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Small Beings – Big Responsibility

Feel the pulse of arthropod life: Captivating visuals, emotional narratives, and insights that foster a commitment to safeguarding biological diversity.

Let’s enter the fascinating realm of small beings, a world that, in its sheer simplicity, holds enormous significance. Our mission? To raise awareness of biodiversity and the vast value of life. We take you into a microcosm that is often overlooked but plays a central role in the ecosystem.

With stunning macro images, we reveal the hidden beauty of arthropods, the fascinating creatures that populate our planet. Every picture, every story, every piece of information is a passionate plea for species conservation and its essential contribution to climate protection. Our approach is scientific yet accessible: not a dry encyclopaedia, but a lively, inspiring experience.

In the “Tales” section, you will find personal insights into the lives of these little creatures. Experience their thoughts, their challenges, their miracles. In the “Diary” section, the Arthropod Courier provides a new, fascinating snapshot every day, a window into a world that needs to be discovered and protected. And if you want to delve deeper, you can browse through 186 species belonging to 62 families in our extensive catalog of observations in “Catalogue”. Join us on this journey and discover how each of us can make a valuable contribution to protecting these small yet important creatures. Let’s explore the wonders of our world together!

The Arthropods' Weekly Bulletin

Here you will find personal stories and articles about and from the realm of small beings, told by… the small beings. We let them have their say, all the fireflies, bees, beetles, spiders and many more. You’ll find a new story here about every week. So be sure to check back regularly.

Dance of love — our exclusive interview
·4 mins
Patrick
Lisa and Linus, two large dragonflies, share their personal mating experiences, often described as a dance, shedding light on the associated challenges and misunderstandings.
Death in the garden
·2 mins
Patrick
Otto, the earwig, experiences an environment that is becoming increasingly dangerous due to the use of neonicotinoids and confronts the deadly consequences of these insecticides for himself and other insects.
The Spanish crane fly
·3 mins
Patrick
Is Bavaria the new Barcelona? Mio, the mosquito, experiences climate zones gone astray.

The Arthropods' Daily

The daily Arthropod Courier brings you a new picture of a little being every day. Click here for the archive of previously published issues.

April 27, 2024 – Issue No. 253: “Thick-legged Hover Fly“

Thick-legged Hover Fly
April 27, 2024

Catalog of Sightings

Classes „Insects“

Beetles
Lat. “Coleoptera“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 18 families, 54 species
Brachyceran Flies
Lat. “Brachycera“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 14 families, 28 species
Butterflies and Moths
Lat. “Lepidoptera“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 3 families, 16 species
Cockroaches and Termites
Lat. “Blattodea“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 2 species
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Lat. “Odonata“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 2 suborders, 5 species
Earwigs
Lat. “Dermaptera“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 4 species
Grasshoppers, Crickets, and Katydids
Lat. “Orthoptera“
order of class “Insects“
1 order, 16 species
Green Lacewings
Lat. “Chrysopidae“
family of class “Insects“
1 family, 2 species
Narrow-waisted Wasps, Ants, and Bees
Lat. “Apocrita“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 1 family, 1 infraorder, 20 species
Nematoceran Flies
Lat. “Nematocera“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 1 superfamily, 3 families, 3 species
Plant-parasitic Hemipterans
Lat. “Sternorrhyncha“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 1 superfamily, 1 species
Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps
Lat. “Symphyta“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 2 species
True Bugs
Lat. “Heteroptera“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 7 families, 36 species
True Hoppers
Lat. “Auchenorrhyncha“
suborder of class “Insects“
1 suborder, 2 families, 6 species

Subphylums „Crustaceans“

Woodlice, Pillbugs, and Rock Slaters
Lat. “Oniscidea“
suborder des Unterstamms “Crustaceans“
1 suborder, 2 species

Classes „Arachnids“

Typical Spiders
Lat. “Araneomorphae“
suborder of class “Arachnids“
1 suborder, 4 families, 9 species