Ever seen a weevil unfurl its wings on a grain of rice? Photographer Zhang You from China has. In fact, he captured the moment in extraordinary detail – and the image has just been named the winner of this year’s Nikon Small World competition. It shows the tiny agricultural pest perched on its favourite food source, wings fully extended in perfect symmetry.
Insects like this rice weevil play vital roles in ecosystems across the globe. Capturing one in such exquisite detail – and in such a striking pose – is exceptionally rare, revealing the intricate beauty of life that often goes unnoticed.
Second place went to Dr Jan Rosenboom for his mesmerising image of algae spheres suspended in a droplet of water, while third place was awarded to John-Oliver Dum for his delicate photograph of pollen caught in a garden spider’s web.
Now in its 51st year, the Nikon Small World competition celebrates the finest examples of science seen through the microscope – and is open to anyone with a passion for photography or video.
Here are our top pictures from this year's contest.
Honourable mention
Crystallised soy sauce fusion with aluminium. As seen at 10X magnification. Photo by Mishal Abdulaziz Alryhan/Nikon Small WorldFrost on a wooden railing, as seen at 5X magnification. Photo by Gregory B. Murray/Nikon Small World
Images of distinction
An amazing parasitic fly (Crataerina hirundinis) looks menacing when seen at 10x magnification. Photo by Bernard Allard/Nikon Small World3D brain organoids in a custom organ-on-a-chip device. Imaged at 20X magnification. Photo by Dr Arthur Chien & Dr Ann Na Cho/Nikon Small WorldTrue bug (Hemipteran) eggs on a leaf, at 5X magnification. Photo by Dr Walter Ferrari/Nikon Small WorldAn adult zebrafish showing blood vessels in the brain. Imaged at 4X magnification. Photo by Hannah Somers/Nikon Small WorldThe androconial (pheromone-producing) area of a butterfly (Colias) wing, as seen at 10X magnification. Photo by Daniel Evrard/Nikon Small WorldCrystallisation of a mixed solution of alanine and glutamine under polarised light. Shown at 20X magnification. Photo by Doong Yien/Nikon Small WorldBarnacle cirri exoskeleton auto-fluorescing. Diatoms with chlorophyll are shown in bright red. Photographed at 5X magnification. Photo by Charles Krebs/Nikon Small WorldVascular bundles in a bamboo leaf (Phyllostachys sp.). Seen at 20X magnification. Photo by David Maitland/Nikon Small World
Top 20
Marine copepod as seen under the microscope, at 60X magnification. Photo by Zachary Sanchez/Nikon Small WorldA parasitic fungus (Cordycipitaceae) having infected a fly (Calliphoridae). Photographed at 2X magnification. Photo by Eduardo Agustin Carrasco/Nikon Small WorldFluorescently marked mouse colon imaged at 20X magnification. Photo by Marius Mählen, Koen Oost, Prisca Liberali & Laurent Gelman/Nikon Small WorldWater fleas (Daphnia) and algae. Shown at 5X magnification. Photo by Hong Guo/Nikon Small WorldSpore sacs (sporangia) of a fern photographed at 40X magnification. Photo by Rogelio Moreno/Nikon Small WorldA geometer moth (Geometridae) laying eggs - photographed at 5X resolution. Photo by Zhang You/Nikon Small WorldQuartz with biotic goethite filaments. Photo by Manfred Heising/Nikon Small WorldThe slime mould Arcyria major, also called Arcyria insignis, is shown here releasing spores. Shown at 10X magnification. Photo by Henri Koskinen/Nikon Small WorldThe actin cytoskeleton (cyan) and endoplasmic reticulum (red) of a mouse brain cancer cell. Shown at 100X magnification. Photo by Halli Lindamood & Eric Vitriol/Nikon Small WorldSunflower trichomes (hair-like plant outgrowths) produced by stacking together 112 images. Shown at 10X magnification. Photo by Marek Miś/Nikon Small World
Top 10
Human heart muscle cells showing condensed chromosomes in metaphase – The second stage of cell division. Shown at 60X magnification. Photo by Dr Dylan Burnette & Dr James Hayes/Nikon Small WorldA fungus (Talaromyces purpureogenus) known for its red, diffused pigment. Shown at 10X magnification. Photo by Wim van Egmond/Nikon Small WorldMallow pollen germinating on stigma while being parasitised by a filamentous fungus. Shown at 40X magnification. Photo by Dr Igor Siwanowicz/Nikon Small WorldInduced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons labelled to show tubulin and actin proteins. Shown at 10X magnification. Photo by Stella Whittaker/Nikon Small WorldRat liver cells seen under the microscope at 63X magnification. Photo by Dr Francisco Lázaro-Diéguez/Nikon Small WorldSpores (The blue/purple structures) of a small tropical fern (Ceratopteris richardii). Shown at 25X magnification. Photo by Dr Igor Siwanowicz/Nikon Small WorldHeart muscle cells with chromosomes condensed following cell division. Shown at 100X magnification. Photo by Dr James Hayes/Nikon Small World
Third place
Pollen in a garden spider web. Shown at 20X magnification. Photo by John-Oliver Dum/Nikon Small World
Second place
Colonial algae (Volvox) spheres in a drop of water. Shown at 5X magnification. Photo by Dr Jan Rosenboom/Nikon Small World
Overall winner
A rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) with wings outstretched sits on a grain of rice. Shown at 5X magnification. Photo by Zhang You/Nikon Small World
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine. He has worked on the magazine and website for over a decade, telling compelling science stories through the use of striking imagery. He holds a degree in Fine Art, and has been nominated for the British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards, being highly commended in 2020. His main areas of interest include photography that highlights positive technology and the natural world. For many years he was a judge for the Wellcome Trust's image competition, as well as judging for the Royal Photographic Society.
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