We’re asking readers from around the world to nominate their favourite spineless species for our second Invertebrate of the Year competition

They are the unsung heroes of the planet – the silent majority, the innovators, the grafters, our overlooked friends and protectors.

Invertebrates make up the vast majority of animals on Earth – at last 1.3 million species. They are a wondrously diverse bunch, including insects, arachnids, snails, crustaceans, corals, jellyfish, sponges and echinoderms.