Invertebrata Collection

Achatinella sp. Oahu tree snails

Ornithoptera alexandrae, Queen Alexandras birdwing butterfly
A mounted specimen of Queen Alexandras birdwing butterfly from Papua New Guinea. Male specimen measuring 188 mm across wingtips. See 14964 for the female which is larger

Entomology Specimens
A specimen tray from the Natural History Museums Entomology Department showing the diversity of insects in terms of shape, size and colours

Giant octopus
Plate 26 from Histoire naturelle des Mollusques by Count Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon, 1805

Chrysina limbata, silver chafer beetle
Silver chafer beetle specimen. The beetles have a base pigment covered by several colourless microscopically thin layers called laminae

Morpho cypris, blue morpho butterfly
Butterfly from Central America. South America. Specimen on display at the Natural History Museum at Tring, part of the Natural History Museum, London

Phoebis sennae, cloudless sulphur butterfly
Photograph of a mounted specimen of cloudless sulphur. Male. Species occurs on the Galapagos Islands

Xanthopan morganii praedicta, sphinx moth
Darwins sphinx moth, found in Madagascar. The species as a whole is known as Morgans sphinx

Plate 17 from Libellulinae Europaeae by de Charpentier
Illustration of dragonflies. Plate 17 from Libellulinae Europaeae illustrated and described by Toussint de Charpentier, 1840

Extinct marine reptiles
Sheet 1 of a series of posters called Extinct Animals by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins c. 1862. This collection of marine reptiles lived during the Jurassic period between 200

Entomological specimens of Lepidoptera
Unidentified photograph of mounted specimens of butterflies and moths

Asteroceras, fossil ammonite
A 16 cm diameter specimen of the Jurassic ammonite Asteroceras from the Lower Jurassic of Dorset, England

Ophrys apifera, bee orchid
Watercolour by Arthur Harry Church, 17 June 1913

Ocypus olens, devils coach horse beetle model
A large scale model of the devils coach horse beetle (Ocypus olens). A beetle that is commonly found beneath logs. Held within the Natural History Museum, London

Leaf-cutter ants carrying pieces of leaf
Leaf-cutter ants transporting neatly extracted pieces of leaf. These ants derive from the rainforests of Central and South America

Schistosoma spp. blood flukes
Blood flukes mating. These parasites are found in man and other mammals. Snails are the intermediate hosts

Mosquito in Dominican amber
A mosquito in trapped and preserved in Dominican amber. Lower Miocene about 20 million years old. Image from Amber The Natural Time Capsule. Figure 90

Cladognathus sp. stag beetle
A specimen of a large stag beetle from Asia. Stag beetles belong to the family (Lucanidae). Only male stag beetles have horns or antlers

H. W. Bates illustrated notebooks
Plate 7 from a notebook of Henry W. Bates (1825-92) relating to the insect fauna of the Amazon Valley or DRW, 1851-1854

Beetles
Double page spread of pencil and watercolour illustrations and sketches of beetles by Henry Walter Bates

Cimex lectularius, bed bug
Scanning electron microscope image of a bed bug (x 17). The sucking mouthparts enable the feeding bedbugs to pierce the hosts tissues and siphon out a blood meal

Longhorn beetle

Schistocerca gregaria, desert locust
A desert locust perching on a branch. Locusts sometimes swarm to form groups of up to 80 million and can migrate over large distances

Heteropoda venatoria, huntsman spider
This a large brown spider with a flattened body structure and a leg span of between 7 and 12 cm. These spiders hunt at night, and mainly prey upon cockroaches

Octopus
Watercolour 401 by the Port Jackson Painter, from the Watling Collection

Janthina violacea, violet snail
Watercolour 398 by Thomas Watling, entitled Boala, from the Watling Collection

Sabatia bartramii, savannah pink & Eacles imperialis, imperi
Drawing 11 (Ewan 38) from the Botanical and zoological drawings (1756-1788) by William Bartram. Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Pharmacophagus antenor, giant swallowtail
Giant swallowtail butterfly and the common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae). Plate 15 from Insects of India by Edward Donovan (1768-1837)

Butterflies from the Amazon by H. W. Bates
A page (p 144) from a notebook of Henry W. Bates relating to the insect fauna of the Amazon Valley or DRW, 1851-1854

Discosphaera tubifera, coccolithophore
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showing the unicellular planktonic algae Discosphaera tubifera from the North Atlantic surrounded by a sphere of calcite plates - coccoliths

Beetle illustrations
Double page spread of pencil and watercolour illustrations of beetles by Henry Walter Bates

Coloured sketches of insects on Page 35 from Bates notebook 1. Bates was a renowned Victorian entomologist

Nematode worm
This nematode worm specimen has an unsegmented, cylindrical body and is also known as a roundworm

Dragonflies and damselflies from Collection of Drawings by Dutch Artists, 17th-19th centuries. Held in the Entomology Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Gromphadorhina portentosa, hissing cockroach
A pair of hissing cockroaches also known as the Madagascan hissing cockroach. This species of roach is chocolate brown with no wings

Entomological specimens of Lepidoptera
Unidentified photograph of mounted specimens of butterflies and moths

Simulium damnosum, Simulian blackfly
Scanning electron microscope image of the head showing the compound eye (x 130). The fly is a vector of a parasite which causes River Blindness. Coloured artifically by computer

Flea illustration
Page 201 from Micrographia or some Physiological description of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses (1665) by Robert Hooke

Snail teeth

Ornithoptera alexandrae, Queen Alexandras birdwing butterfl
Digital image of the upperside of a mounted specimen of a Queen Alexandras birdwing butterfly from the family Papilionidae

Dermatophagoides sp. dust mite
Scanning electron microscope image of a dust mite. Dust mites are secondary to pollen as a cause for allergies and they live in bedding, soft furniture and carpets

Partial fossil remains of the giant millepede, Arthropleura
Measuring 7.1 cm long, this Carboniferous fossil represents only part of a leg of the giant millepede Arthropleura

20th Century Art: Weevil (Rhopalomesites tardyi), 1998 by Ma
Watercolour. Russell is an example of a scientist turned artist. Trained initially as an entomologist his combined love of beetles and art resulted in a series of exceptional drawings of weevils

Morpho rhetenor, blue morpho butterfly
Illustrative plate of a blue morpho butterfly from Insects of China by Edward Donovan (1768-1837)

Eurypterus, a fossil eurypterid
The paddles used for swimming are very conspicuous in the Silurian eurypterid Eurypterus from New York State. This individual measures 12 cm in length

Scolopendra gigantea, giant centipede
A giant centipede which was brought into the Museums Insect Identification service after being found in a living room in London. The specimen is venomous and not native to the UK

Dressed Fleas
Dressed fleas on display at the Natural History Museum in Tring

Sarcoptes scabiei, scabies mite
Scanning electron microscope image of an itch or scabies mite, a parasite that infests a wide variety of mammalian hosts including humans

Sandfly
Sandflies belong to the family Phlebotominae and are responsible of spreading sandfly fever

A fine ripe Pomelo, peeled and cut ornamentally for table
Watercolour by Olivia Fanny Tonge 1858-1949. 180 x 260mm. From one of sixteen sketchbooks presented to the Museum in 1952

St. Cuthberts Beads - rosary made from crinoid columnals
Unidentified crinoid columnals used as beads for jewellery. Specimens from the Carboniferous Yoredale Shales, Ribblehead, Yorkshire

Hydroporus rufifrons, diving beetle
Close-up shot of a diving beetle (Hydroporus rufifrons). Specimen held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Department

Argonauta hians, brown paper nautilus
A pair of brown paper nautilus (Argonauta hians). This delicate-shelled cephalopod is distributed in warm seas globally

Ornithoptera croesus, Wallaces golden birdwing butterfly

Ephemera danica, mayfly larva
The larval stage of a mayfly lasts about a year, and is spent entirely underwater. When it hatches as an adult in the spring, usually May, it is only very short-lived

Stuart Hine with Scolopendra gigantea, giant centipede
Natural History Museum Entomologist, Stuart Hine with a giant centipede which was brought into the Museums Insect Identification service after being found in a living room in London

Scarab beetles
The largest shown here, (Scarabaeus sacer), was regarded as sacred in ancient Egypt. Today the species are important to agriculture for their dung burying activities

Triatoma infestans, kissing bug
This insect is a member of the Triatomine group, which are associated with the transmission of disease to humans

Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa, mole cricket
Detail from plate 456 of an illustration of a mole cricket from British Entomology: Original Drawings Vol 10, by John Curtis, 1862

Coleoptera sp. metallic beetles
A pair of gold and silver metallic beetles side by side

Coral Gallery c. 1895
Photograph of coral display cases by Anthony Gepp. The Coral Gallery opened in 1881 in the West Wing of the Waterhouse Building. Date: 1881

Pieridae sp. clouded yellow butterflies
Original drawing for a plate in A field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Europe. Artwork by Brian Hargreaves. This picture must not be used without permission from Brian Hargreaves

Thespesia populnea, portia tree
Finished watercolour by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage across the Pacific, 1768-1771

Smokejacks Brickworks, Surrey
Smokejacks Brickworks in Ockley, Surrey shows part of the Upper Weald Clay Formation of Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) age

Calymene blumenbachii brongniart, trilobite
This trilobite originates from the 425 million year old Devonian Wenlock Limestone, Dudley, Worcestershire

Peppered moth
Two specimens of peppered moths exhibited on a soot-covered tree. This is a good demonstration of genetic selection through changing environment

Plate 45 from Libellulinae Europaeae by de Charpentier
Illustration of dragonflies. Plate 45 from Libellulinae Europaeae illustrated and described by Toussaint von Charpentier (1780-1847), 1840

Nautilus pompilius, common nautilus
A section through a common nautilus (Nautilus pompiius) showing the internal divisions into chambers and siphuncles

Bill of fare from Crystal Palace, 31 / 12 / 1853
Menu for the dinner in the Iguanodon and original artwork by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, donated by his granddaughter Mary Hawkins

Phacops, a fossil trilobite
This Moroccan Devonian Phacops is enrolled, measuring 4.5 cm in width, and has a glabella covered in tubercles

Ammonite fossil C016 / 5777
Ammonite (Parkinsonia dorsetensis) fossil. This ammonite has an evolute shell and is displaying complex suture lines. Specimen originates from the Middle Jurassic

Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892) see 51935
Bates collections and notebooks are held at the Natural History Museum, London. Bates is best known for his publication Naturalis on the River Amazon (1863) and his work on mimicry

Fire ant
Watercolour 405 by the Port Jackson Painter, entitled Mong, from the Watling Collection

Glaucus atlanticus, blue sea slug
Ff. 23 Vol 3. Watercolour painting by Sydney Parkinson made during Captain James Cooks first voyage to explore the southern continent 1768-1771

Physalia pelagica, Portugese-man-of-war
Illustration by Rene Primevcre Lesson from Voyage of the Coquille (1826-1338)

Astacus astacus Linnaeus, crayfish
Suppl. Tb LVI from Insecten-Belustigung 1756-61, Volume 3 by August Johann R� von Rosenhof (1705-1759)

Scorpio orientalis, scorpion
Suppl. Tab LXV from Insecten-Belustigung 1746-61 Volume 3, by August Johann R� von Rosenhof (1705-1759)

Dalmanites, a fossil trilobite
This example of the Silurian trilobite Dalmanites, 4.2 cm long, shows to perfection the complex dorsal exoskeleton of these extinct arthropods

Phragmites australis (Cav. ), common reed
A herbarium sheet containing Phragmites australis (Cav.), a common reed which grows in wetlands throughout the America, Europe and parts of Asia. This specimen is from Panama

Examples of mimicry among butterflies
Plate from On the lepidoptera of the Amazon Valley. Transactions of the Linnean Society, by H.W. Bates, 1862

Acanthoica acanthifera, coccosphere
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a coccosphere, collected in the North Atlantic (x 25, 000 on negative). Artificially coloured by computer

Pentrimites robustus, blastoid
Side view of a specimen from the Carboniferous (Mississipian), Illinois, USA - length 4 cm. Blastoids are extinct marine invertabrates belonging to the Phylum Echinodermata

Oligonychus ununguis, red spider mite
Red spider mites are arachnids with four pairs of legs and no antennae. They are a plant-sucking pest mainly active in the hot summer weather

Tylocidaris clavigera, sea urchin
A fossil echinoid (Tylocidaris clavigera) from the Cretaceous rocks of Gravesend, England

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"Invertebrata: A Fascinating World of Wonders" Step into the mesmerizing realm of invertebrates, where an array of extraordinary creatures awaits. From the resplendent Ornithoptera alexandrae, also known as Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly, to the captivating Chrysina limbata silver chafer beetle, this diverse group never fails to amaze. Delve into the world of entomology specimens and witness their intricate beauty up close. Marvel at the delicate wingspan of a cloudless sulphur butterfly, Phoebis sennae, or explore Plate 17 from Libellulinae Europaeae by de Charpentier and discover a stunning variety of European dragonflies. Venture beneath the waves and encounter an ancient giant - the magnificent octopus. Its intelligence and adaptability are awe-inspiring as it gracefully navigates its watery domain. Travel back in time through fossil records and uncover extinct marine reptiles that once ruled prehistoric oceans. Admire Asteroceras, a fossil ammonite with its perfectly preserved spiral shell that tells tales from millions of years ago. Nature's artistry takes center stage with Ophrys apifera, commonly known as bee orchid. This remarkable flower mimics bees so convincingly that it attracts pollinators effortlessly. Witness nature's coevolutionary dance between Xanthopan morganii praedicta sphinx moth and Angraecum sesquipedale orchid – their symbiotic relationship is nothing short of astonishing. Meet Ocypus olens, better known as devil's coach horse beetle model; its fierce appearance belies its role in maintaining ecological balance by devouring decaying matter. Observe leaf-cutter ants diligently carrying pieces of foliage several times their size – these tiny architects demonstrate incredible teamwork while building their elaborate underground colonies. Invertebrata encompasses a vast tapestry of life, each thread woven with intricate adaptations and captivating stories.