The smallest arthropods ever discovered.

In the forests of Costa Rica, a tiny insect has been found. Tinkerbella nana is a fairyfly that is only 250 micrometers long. It is one of the smallest arthropods ever discovered.

How could they even find such a tiny creature? The researchers admit that it was not easy given the biodiversity of the forest. “It is possibly equivalent to finding a solitary needle in 200 haystacks,” Dr John Noyes notes.

Photo credit: Jennifer Read / Natural Resources Canada