A small black insect stands on a cluster of dome-shaped, orange-red eggs arranged on a green leaf, with a softly blurred green background.Banana skipper eggs being parasitized by a wasp. Overall winner in the ’18 and over’ category. | Photo by Raghuram Annadana

The Royal Entomological Society has unveiled the winners of its annual photography competition, showcasing a stunning series of close-up images that reveal the hidden beauty and fascinating lives of insects.

The overall winner in the ’18 and over’ category is Raghuram Annadana for his photo Parasitic Play showing the eggs of a Banana Skipper butterfly taken in India. He captured a parasitic wasp in the act of laying its own eggs inside the butterfly eggs.

“I spotted Banana Skipper eggs on a banana leaf while out on a macro walk,” Annadana says. “Through the lens, the scene turned dramatic — a tiny parasitic wasp was laying its eggs inside the butterfly eggs. To give a sense of its size, each butterfly egg is just 1.8mm and the wasp is even tinier.”

A close-up of an insect covered in a green, mold-like fungus, standing on a leaf against a black background. The fungus appears bumpy and textured, obscuring most of the insect’s body and legs.A leafhopper overtaken by vivid green parasitic fungus. Second place overall. | Photo by Dara Ojo A close-up of an insect, likely a sand-dwelling beetle larva, partially buried in golden sand grains, with its head, mandibles, and legs visible emerging from a small hole.Antlion larvae dig craters in the sand and lie in wait at the bottom of the pit, perfectly camouflaged, ready to ambush their unsuspecting prey. When an unlucky ant falls in, they spring into action with lightning speed, seizing their prey with ferocious jaws. Winner of the ‘Under 18’ category. | Photo by Benji Cook

Run by the UK’s leading insect science charity, the annual competition celebrates the growing community of amateur insect photographers. The Royal Entomological Society’s Photography Competition 2025 drew over 3,000 entries received from around the world, the largest ever number of entries ever compiled by the Society with photos taken in more than 110 different countries, highlighting both the rising popularity of macro photography and a shared passion for exploring nature through the lens.

A moth with delicate wings is illuminated against a black background, surrounded by swirling trails of golden light, creating an ethereal, abstract effect.Photographed one September night by the river, using an extremely slow shutter speed. Continuous light and second-curtain sync were used to capture the luminous trail of the mayfly’s flight. Highly Commended in the Behavior category. | Photo by Julian Fernandez Quilez A close-up of an ant being preyed on by an assassin bug. The ant appears entangled and lifeless while the assassin bug is camouflaged with soil and debris on its body, blending into the background.What looks like a pile of trash is actually the Ant Stacking Nymph of an Assassin Bug. These young predators use ant carcasses as camouflage and armour – turning their victims into a gruesome disguise that hides them from both prey and predators. Highly Commended in the Behavior category. | Photo by Raghuram Annadana A close-up of a red and black ant standing on dark, rough ground with a tiny flying insect above it. The background is blurry, highlighting the intricate details of the ant’s body and surroundings.An ant-decapitating Phorid fly dives towards a sugar ant. Its goal is to inject an egg in the ant’s head. A grub will ultimately emerge from its pupa, which can decapitate the ant, thus giving the fly their macabre name. Highly Commended in the Behavior category. | Photo by Francois Brassard Close-up view of a spider facing forward, hanging from a single silk thread against a black background. The spider's detailed legs and patterned body are clearly visible.This caterpillar was actively spinning a thin stand of silk from its mouth. After taking few of the side macro shots I moved my position and took front profile shots which shows the origin of the silk thread, also the front legs appear almost claw-like. Highly Commended in the Behavior category. | Photo by Hardeep Solanki Close-up of two blue-green beetles perched closely together on green plant leaves, with their large black eyes and long antennae visible, set against a bright blue background.A mating pair of blue longhorn beetles. Highly Commended in the Portrait category. | Photo by Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas Close-up image of a bright green treehopper insect with a distinctive triangular head and striped eyes, set against a vibrant blue background.A portrait of a Buffalo treehopper. Highly Commended in the Portrait category. | Photo by Jeremiah Winden A dark silhouette of a beetle stands on the tip of a plant against a blue, blurred background, creating a dramatic contrast and emphasizing the insect's shape and antennae.I saw this little shiny long-jointed beetle, Lagriinae, insect sitting on the edge of a twig in a botanical garden one morning while doing some macro photography. I got down flat on my back, shooting upwards towards the sky. Highly Commended in the Portrait category. | Photo by Willem Kruger
Close-up view of an insect, likely a type of praying mantis, showing its textured, elongated head and large, striped eyes against a solid black background.A detailed portrait of a horsehead grasshopper, shot in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador. Highly Commended in the Portrait category. | Photo by Jeremiah Winden A small white butterfly with two dark spots on its wings hovers amid blurred, circular light bokeh, giving the image a dreamy and ethereal effect.A delicate Psyche butterfly from my garden. Its rhythmic flight and sunlight bokeh made a dreamy scene, captured using multiple exposure to show nature’s poetry in motion. Highly Commended in the Environment category. | Photo by Swastika Mukherjee A patterned butterfly with outstretched wings perched on the tip of a yellow wildflower, surrounded by soft-focus plants and a muted, dreamy background.A low angle shot of an antlion. Highly Commended in the Environment category. | Photo by Panagiotis Dalagiorgo A silhouette of a stag beetle with large mandibles is seen climbing on a tree branch. The background is blurred, showing circular light spots among dark, out-of-focus foliage.Emergence of a male Stag Beetle in the heart of a century-old forest, at the foot of an old oak tree, on a stormy June evening. Highly Commended in the Environment category. | Photo by Bertrand Bascoules A close-up of a water droplet on a green blade of grass, reflecting two small orange insects inside the droplet, with a blurred green background.The nymph of the froghopper secretes mucus through its abdominal glands and mixes it with the air to form foam to wrap itself and prevent dryness and natural enemies. There are two froghoppers living in this foam. Highly Commended in the Environment category. | Photo by Jianguo Mao

The 2026 RES Photography Competition is now open for entries from all amateur insect photographers. The deadline for entries is 31 October, 2026. Visit the website for full details.