Yet another amazing photography prize was announced this week, this time it was the turn of the Luminar Bug Photography Awards 2020 (in association with Europe’s leading invertebrate charity Buglife) was won by a rather fighty-looking weevil.

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The judging panel included Buglife President Germaine Greer; TV presenter and naturalist Nick Baker; and ground-breaking invertebrates photographer Levon Biss.

We are big fans of bug photography here at Science Focus HQ, and these expertly-crafted images really caught our attention. Pay close attention to the doting ant parents, who turn out to be anything but...

Check out some of our other image galleries

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1

Red Palm Weevil - Winner

The palm weevil a rusty red colour Weevil larvae can excavate holes in the trunk of a palm trees up to a metre long thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant
The palm weevil, a rusty red colour Weevil larvae, can excavate holes in the trunk of a palm trees up to a metre long thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant Mofeed Abu Shalwa/Luminar Bug Photographer of the Year
2

Crab Spider - Runner Up

The flower crab spider is one of 27 species of crab spider. The flower crab spider can alter the colour of its body to match its surroundings and to hide from prey. It is not as common as other types of crab spider
The flower crab spider is one of 27 species of crab spider. The flower crab spider can alter the colour of its body to match its surroundings and to hide from prey. It is not as common as other types of crab spider Mofeed Abu Shalwa/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
3

Carder Bee - Young Bug Photographer Winner

A 41 image stack of a common carder bee in the UK
A 41 image stack of a common carder bee in the UK Jamie Spensley/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
4

Diamond Squid - Winner of Aquatic Bug Category

Diamond squid during a blackwater dive
Diamond squid during a blackwater dive Galice Hoarau/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
5

Larval wonderpuss - Runner-up

Larval wonderpuss, during a blackwater dive
Larval wonderpuss, during a blackwater dive in in Lembeh, Indonesia Galice Hoarau/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
6

Home Sweet Home - Winner of Bug Homes Category

Two different species of bee's in the bug hotel, Willughby's leaf cutter & Andrena sp
Two different species of bees emerging from the bug hotel, Willughby's leaf cutter Bee & Andrena mining Bee Lee Frost/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
7

Microspur - Winner of Arachnids Category

A lynx spider (Oxyopidae) with its young shot in the mountains of Taiwan
A lynx spider (Oxyopidae) with its young, shot in the mountains of Taiwan Lung-Tsai Wang/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
8

Tug Of War - Winner of All the Other Bugs Category

Not a couple of doting parents, but in fact two weaver ants pulling apart a smaller one, possibly a fire ant
Not a couple of doting parents, but in fact two weaver ants pulling apart a smaller one, possibly a fire ant. How lovely Reynante Martinez/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
9

- Winner of Slugs and Snails Category

A garden snail photographed in the UK
A garden snail (Cornu aspersum) photographed in the UK David Lain/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
10

Dancing Spider - Runner Up

A male Phidippus insignarius performs his courtship dance for a female
A male Phidippus insignarius performs his courtship dance for a female, or in this case, the photographer Raed Ammari/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
11

3... 2... 1... Take Off! - Winner of the Beetle Category

Acorn weevil (Curculio glandium) taking off
Acorn weevil (Curculio glandium) taking off from a leaf, or perhaps a diving board Christian Brockes/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
12

Swallowtail - Winner of the Butterflies and Moths Category

A newly-hatched swallowtail butterfly getting ready to take flight
A newly-hatched swallowtail butterfly getting ready to take flight Sara Jazbar/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
13

Shadow-Puppeteer Stag Beetle - Runner Up

A stag beetle hides behind a leaf
A stag beetle hides behind a leaf, and tries to scare us with his shadow-puppet skills Martijn Nugteren/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
14

Mayflies on Crested Dogstail - Winner of Flies Bees Wasps & Dragonflies Category

A large hatch of mayflies on the River Kennet near Kintbury UK
A large hatch of mayflies on the River Kennet near Kintbury UK Peter Orr/Luminar Bug Photography Awards
15

Potter Wasp - Winner of Extreme Close-up Category

Potter wasp (Eumeninae) photographed using 173 photos stacked and combined
Potter wasp (Eumeninae) photographed using 173 photos stacked and combined together to make a stunning final image Riyad Hamzi/Luminar Bug Photography Awards

Authors

James CutmorePicture Editor, BBC Science Focus

James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine, researching striking images for the magazine and on the website. He is also has a passion for taking his own photographs

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