2019

2019, Insects and Arachnids, Mainland France Selection

Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) on a flower – France

Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) on a flower - France

The Chestnut weevil, a garden astronaut.

Carefully perched on the pristine petals of a stitchwort, this Chestnut weevil (Curculio elephas) looks like a creature straight out of a science fiction story with its spectacular rostrum.

This small beetle, an icon of the French countryside, possesses a unique tool: a rigid, extremely thin snout that allows it to bore into plant tissues. In the female, this rostrum is a feat of natural engineering used to pierce the still-soft shells of chestnut to deposit an egg.

2019, Birds, Spain Selection

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) in motion on a reed

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita), agility in motion.

Small in size but immense in vitality, the Common Chiffchaff lives up to its name, tirelessly enlivening wetlands and forest edges.

Nicknamed the “money counter” because of its rhythmic song resembling the clinking of coins, this tiny insectivore is a true bundle of energy. Its olive-green and brown plumage provides discreet camouflage, but its restless temperament often betrays it. A partial migrator, it is capable of traveling impressive distances.

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