lepidoptera

Morgan’s Sphinx Moth (Xanthopan morganii), famously dubbed Darwin’s hawk moth, stands as one of the most celebrated triumphs of evolutionary biology. In 1862, upon examining the Madagascan orchid Angraecum sesquipedale—whose nectar sits at the bottom of a...

Hairy Purple Bracket

Fungi > Polyporales

The Hairy Purple Bracket (Panus neostrigosus), also commonly known as the bristly panus or purple fuzz bracket, is an eye-catching wood-decay macrofungus celebrated for its striking coloration and tactile surface texture. Emerging from rotting hardwood timber during...

Blue Velvet Worm

Invertebrates > Onychophora

The Blue Velvet Worm (Euperipatoides rowelli) is an astonishing living relic belonging to the ancient phylum Onychophora, often described as ‘velvet worms.’ Remaining virtually unchanged in body plan for more than 500 million years since the Cambrian...