Winner of Invertebrate of the Year 2026 crowned – and it is the size of a grain of rice

The leaf sheep, a neon green solar-powered slug, has inspired at least one Pokémon character and triumphs in global ballot A neon green solar-powered slug that lives underwater is the winner of the increasingly popular Invertebrate of the Year competition run by the Guardian. The leaf sheep, Costasiella kuroshimae, triumphed in the global ballot after hundreds of thousands of readers around the world read about and shared their appreciation for the spineless creatures who make up the majority...

By Patrick Barkham