At last, an election in which having a spine is grounds for immediate disqualification.
The candidates for Invertebrate of the Year are being unveiled, and today’s entry is Bombus dahlbomii — Patagonia’s enormous ginger moscardón bumblebee, affectionately known as the “flying mouse.”
Females can reach nearly four centimeters long. They pollinate native Patagonian plants, have a particular fondness for red flowers, and possess the sort of extravagant fur coat one rather expects from a candidate seeking higher office.
Unfortunately, the moscardón is also endangered. European bumblebees introduced for commercial pollination brought competition and disease, contributing to a dramatic decline in its native range.
So there is something pleasantly serious beneath the absurdity of the ballot: a small election asking people to notice some of the creatures upon which rather larger things depend.
Previous winners include an earthworm and a tardigrade.
Democracy has had worse shortlists.
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