A pair of golden tabbed flies mating
pete barford
Small, swift, and often fleeting insects, it can be difficult to catch all of the miniaturized insects. But these close-up photos highlight the beauty and complexity of these creatures with stunning clarity.
Photos are from the Insect Week Photography Competition 2022, organized by the Royal Entomological Society as part of an annual effort to celebrate insect science. Pete Burford won top prize for the main image, a photograph of a pair of mating golden tabbed flies (Oetrumus rufibabis), named for the characteristic golden tuft of hair on the underside of the male. Native to England, it is found in the heathlands of south-central England and the middle-eastern part of England, but it is a rare species.
Burford began taking macro photos two and a half years ago during the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown, wasting a few hours at a nature reserve only to return home in the middle of mating. The fly just landed on my leg when I was sitting back home. Sit on the sofa. He managed to pick them up with his stick and take the winning shot. need two.
Forktail Damselfly (Ischnura posita)
Benjamin Salve
The photo above shows a fragile forktail damselfly, taken by Benjamin Salb, one of the winning entries in the contest (from Ishnura), a species native to eastern North America. At a maximum length of 3 centimeters, he is one of the smallest among flying insects, including dragonflies, but this does not stop Salv. He superimposed multiple images to create a crisp final result.
Insect Week 2023 will take place in the UK and Europe from 19th to 25th June.
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