2023 Photography Competition Winners – Under 18 Category

Tranquillity

Gustav Parenmark, age 17

Banded Demoiselle damselfly, Calopteryx splendens.

Titled ”Tranquillity”. A banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) resting in some tall grass near a river. Taken in Gävle, Sweden. June 2023.

“I was able to find many of these gorgeous banded demoiselle by a river near my home in Gävle, Sweden. With the help of the nearby blades of grass I could create foreground and background elements in order to create depth in the image. I went out at 4 AM in order to capture them while being inactive, making them easier to photograph. This species of damselfly is usually very skittish, but waking up early is the key to photographing them.”

Sweden

• Dragonflies and damselflies

Robber fly breakfast

Jamie Smart, age 8

Slender-footed robber fly, Leptarththrus brevirostris.

Robber Fly having an ‘Awn’-day Breakfast!

“Having let our garden grow wild this year, I’ve enjoyed studying and learning more about all the amazing insects that have been thriving there. Taking macro photos of them allows me to see more of the intricate detail that the naked eye doesn’t see. I was up early one morning and decided to have a wander around the garden with my camera when I saw this fly on the end of an awn of grass. I didn’t realise until looking on the computer that he was actually eating another fly! Double whammy!”

United Kingdom

• True flies

Purple Fire

Gustav Parenmark, age 17

Leafcutter bee, Megachile lagopoda.

Titled ”Purple Fire”. A Megachile lagopoda sleeping in some greater knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa). Taken on Gotland, Sweden. August 2023. The nature reserve of ”Södra Hällarna”, located on the western coast of Gotland, Sweden is home to a very delicate fauna of bees, such as this Megachile lagopoda, a powerfully built insect that I found sleeping in some greater knapweed, (Centaurea scabiosa).

“The species is facing threats with increasingly intensive use of the land, and is listed as ’Near threatened’ which is intensified by processes that lead to a reduction in pollen sources and the possibility of nest building. I hope this image can be a symbol for taking actions.”

Sweden

• Ants, bees, wasps and sawflies

A master of camouflage

Kushaan A Ksheerasagar, age 15

Indian Grass mantis, Schizocephala bicornis.

A stick mantis is on leaf. The shades of the matis and the leaf are almost the same and without the movement of the insect it would be impossible to locate it. The body of the mantis was aligned with the veins of the leaf which made it harder to identify.

“As we were walking down the path, we noticed a stick insect slowly crossing the road and climbing a plant. After searching the plant for some time, we noticed the mantis dancing on one of the leaves.”

India

• Mantises
• Stick-insects

Emerald

Gustav Parenmark, age 17

Emerald damselfly. Lestes sponsa.

Titled ”Emerald”. Stacked portrait of an Emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) resting near a mire. Taken on Fårö, Sweden. August 2023.

“I went out at 4am to photograph emerald damselflies early in the morning by a mire on the Swedish island of Fårö. Although quite the task, I eventually managed to get a stacked portrait of this gorgeous male, with his stunning blue colouration. No matter the time of day, this species is always as skittish which means that my trick of photographing at 4 AM does not work on these. Lucky for me, the population around the mire is healthy and dense, which meant that I got a lot of opportunities for a pleasing image.”

Sweden

• Dragonflies and damselflies

Earwig

Zhang Yimeng, age 16

Earwig, Eudohrnia metallica.

“I took a walk in Yunnan in the evening to see it, very beautiful, lying on a leaf so I took a picture. Old men in my hometown thought that earwigs could get into people’s brains, But they’re just ordinary little bugs. The body of earwigs usually has a metal or leather texture, which looks good.”

China

• Earwigs

Crimson-speckled moth perching

Abdullah Shehabuddeen, age 14

Crimson Speckled moth, Utetheisa pulchella.

A white moth, spotted all over with beautiful red, orange, yellow, and black patterns, is perched onto delicate white flowers that contrast against the lush background greenery. This photo reflects nature’s astounding colors and beauty.

“These moths were flying around Khobar’s corniche, so I took the opportunity and captured a photo of one perched on a bunch of flowers.”

Saudi Arabia

• Butterflies and moths

Grasshopper in colour

April Horscraft, age 16

Speckled bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima, nymph.

In this photograph is a beautiful grasshopper relaxing on a vibrant sea of green and red coloured foliage.

United Kingdom

• Grasshoppers, crickets and bush-crickets