An endemic egg-fly from Sulawesi

I chased this butterfly for quite a while before it settled down on a leaf and let me take a photograph!  I did not know what it was at the time, but subsequently discovered that it is a species which is endemic to Sulawesi called Hypolimnas diomea Hewitson, 1861.  William C. Hewitson being the gentleman who…

You are so nice, I could eat you!

I came across this huge spider on Bunaken Island, in northern Sulawesi.  The body must have been about 4 cm long and the legs spanned at least 15 cm, maybe more. It is a golden silk orb-weaving spider (genus Nephila) – also called giant wood spiders – which construct large webs to trap their prey. typically flying…