Stephen Dalton / Caddisfly (Trichoptera) larva with a carapace it has constructed from bits of vegetation. Sussex, UK, March.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 10 of 10.

Alex Mustard / A parasitic isopod attached to a Leafy Seadragon (Phycodurus eques). This species of isopod has an ornately shaped carapace to disguise it on the seadragon. Wool Bay Jetty, Edithburgh, Yorke Peninsula...

Sue Daly / Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) with algal growth on carapace, Cebu, Philippines, March, Endangered species

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / Newly hatched Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) with its front flippers pressed tight to the marginal scutes of its carapace to avoid predation, Dalyan Delta, Turkey, August 2009

Kim Taylor / Seven-spotted ladybird {Coccinella septempunctata} taking off from thistle

Fred Bavendam / Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) swimming underwater with Remora attached to its carapace, South Caicos, British West Indies

Pete Oxford / Tortoise carapace used by Shuar Indian as percussion instrument, Coca, Amazon, Ecuador

Tony Phelps / Angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata) adult male, dorsal view of carapace. Oudtshoorn, Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Parrot-beaked or common padloper (Homopus areolatus) dorsal view of carapace of adult male. Oudtshoorn, Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) female, dorsal view of carapace. Oudtshoorn, Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Angulate tortoise (Chersina angulata) female, dorsal view of carapace. Oudtshoorn, Little Karoo, Western Cape, South Africa.

MYN / Clay Bolt / close up of eyes on carapace of Eastern eyed click beetle (Alaus oculatus) Dacusville, Pickens County, South Carolina, USA, June. meetyourneighbours.net project

Jan Hamrsky / Water Beetle (Rhantus suturalis: Dytiscidae) with breathing bubble visible under carapace. Europe, May.

Stephen Dalton / Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) drying its wings after emerging from its larval carapace. Sussex, UK, May.

Stephen Dalton / Caddisfly (Trichoptera) larva with a carapace it has constructed from small snail shells. Sussex, UK, March.

Stephen Dalton / Caddisfly (Trichoptera) larva with a carapace it has constructed from small snail shells. Sussex, UK, March.

Pete Oxford / Taking blood from Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) Charles Darwin Research Station. Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz, Galapagos

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 9 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 7 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 8 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 6 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 5 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 4 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 3 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 2 of 10.

B&S Draker / Cicada (Tibicen resh) adult emerging from nymph carapace. Sinton, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend, Texas, USA, June. Sequence 1 of 10.

Piotr Naskrecki / Japanese Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) flushing water backwards under its carapace to clear intake channels for breathing, Japan

Nick Upton / Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) killed by pathogenic fungus of flies (Entomophthora muscae) clinging to vegetation with fungal fruiting bodies emerging from from its carapace. Wiltshire, UK,...

Nature Production / Male Japanese horned / rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotomus) on white background, Japan

Juergen Freund / Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) with its head and carapace above the sea surface. West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, May 2010

Jurgen Freund / Carapace of a Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Sipadan Island, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia

Fabio Liverani / Freshwater Crab (Potamon fluviatile) female. Ventral carapace being opened to show juvenile crabs. Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy, August.

Fabio Liverani / Freshwater Crab (Potamon fluviatile) female. Ventral carapace being opened to show juvenile crabs. Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy, August.

Fabio Liverani / Freshwater Crab (Potamon fluviatile) female. Juvenile crabs are protected in the ventral carapace. Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy, August.

Fabio Liverani / Freshwater Crab (Potamon fluviatile) female. Ventral carapace being opened to show juvenile crabs. Foreste Casentinesi National Park, Italy, August.

Georgette Douwma / Hydroid or Fairy Crab (Hyastenus bispinosus) on crinoid or featherstar. Hydroid polyps are growing on its carapace. Rinca, Indonesia, October.

Stephen Dalton / Water Boatman (Corixa sp.) showing swimming adapted "oars" and patterning on carapace. UK, October.

Stephen Dalton / Water Beetle (Acilius sulcatus) female swimming using legs adapted to be "oars". UK, September.

Stephen Dalton / Water Beetle (Acilius sulcatus) female underwater. UK, September.

Solvin Zankl / Rear view of a mature female Olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), females have a short tail, as seen here. Ostional beach, Costa Rica, November ^^^ Males have a muscular, long tail clearly...

Pete Oxford / South American River Turtle (Podocnemis expansa) having carapace marked for future identification, part of reintroduction to the wild program, Orinoco River, Apure, Venezuela

Paul Harcourt Davies / Remains of freshwater crayfish by riverside, the sign of River otters (Lutra lutra) feeding in the pools of a mountain river, Italy

Mark Bowler / Seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata) with wing carapace raised

Pete Oxford / Volcan Alcedo Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra vandenburghi) and carapace of a dead tortoise, Alcedo Volcano crater floor, Isabella Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Volcan Alcedo Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra vandenburghi) and carapace of a dead tortoise, Alcedo Volcano crater floor, Isabella Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Adrian Davies / Turtle shells for sale in Chinese Herbal Medicine market, Hong Kong, China

Premaphotos / Cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha) male taking flight, UK

Albert Lleal / Japanese Horseshoe Crab (Tachypleus tridentatus) carapace, occurs along the Atlantic shore of North America

Fabio Liverani / Eggs carried under the carapace of Freshwater crab {Potamon fluviatile} Resina river, Umbria, Italy

Fabio Liverani / Baby crabs under carapace of Freshwater crab {Potamon fluviatile} Resina river, Umbria, Italy

Fabio Liverani / Shed carapace of Freshwater crab {Potamon fluviatile} Resina river, Umbria, Italy

Ingo Arndt / Assassin Bug (Heza sp) emerging from molted carapace, a true bug of the Heteroptera suborder, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Raspy Cricket (Gryllacrididae) completing its final molt, Guyana

Kerstin Hinze / Spanish fly / Blister Bee (Lytta vesicatoria) Bulgaria

Patricio Robles Gil / Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata) close-up of shell, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata) midden of carapaces, vulnerable, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) left, and Radiated Tortoise (Geochelone radiata) right, carapace comparison, in tortoise repatriation animals confiscated from pet trade, Mangily, Madagascar

Nick Gordon / Caboclo fisherman holding up Arrau turtle shell {Podocnemis expansa} Roraima, Brazil

David Shale / Mexican Red-Knee Tarantula {Brachypelma smithi} close-up of carapace, captive

Kim Taylor / Female Water flea {Daphnia sp} with fulled formed young inside carapace, UK. Magnification: x20 at 6x7cm

Brent Hedges / Red hermit crab {Dardanus megistos} close-up, Solomon Islands, South Pacific

Kim Taylor / Cockchafer Beetle (Melolontha melolontha) male taking off, UK. Captive.

Jane Burton / East African Cardinal Beetle (Cissistes cephalotes) taking off. Kenya Africa.

Kim Taylor / Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietus) taking off from bracken, UK, captive

PREMAPHOTOS / Longhorn beetle with wings spread about to fly {Tragocephala variegata} South Africa

PREMAPHOTOS / Giant pill millipede rolled into ball for defence {Sphaerotherium sp.} Madagascar, tropical dry forest

Birgitte Wilms / Coleman's Shrimp (Periclimenes colemani) pair with shed carapace, Papua New Guinea

Larry Minden / Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) carapace, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

LYNN M. STONE / Close up of carapace shell of Eastern box turtle {Terrapene carolina carolina} Michigan, USA

GEORGETTE DOUWMA / Green turtle {Chelonia mydas} with Remora on carapace, Sipadan, Malaysia

Paul D Stewart / Illustrated London News 4th October 1845, an engraving of the Hunterian Museum with 'Darwin-like' figure central. Darwin discovered many striking extinct giant mammals while travelling overland in Sou...

Nick Upton / Moulted carapace and legs of Common spider crab / Spiny spider crab (Maja brachydactyla / Maja squinado) washed up on sandy beach. Rhossili Bay, The Gower Peninsula, UK, July.

Pete Oxford / Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) injured by boat propeller with butterflies, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Premaphotos / Variable longhorn beetle (Stenocorus meridianus) female about to take flight, UK