Leaf sheep crowned Guardian's Invertebrate of the Year 2026
The neon-green solar-powered slug wins a global ballot, beating the world's largest bumblebee and horseshoe crab.
What to know
- The leaf sheep, a grain-of-rice-sized solar-powered slug discovered in 1993, won the Guardian's triennial competition in a closer-than-usual contest driven by hundreds of thousands of reader votes.
- The creature harvests energy through photosynthesis by collecting and repurposing algae material, essentially building its own biological solar panels.
- The competition, launched three years ago, aims to highlight the ecological importance of invertebrates—97% of all animal species—who pollinate crops, filter water, and sustain ecosystems.
- The leaf sheep's popularity reflects recent advances in underwater macro photography that revealed its striking neon-green appearance, which has inspired Pokémon character design.
The leaf sheep is a worthy and delightful winner that deserves recognition.
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“A neon-green solar-powered slug that lives underwater is the winner of @theguardian.com Invertebrate of the Year competition!”
dpcarrington.bsky.social · Bluesky
“A neon-green solar-powered slug that lives underwater is the winner of @theguardian.com Invertebrate of the Year competition!”
dpcarrington.bsky.social, Bluesky user · Bluesky · Aug 19
Chris Packham Broadcaster and environmental campaignerThe Guardian Competition organizer
The record 4 articles and posts · last 30 days
What people are saying 3 voices from 2 sites · best of 4 · verbatim
- Aug 20
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M
Not my vote but great choice 😎 # invertebrates # InvertebrateOfTheYear # bugs https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20 26/aug/20/winner-invertebrate-of-the-year-2026-crowned-leaf-sheep
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S
The #ManufacturedEcosystems team agrees with @theguardian.com that the Leaf Sheep is pretty darn amazing. Check out Yulia Shtern's stunning work using upcycled materials and no extra pigment, so we can appreciate just how magical this tiny soul really is.
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P
A Spineless Choice: The Guardian names the Leaf Sheep the Invertebrate of the Year. Congratulations to the entire flock! theguardian.com/environment/... (Actual size of these creatures is 5 meters.... I mean millimeters 🫢) #science