Furry flying peanuts... new candidate for cutest insect?

See original characterization by @alexdreyer at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11136823
and many more at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=428756&place_id=&preferred_place_id=&locale=en

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still my cutest insect is furry bee.

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That’s a good contender!

From my own observations, my favourite is this fuzzy chonk:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95348985

(Don’t ask me how it flies, but it does!)

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he is adorable wow

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I don’t think there are very many insects that can dethrone Dryocampa rubicunda:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61880590
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/61261328

I’d say all of Saturniidae could qualify as cutest insect family, but maybe those are more elegant than cute.

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I think there can’t be any “cutest insects”, they all are similar in their cuteness and there shouldn’t be competition!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45406081
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/30530418
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/42582108
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10894998
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26278385
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64128401
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/66140282

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Nah … some are cute, and some are just elegant. :-)


https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/58374611

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Why just? Ichneumonids are really cute!

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I thought these guys were adorable

Fuzzy Bee Flies seen at Sherburne NWR, Minnesota

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@edanko look at this bombyliid!!! so chubby and pointy

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bee flies are definitely cuter than beetles and most moths and that is a hill I will die on.

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That beetle has got some bat in it.

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Why are all these insects so good :pleading_face: :pleading_face: :pleading_face: they are extremely good bug friends and I love them all.

“Furry flying peanut” is a very good descriptor.

I think the cutest hexapods are globular springtails (Symphypleona) but of course they can’t compete for “cutest insect.”

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45557665
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/96923060

EDIT: These are not my images, I just admire them :3

They’re just so… blobby and smol… and they always look like they are trying their best.

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I still think woolly bears (Isabella moth caterpillars) are the cutest.

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Ok, the fuzzy beetle was really cute, but this…this takes the cake. It’s at least the cutest fly ever.

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What a chonk!! :pleading_face::heart_eyes:

Agreed!!

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That’s how I feel about the grass carrying wasps, sooo elegant!!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89983163

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I thought this photo of a Dark Arches moth looked cute,

But I think Antler Moths are the cutest moth…

Probably quite biased since these are both some of my favourite species. I love moths!

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Those pictures are amazing! I have several observations of them too, but my camera (Olympus TG-6) couldn’t get them anywhere near as magnified as yours.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88720886
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88720895

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