Nathan Harness
@nathanharness.bsky.social
Photography, Sensory Ecology, Animal Behavior, Evolution, Bioacoustics, Education. All things Meadow Katydids. PhD from Mizzou , Biologist at Francis Marion University
Hello there. Here’s the 1st wonder of the world- a peacock katydid displaying for us here in the Amazon 😍
October 17, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Hello there. Here’s the 1st wonder of the world- a peacock katydid displaying for us here in the Amazon 😍
Caterpillar? Don’t want to be eaten as a snack? Here’s a popular strategy I found this week in the cloud forest.
October 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Caterpillar? Don’t want to be eaten as a snack? Here’s a popular strategy I found this week in the cloud forest.
A view into the Amazon from Sumaco Volcano. So many little worlds playing out in the forest below. An entire universe of beetles and monkeys and birds and humans. You could spend all your life learning about the ants in one of those little trees down there. Overwhelmingly beautiful.
October 6, 2025 at 2:16 PM
A view into the Amazon from Sumaco Volcano. So many little worlds playing out in the forest below. An entire universe of beetles and monkeys and birds and humans. You could spend all your life learning about the ants in one of those little trees down there. Overwhelmingly beautiful.
I found this rove beetle friend on the rainforest floor. They are so so fast, you can imaging me chasing it around with my camera just rolling around in the leaf litter. Just unbelievable colors. In person the rainbow iridescence is stunning. It’s hard to say much here beyond just wow.
October 1, 2025 at 1:41 AM
I found this rove beetle friend on the rainforest floor. They are so so fast, you can imaging me chasing it around with my camera just rolling around in the leaf litter. Just unbelievable colors. In person the rainbow iridescence is stunning. It’s hard to say much here beyond just wow.
Reposted by Nathan Harness
Look. At. This. (!). A fungus spore landed on this weevil. Grew inside and caused it to climb to the top of this plant- while the fungus killed it. Consumed its body. Used that energy to shoot up a red fruiting body to release more spores. To zombify more weevils. A mind controlling killer fungus.
May 29, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Look. At. This. (!). A fungus spore landed on this weevil. Grew inside and caused it to climb to the top of this plant- while the fungus killed it. Consumed its body. Used that energy to shoot up a red fruiting body to release more spores. To zombify more weevils. A mind controlling killer fungus.
Some vertebrates I found in Southeast Alaska. (It was really great to finally see bubble netting)
July 29, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Some vertebrates I found in Southeast Alaska. (It was really great to finally see bubble netting)
The entrance to Fords Terror. A fjord just off of Endicott Arm in Alaska. You can only get into (or out of) this fjord at high slack tide- for about twenty minutes a day. More photos of the stunning effects of glaciers on mountain rock soon to come
July 26, 2025 at 1:55 AM
The entrance to Fords Terror. A fjord just off of Endicott Arm in Alaska. You can only get into (or out of) this fjord at high slack tide- for about twenty minutes a day. More photos of the stunning effects of glaciers on mountain rock soon to come
A humpback whale checking out her above water surroundings (Spyhopping)
July 25, 2025 at 6:57 PM
A humpback whale checking out her above water surroundings (Spyhopping)
Reposted by Nathan Harness
A weevil at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Easily found by following the trail of glitter he leaves behind everywhere he goes.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
May 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A weevil at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Easily found by following the trail of glitter he leaves behind everywhere he goes.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
What spectacular shades of blue. An iceberg just off the face of the Dawes Glacier in Southeast Alaska. That little spec in front of the upper left part of the berg is an Arctic Tern, absolutely dwarfed by this chunk of mountain-carving-ice.
July 19, 2025 at 3:09 AM
What spectacular shades of blue. An iceberg just off the face of the Dawes Glacier in Southeast Alaska. That little spec in front of the upper left part of the berg is an Arctic Tern, absolutely dwarfed by this chunk of mountain-carving-ice.
Just a stick cleaning its antennae
June 22, 2025 at 12:11 AM
Just a stick cleaning its antennae
🎶horror music🎶 Another cordyceps victim. This particular species of fungus is targeting a different insect. It’s taken over the bugs body and moved it up a tree, where it killed it and consumed it (leaving behind the exoskeleton) using the energy to grow those orange mushrooms and spread more spores
June 3, 2025 at 10:56 PM
🎶horror music🎶 Another cordyceps victim. This particular species of fungus is targeting a different insect. It’s taken over the bugs body and moved it up a tree, where it killed it and consumed it (leaving behind the exoskeleton) using the energy to grow those orange mushrooms and spread more spores
Reposted by Nathan Harness
There have been THREE velvet worm (Onychophora) posts in the last day or so, requiring a megathread. I'll add one of their coolest fossils first, from when they were exclusively marine, drawn by @franzanth.bsky.social for @arthropoda-curator.bsky.social
(see next 3 skeets in thread...) 🧪
(see next 3 skeets in thread...) 🧪
June 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
There have been THREE velvet worm (Onychophora) posts in the last day or so, requiring a megathread. I'll add one of their coolest fossils first, from when they were exclusively marine, drawn by @franzanth.bsky.social for @arthropoda-curator.bsky.social
(see next 3 skeets in thread...) 🧪
(see next 3 skeets in thread...) 🧪
!. Look at this astonishing animal. My velvet worm friend lives on moss in the rainforest. He is ANCIENT. WAY older than dinosaurs, lobopods like him even make an appearance in the Cambrian- when multicellular life became trendy.
You can find him today on a tree at Wildsumaco, in Ecuador :)
You can find him today on a tree at Wildsumaco, in Ecuador :)
June 2, 2025 at 12:50 PM
!. Look at this astonishing animal. My velvet worm friend lives on moss in the rainforest. He is ANCIENT. WAY older than dinosaurs, lobopods like him even make an appearance in the Cambrian- when multicellular life became trendy.
You can find him today on a tree at Wildsumaco, in Ecuador :)
You can find him today on a tree at Wildsumaco, in Ecuador :)
Magic on the other side of a tree
(Red-Bordered Stink Bug)
(Red-Bordered Stink Bug)
May 31, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Magic on the other side of a tree
(Red-Bordered Stink Bug)
(Red-Bordered Stink Bug)
Look. At. This. (!). A fungus spore landed on this weevil. Grew inside and caused it to climb to the top of this plant- while the fungus killed it. Consumed its body. Used that energy to shoot up a red fruiting body to release more spores. To zombify more weevils. A mind controlling killer fungus.
May 29, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Look. At. This. (!). A fungus spore landed on this weevil. Grew inside and caused it to climb to the top of this plant- while the fungus killed it. Consumed its body. Used that energy to shoot up a red fruiting body to release more spores. To zombify more weevils. A mind controlling killer fungus.
Reposted by Nathan Harness
Just got back from Ecuador, where I made new friends, learned new things, and saw some cool stuff! Ecuador is a country that NEVER disappoints.
This gorgeous red huntsman spider is Sadala rauli, a rainforest inhabitant that I see quite often but was only formally described as a species a year ago!
This gorgeous red huntsman spider is Sadala rauli, a rainforest inhabitant that I see quite often but was only formally described as a species a year ago!
May 28, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Just got back from Ecuador, where I made new friends, learned new things, and saw some cool stuff! Ecuador is a country that NEVER disappoints.
This gorgeous red huntsman spider is Sadala rauli, a rainforest inhabitant that I see quite often but was only formally described as a species a year ago!
This gorgeous red huntsman spider is Sadala rauli, a rainforest inhabitant that I see quite often but was only formally described as a species a year ago!
Come take a hike on Antpitta Trail they said... 🐌 👀
Antpitta is right behind the biological station at Wildsumaco, Home of untold wonders, like these Giant South American Snails— and most of the other stuff I post on here. It is a real privilege to live in the same time on earth as these guys.
Antpitta is right behind the biological station at Wildsumaco, Home of untold wonders, like these Giant South American Snails— and most of the other stuff I post on here. It is a real privilege to live in the same time on earth as these guys.
May 28, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Come take a hike on Antpitta Trail they said... 🐌 👀
Antpitta is right behind the biological station at Wildsumaco, Home of untold wonders, like these Giant South American Snails— and most of the other stuff I post on here. It is a real privilege to live in the same time on earth as these guys.
Antpitta is right behind the biological station at Wildsumaco, Home of untold wonders, like these Giant South American Snails— and most of the other stuff I post on here. It is a real privilege to live in the same time on earth as these guys.
A game I get to play often in Ecuador… One of these things is not like the other.
Do you see him? Imagine looking in an entire forest.
Do you see him? Imagine looking in an entire forest.
May 27, 2025 at 2:35 PM
A game I get to play often in Ecuador… One of these things is not like the other.
Do you see him? Imagine looking in an entire forest.
Do you see him? Imagine looking in an entire forest.
A weevil at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Easily found by following the trail of glitter he leaves behind everywhere he goes.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
May 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A weevil at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Easily found by following the trail of glitter he leaves behind everywhere he goes.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
But really- this glitter weevil is always amazing to see and a real wonder of the world. Endless forms most beautiful, indeed.
A portrait of the charismatic Crayola Katydid (Moncheca sp) hanging out at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Having held SO many similar (Copiphorini) katydids, it’s jarring to be met with these bright, in your face colors. Other than being purple this guy, and his green relatives, are excellent grass mimics
May 21, 2025 at 2:27 PM
A portrait of the charismatic Crayola Katydid (Moncheca sp) hanging out at Wildsumaco in Ecuador. Having held SO many similar (Copiphorini) katydids, it’s jarring to be met with these bright, in your face colors. Other than being purple this guy, and his green relatives, are excellent grass mimics
I put a camera in the woods beside a lake, right on an otter latrine. Last night my river otter friend visited and did a bit of a dance for you all. Enjoy 🦦
February 14, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I put a camera in the woods beside a lake, right on an otter latrine. Last night my river otter friend visited and did a bit of a dance for you all. Enjoy 🦦
Itty bitty body-mass… phenomenal cosmic biomass 🐜🐛🐞🪲🪳🕷️
February 14, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Itty bitty body-mass… phenomenal cosmic biomass 🐜🐛🐞🪲🪳🕷️