Every year, 16,000 new species are discovered. In 2025, biologists continued this tradition of charting life’s diversity by uncovering extraordinary new species across the globe, from macabre insects to deep-sea oddities. These discoveries not only expand our knowledge of evolution and ecology but also highlight how much of Earth’s biodiversity remains unknown. Here are the top newly discovered invertebrates of 2025

1. The “Bone Collector” Caterpillar: Nature’s Macabre 

One of the most bizarre and fascinating new species documented in 2025 is a carnivorous caterpillar found exclusively on the Hawaiian island of O’ahu. 

Even on that island, its known range is very small, occupying an area of only fifteen square kilometres with the Wai’anae mountain range — meaning it’s an endemic species. An endemic species is a species found only naturally in one specific, restricted geographic location and nowhere else in the world. 

Researchers have dubbed this species the “Bone Collector” due to its unusual behaviour of adorning itself with the body parts of insects it consumes. Unlike nearly all caterpillars, which are herbivores, this species scavenges weak or dead insects caught in spider webs. After feeding, it collects pieces of exoskeleton, wings and other body parts and weaves them into its protective silk case, creating a grotesque camouflage that may help it evade predators and blend into its spider-web habitat. Interestingly, this creature also exhibits cannibalistic behaviour, and only one individual is ever found per web in the wild, likely due to competition between members of the species. 

2. A “Death-Ball” Sponge From the Deep: New Insights into Abyssal Predators 

 A groundbreaking discovery in one of Earth’s least explored marine frontiers revealed a carnivorous sponge with an eerily descriptive nickname: the “Death-Ball” Sponge. 

Found at a depth of 3,601 meters in the southern Ocean, this unusual organism challenges conventional understanding of sponge biology and highlights the rich biodiversity lurking beneath the ocean’s surface. What makes this sponge interesting is that it doesn’t filter feed like other sponges, but its tiny spheres have tiny hooks to trap prey.

The carnivorous sponge was documented during two research cruises conducted by the The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census in collaboration with the Schmidid Ocean Institute. The Death-Ball Sponge was one of 30 new species discovered in the deep ocean near Antarctica.  

3. The Newly Recognized Okanagan Crayfish 

– A recent discovery within our own Canadian backyard, scientists in 2025 have documented a distinct species of crayfish long overlooked in western Canada’s freshwater ecosystems. While originally mistaken for other types of crayfish, the Okanagan Crayfish is its own distinct species. Unfortunately, this new species is endangered due to human activity in its habitat. 

4. Four new Dragon Pseudoscorpions 

Scientists have discovered four new species of Pseudoscopropions. They were documented in Korean caves, expanding knowledge of cave-dwelling arthropods with formidable jaws relative to their tiny size. These blind cave dwellers are related to scorpions but lack the sting in their tail. Additionally, they are endemic to a single cave rather than larger areas.

But don’t worry, despite them being called Dragons, they are tiny and harmless to humans. They’re only one to three millimetres long. The four new species from the dragon pseudoscorpion family are called S. dugigulensis, S. geumgulensis, S. magwihalmigulensis and S. yamigulensis. They have a very interesting taxonomy.

Why do we care?

Besides being strange discoveries, the year 2025 reinforced that Earth’s biodiversity is far richer and stranger than previously imagined. From an insect that wears the corpses of its prey as armour to unusual deep-sea death-balls, these discoveries have shown us the “alien world” of Earth. 

These discoveries inspire scientists and other potential students in the field; it’s also a reminder of how much remains to be discovered. Hopefully, 2026 will give us even more terrifying, strange and cool creatures yet to be discovered. 

What was your favourite newly discovered species in this list? Do you know of a new species discovered in 2025 that wasn’t on this list?