Yasuni's most unusual species - in pictures

Among the 100 or so species of bats in Yasuni, half a dozen build tents to protect their families from the torrential rains Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito A highly camouflaged bird, the common potoo, hides quietly at the end of a broken branch while protecting a nestling under its breast feathers Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Velvet worms are evolutionary 'missing links' that are not missing at all; they're intermediate between earthworms and millipedes Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Some relatives of the cicadas produce waxy secretions that accumulate to form feathery extensions; little is known of their function Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Crab spiders come in many shapes and colours to avoid detection by their prey Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Apparently, resembling a leaf isn't sufficient camouflage; this katydid has evolved to look like a damaged leaf Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito The face of a narrow-mouth frog; these amphibians hide in the leaf litter and have calls that are reminiscent of sheep Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Some moths have feathery projections around their faces; they're probably involved in courtship but no one knows exactly what they're for Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Yasuni is home to at least 600 species of ants; this army ant soldier with its 'ice-tong' mandibles stands guard over a line of workers Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito There are thousands of species of butterflies and moths in Yasuni so there is an equivalent number of caterpillars with endless odd and impressive looks Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito In the temperate zone, most dragonflies have transparent wings but this Amazonian species has iridescent wings that glow in the afternoon sun Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito The eyelash frog blends in exceptionally well with the leaf litter Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito While praying mantis are not uncommon in Yasuni, this brightly coloured species is very rarely observed Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito Due to amazing camouflage, some insects, like this mossy walking stick, are rarely seen Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito The saw-snouted wax bug, a relative of the cicadas, has a toothy hollow projection on its face whose function is unknown Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito The extremely curved beak of the sicklebill hummingbird exclusively fits into certain curved flowers where it collects the nectar it feeds upon Photograph: Kelly Swing/Estacion Tiputini Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales/Universidad San Francisco de Quito