Unexpectedly cute observations - what are yours?

[ItsMeLucy]

What are some examples of your unexpectedly cute observations? I do not mean axolotls or baby squirrels or anything generally expected to be cute but rather things that were a little surprising. Here are three of mine.

I loved that little “mid-century Martian” Foxtail Copperleaf! I had not seen anything like it before (or since.)

Bolbonota look to me like tiny buffalo/acorn crosses and their teeny feet holding them up are everything.

My heart just smiles back even as my brain knows this jumping spider is not actually smiling at me, hahaha.

[marina_gorbunova]

It’s hard to divide between expected to be cute or not, because jumping spiders are always seen as cute, maybe too much. But I’d pick Neuroptera that have very cute faces which are rarely seen.
Creoleon plumbeus and Pseudomallada flavifrons

[swampster]

Observation:17216683

I like to sit on the ground whenever I find an Eastern Ratsnake. I think they are particularly cute from ground level.

Observation:44996368

Observation:44996364

[ItsMeLucy]

I wonder if the acceptance of jumping spiders as cute is limited to naturalist circles? I find myself frequently imploring people around me to let spiders (and reptiles and bees and wasps…) be.

I reallyreally like those Neuroptera faces! Their eyes are gorgeous. (I usually only see Green Lacewings here when they are in their “linty looking” stage.)

[ItsMeLucy]

They do look cute from ground level! They look a little shy and like they hope you have cookies in your pocket.

[anhingas]

This little jumping spider. Was doing a birding checklist and noticed it hop onto my toe right out of the corner of my eye. It hung around with me for quite a bit before taking off! Definitely one of my favorite insect observations for sure.

[nellse]

Once you’ve seen the smile on it’s back you cannot unsee it :)

Oh, and this of course

And snails :)

Think I could go on forever

[jeffdc]

This one for sure. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56982819

[sbushes]

Some cute flies for the thread

[nickcarlson]

Definitely this bluebird I saw in the fountain

[amybirder]

This Brown-headed Nuthatch was goofing around. Kind of cute/funny…

[That_Bug_Guy]

Here’s a cutie. A Milkweed Longhorn Beetle. I love it’s little eyes!

[ItsMeLucy]

Think I could go on forever

Then continue on! Here’s another of mine, an unidentified fly doing a very good impression of Snuffleupagus.

[karnevil9]

For a moment I thought this coyote was going to bring me this stick. LOL

[felix75]

Brown-lined Paperbubble (Hydatina physis) and Common Sydney Octopus (Octopus tetricus). As I took a shot of the octopus, it reached out and grabbed my camera.

[supertiger]

both of mine happen to be scorpions, we only have one species where I live and I love to observe it whenever I can :)

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/89782752

and
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32831163

[screedius]

Oh, I’ve got a lot of good ones for this. It’ll be hard to pick just a few. How about this tiny grasshopper nymph that’s about the size of the nail on my pinkie finger?

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/39521277

[scotiaspinner]

I have to add another jumping spider (Eris militaris) who obligingly posed on pretty pink petals.

Then there’s this tachinid fly (Hystricia abrupta) which (to me) looks like a cute flying bristly tomato.

And I think moth faces can be really cute, like this laurel sphinx (Sphinx kalmiae) from earlier this year.

Although my all-time cutest observation (although probably not so unexpected) were these baby voles.

[orenda3]

[zdanko]

Miltogramminae all day :D