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The eye of a Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle, captured by photographer Yousef Al Habshi.
Credit: Courtesy of Nikon Small World
A beetle eye surrounded by glittery emerald green scales won the first prize in this year's Nikon Small World microphotography challenge.
The annual contest, which is now 44 years old, celebrates breathtaking images of objects too small to be seen without a microscope. This year, award-winning photographers turned their magnifying lenses into little wonders like a spider embryo, filaments in a peacock feather and illuminated blood vessels in the oviduct of a mouse.
The first prize was awarded to photographer Yousef Al Habshi of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for his spectacular image showing the eye composed of an Asian Red Palm Weevil (Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer). In the photo, the black eye of the beetle is surrounded by tiny yellow hairs and an expanse of shiny scales in shiny green tones, which were captured by piling up dozens of dolphins. images, said representatives of Nikon in a statement released Oct. 11. [Photos: Peer at Glittering Insect Eyes and Glowing Barnacle Hairs in Prizewinning Photos]
Capturing close-up photos of the head of a weevil is difficult to say the least, since the entire body of the insect usually measures less than 11 millimeters. Al Habshi stacked 128 micrographs to obtain the remarkable details of colors and textures of his image, which balanced the deep black of the skin and the black of the beetle with the brilliant green of the scales that surrounded it, did it? he explained in the statement.
"Not everyone likes small species, especially insects," he said. "Thanks to the microphotography, we can find a whole new and beautiful world never seen before."
A fluorescent colored group of spore-forming structures in a fern earned second place for photographer Rogelio Moreno Gill in Panama City, Panama; Photographer Saulius Gugis took third place in Naperville, Illinois, with a photo of a bubble-filled nymph who huddled in her bubble.
Other notable photos include a spider embryo, her baby legs wrapped tightly around her tiny body; the central region of a human retina, lit up like a fireworks; and incredibly complex structures resembling slings within a single human tear.
"Every year, we continue to be stunned by the winning images," said Eric Flem, representative of Nikon Instruments, in his statement. "Imaging and microscope technologies continue to evolve and evolve to enable artists and scientists to capture scientific moments with remarkable clarity," Fleming said.
You can see all the winners, honorable mentions and images of distinction – 95 in total – on the Nikon Small World website.
Originally published on live science.
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