Eye of a Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle. Source: Yousef Al Habshi

Nikon Instruments Inc. has announced the winners of the 44th annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. This celebration of the world of microscopic photography drew almost 2,500 entries from scientists and artists in 89 countries.

First place in the 2018 competition was awarded to Emirati photographer Yousef Al Habshi, for capturing part of the compound eyes and greenish scales of an Asian red palm weevil. The photo is a compilation of more than 128 micrographs produced with a reflected light technique and by stacking of hundreds of images. The beetle, endemic to the Philippines, is typically less than 11 mm (0.43 in) in size.

An image of a fern sorus, a clustered structure that produces and contains spores, earned second place. The photo was produced using image stacking and autoflorecence, which requires exposing the sorus to ultraviolet light.

A spittlebug photo, captured using focus-stacking, was awarded third place. The bug is seen constructing a foam “bubble house” in which to hide from predators.

Left: Second place winner fern sorus. Source: Rogelio Moreno Gill; Right: Third place spittlebug photo. Source: Saulius Gugis