"A stunning image of a rice weevil on a single grain of rice has won the 2025 Nikon Small World photomicrography contest, yielding valuable insight into the structure and behavior of-and providing a fresh perspective on-this well-known agricultural pest. The image was taken by Zhang You of Yunnan, China. Another of You's photographs placed 15th in this year's contest. "It pays to dive deep into entomology: understanding insects' behaviors and mastering lighting," You said in a statement."
"There was an element of luck in creating his winning image, too. "I had observed rice weevils in grains before, but never one with its wings spread," You said. "This one was naturally preserved on a windowsill, perhaps in a final attempt to escape. Its tiny size makes manually preparing spread-wing specimens extremely difficult, so encountering it was both serendipitous and inspiring.""
A photomicrograph of a rice weevil perched on a single grain of rice won the 2025 Nikon Small World photomicrography contest and revealed detailed structure and behavior of a common agricultural pest. The image provided a fresh perspective on the species and emphasized both artistic composition and scientific observation. Photographer Zhang You of Yunnan, China captured the winning image and placed another photograph fifteenth in the same contest. Deep knowledge of entomology, attention to insect behavior, and mastery of lighting contribute to standout photomicrography. A rare, naturally preserved spread-wing specimen on a windowsill added an element of luck to the capture. Nikon's contest, founded in 1974, promotes imagery captured through light microscopes, and photomicrography has advanced significantly with digital imaging since the 1970s, with roots in mid-19th century microscopy work.
Read at Ars Technica
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