Although The Muppets appeared after my childhood years, I’m still familiar with the main characters and one of my favourites has always been Gonzo. Perhaps that’s why I also love the Gonzos of the insect world, the weevils. And it’s not just their elongated snouts that remind me of him. Although weevils don’t have Gonzo’s energy, they do seem inclined towards occasional death-defying acts, teetering recklessly on the edges of leaves while reaching out for their next foothold, though they draw the line at catching cannonballs!

Weevils can be difficult to identify but, as the ones pictured here were all found on nettles, I’m going to hazard a guess that they’re Nettle weevils (Phyllobius pomaceus). Being slightly more scientific, I think I can see the prominent tooth on the front femur of some of these creatures, which also helps to identify them, as does the position of their antennas on their heads. As you can see, the Neetle weevil is covered in blue-green scales that have a metallic sheen, though these can rub off as they age – and engage in death-defying (and other!) acts – so, older specimens do sometimes look more black than blue-green.