Public vote opens for 2026 Invertebrate of the Year shortlist
The Guardian has opened public voting for its 2026 Invertebrate of the Year after receiving more than 1,300 reader nominations and narrowing them to 10 candidates. The shortlist includes species such as Bombus dahlbomii, the Lord Howe Island stick insect, the wandering glider, the immortal jellyfish and the common woodlouse. The exercise foregrounds both the diversity of invertebrates and functions such as pollination, decomposition and water filtration.
The story
The Guardian has invited readers to vote for its 2026 Invertebrate of the Year from a shortlist of 10 candidates. The publication says it received more than 1,300 reader nominations before narrowing the field. The article does not specify a voting deadline or the process for determining the final winner beyond the public vote. The candidates described span insects, marine animals and other invertebrates. They include Bombus dahlbomii, a Patagonian bumblebee that can reach 4cm in length; the leaf sheep, a sea slug that feeds on algae; the Lord Howe Island stick insect; the bootlace worm; the common woodlouse; the wandering glider; neon flying squid; the immortal jellyfish Turritopsis dohrnii; and horseshoe crabs. The report also refers to the 2024 earthworm winners and the 2025 winner, the tardigrade Milnesium tardigradum. Rather than announcing a scientific finding or conservation measure, the verified development is the opening of a reader-facing contest. The article uses the nominees’ traits and stories to explain why invertebrates attract attention, from migration and pollination to decomposition, and notes that some candidates have conservation relevance.
Why it matters
Invertebrates are often less visible in public discussion than vertebrates, despite the roles cited in the article in crop pollination, waste recycling, wood decomposition and water filtration. A vote cannot itself protect species, but it can create an accessible entry point to species whose biology and conservation status may otherwise receive limited attention. The shortlist also connects common animals, including woodlice and cicadas, with species facing more specific conservation questions, such as the captive-bred Lord Howe Island stick insect. The article provides no evidence on the contest’s audience size beyond the nomination total or on any resulting behaviour change.
Evidence and context
The article frames the vote as a way to draw attention to invertebrates’ ecological roles, including recycling waste, pollinating crops and filtering water. It also notes that humans and other vertebrates make up barely 5% of animal life, while describing a wide range of invertebrate forms and behaviours represented by the shortlist. Examples include the wandering glider’s long-distance migration, the common woodlouse’s role in breaking down wood, and the Lord Howe Island stick insect’s captive-breeding programme. The contest is presented against a backdrop of damaging biodiversity news, but it does not measure whether voting changes conservation outcomes.
Limits and unknowns
The competition’s past winners cited in the article are earthworms in 2024 and the microscopic tardigrade Milnesium tardigradum in 2025. The article also highlights the Lord Howe Island stick insect, which was thought extinct before its rediscovery in 2001 and has since been bred in captivity. However, the report does not give a voting deadline, explain how the winner will be selected beyond public voting, or provide evidence that the contest directly funds or changes conservation work. Some biological descriptions and population-scale figures are presented in a celebratory format rather than with underlying research citations.
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Story timeline
Stick insect rediscovery
The Lord Howe Island stick insect was rediscovered after having been thought extinct, according to the article.
First contest winner
Earthworms were the inaugural winners of the Invertebrate of the Year contest.
Previous winner
Milnesium tardigradum won the contest.
Voting opens
The Guardian reported that voting had opened on the 2026 top-10 shortlist.
Public vote opens for 2026 Invertebrate of the Year shortlist
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Highlights
- Shortlist announced for Invertebrate of the Year 2026
- Notable species on the shortlist
- Invertebrates support essential ecological functions
- Public voting highlights invertebrate importance
Transcript
More than 1,300 nominations led to a shortlist of 10 unique invertebrates for public voting.
The list includes species like the Lord Howe Island stick insect and the immortal jellyfish.
Invertebrates play vital roles in pollination, decomposition, and water filtration across ecosystems.
The vote raises public awareness about these often overlooked animals and their conservation needs.
This contest connects common species with those needing protection, fostering broader ecological understanding.