Minibeasts are some of the smallest creatures on Earth. Some have wings, some have shells, some have no legs, some have six, some have eight and some have even more! Minibeasts come in all different shapes, sizes and colours.

There are millions of different types of minibeasts but all of them are invertebrates, which means they don’t have a backbone in their bodies. There are more invertebrates on Earth than any other type of creature. There are all sorts of minibeasts living in different places around the world, there are very few places you wouldn’t find these creatures living. Minibeasts often can be found in micro habitats, for example under a log, in a pile of autumn leaves or in a hole of a tree for example. 

You’ll see lots of minibeasts when it is warmer, as during the colder months lots of these creatures hibernate. Some minibeasts can be harder to find than others though, as some are very good at camouflaging into their environment to protect themselves from predators. Being so small they are very easy food otherwise! Other minibeasts can be very brightly coloured which makes them stand out quite a bit. These colours are meant to be a warning to predators not to eat them, another way of protecting themselves.

Incredibly, while minibeasts are very small they are very important to the ecosystems of our planet. Minibeasts help pollinate plants and without them flying from flower to flower and pollinating them a lot of the food we eat simply wouldn’t grow. They are also important to many food chains, providing food for other bigger animals. Minibeasts also do an important job of breaking down waste and creating fertile soil which we can then grow plants in. They even make things that humans then use, such as honey, wax and silk.

Scroll through the pictures to choose what minibeasts you’d like to learn about or you can use the links below…