Nature Production / Bombardier Beetle (Pheropsophus jessoensis) protecting itself by ejecting a boiling, noxious chemical spray, Nagasaki, Japan.

Bence Mate / Leaf cutter ant (Atta sp) female worker carrying leaf to nest, with a smaller 'minor' ant riding. The minor's job is to protect her sister from parasitic flies. Costa Rica, December. Highly Commended,...

Rolf Nussbaumer / Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) adult rolling dung ball. Laredo, Webb County, South Texas, USA Not available for ringtone/wallpaper use.

Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Chequered skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon) nectaring on a thistle (Cirsium), Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve, near Oban, Argyll, Scotland, UK, June.

Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Four-spotted chaser / Four-spooed libellula (Libellula quadrimaculata), Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve, Argyll, Scotland, UK, May.

Alex Hyde / Portrait of a Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris). UK. Focus stacked image (dead specimen).

Alex Hyde / Sting of Giant Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus laoticus / longimanus). Captive, originating from Vietnam / Thailand.

Alex Hyde / Giant Forest Scorpion (Heterometrus laoticus / longimanus). Captive, endemic to Vietnam / Thailand.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Male Red eyed damselfly (Erythromma najas) on Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) flower, Bedfordshire, England, UK, July 2012.

Paul Hobson / Small garden bumble bee (Bombus hortorum) frozen on small twig, covered in ice crystals, Sheffield, UK February 2011

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) sub-adult male trying to break into bamboo to feed on ant eggs from a nest, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

David Woodfall / Small Pearl bordered fritillary butterfly (Boloria selene) in grass, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, Wales, UK, June.

Ross Hoddinott / Marbled White butterfly (Melanargia galathea) resting on grass, Dunsdon Nature Reserve, Devon, UK. July

Kim Taylor / Assassin Bug (Rhinocoris sp.) Endemic to Costa Rica.

Kim Taylor / Rainbow Shield Bug (Calidea dregii) Endemic to Southern Africa.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) feeding on buddleia flowers, Carrbridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland, UK, August. Did you know? Tortoiseshell butterfly caterpillars feed on nettles, and live in gro...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Spiny spider crab (Maja brachydactyla / squinado) pair on rock covered with red algae, Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Fisheries assistant Stephanie Kershaw and volunteer John Dumont from the Eden Rivers Trust searching for White clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) as part of a capture and release conservation...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / White clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) on river bed, viewed underwater, River Leith, Cumbria, England, UK, September 2012.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / White clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) underwater on riverbed, showing defensive posture, River Leith, Cumbria, England, UK, September 2012. Did you know? White clawed crayfish can live fo...

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / White clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) underwater on riverbed, River Leith, Cumbria, England, UK, September 2012.

Luke Massey / 2020VISION / Pond skater (Gerris lacustris) on a pond, Hertfordshire, England, UK, June.

Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION / Large red damselfly {Pyrrhosoma nymphula} emerging from nymphal case, Cornwall, UK. April

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Common Lobster (Homarus gammarus), in a rock crevice, Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May. Did you know? Lobster pincers are different sizes for different uses, one is for c...

Chris Mattison / Pink stink bug (Tessaratomidae). Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.

Chris Mattison / Cicada against white background. Endemic to Montagne D'Ambre, Madagascar.

Chris Mattison / Green Flower Beetle (Thaumastopeus sp.). Endemic to Borneo.

Chris Mattison / Giraffe necked weevils (Trachelophorus giraffa) male. Endemic to Andasibe, Madagascar.

Alex Hyde / Human Head Louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) macro shot of claw, that allows the louse to grip onto the hairs of their human host, False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM).

Alex Hyde / Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) close up of sting, UK

Alex Hyde / Horsefly (Philipomyia aprica) Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Silver Studded Blue (Plebejus argus), Gran Paradiso National Park, Aosta Valley, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Aposematism describes the use of bright colouration and bold patterns to advertise that an organism is unpalatable or dangerous. All three insects are foul-tasting or toxic if eaten: Wood Tiger moth...

Alex Hyde / Small Gold Grasshopper (Euthystira brachyptera) photographed on a white background. Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Wolf Spider (Xerolycosa nemoralis) female carrying egg sac, photographd on a white background. Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Burnet Moth (Zygaena carniolica), photographed on a white background. Aosta Valley, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Wood Tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis) photographed on a white background. Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Northern Spinach moth (Eulithis populata), photographed on a white background, Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Cynthia's Fritillary (Euphydryas cynthia) male photographed on a white background. Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy. July.

Alex Hyde / Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias phicomone) profile portrait, Aosta Valley, Monte Rosa Massif, Pennine Alps, Italy

Alex Hyde / Magpie Moth caterpillar (Abraxas grossulariata) showing warning colouration, photographed on a white background. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. June.

Fabrice Cahez / Antennae of Owlfly (Libelloides longicornis). Lozere, France, July.

Mark Carwardine / Mass of insects swarming around light, Tefe, Amazonia, Brazil

Colin Varndell / Close up of head and thorax of male migrant hawker dragonfly (Aesgna mixta) Hartland Moor, Dorset, UK September

Christophe Courteau / Velvet swimming crab portrait {Liocarcinus / Necora puber} Brittany France

Christophe Courteau / Edible crab in tide pool split level {Cancer pagurus} Brittany France

Christophe Courteau / Common prawn {Palaemon serratus} amongst seaweed Brittany France

Claudio Contreras / Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) hibernating, Mariposa Monarca Special Biosphere Reserve, central Mexico, January.

Claudio Contreras / Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) hibernating, Mariposa Monarca Special Biosphere Reserve, central Mexico, January.

Jan Hamrsky / Clubtail dragonfly nymph (Gomphidae) crawling on sunken wood, Europe, May, controlled conditions

Rolf Nussbaumer / Texas leafcutter ant (Atta texana) workers carrying leaves during rain, New Braunfels, Central Texas, USA. Highly honoured, Small world Spectacular Category, Natures Best competition 2012.

Paul D Stewart / Male Large Blue Butterfly (Maculinea eutryphon / arion) collected in 1865. It is here surrounded by other extant UK blue butterfly species. The large Blue was first recorded as a British species in 17...

Paul D Stewart / Two species of weevil showing the size disparity even in single families of insect. The larger is the Bamboo weevil of East Asia Cyrtotrachelus dux, the smaller is identified (perhaps misidentified) o...

Paul D Stewart / Copperplate engraving of a Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), with hand colouring possibly by Donovan himself. While most plates were thinly coloured to tint the interstices of the lines of the engraving b...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) juvenile male 'Mobangi' aged 5 years feeding on termites from a nest he has broken open, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Centra...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) juvenile male 'Mobangi' aged 5 years feeding on termites from a nest he has broken open, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Centra...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) female 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies she has disturbed in Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Repu...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) female 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies she has disturbed in Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Repu...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) female 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies she has disturbed in Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Repu...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) female 'Malui' walking through a cloud of butterflies she has disturbed in Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Repu...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) juvenile male 'Mobangi' aged 5 years trying to break into a termite nest, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Repub...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) juvenile male 'Mobangi' aged 5 years feeding on termites, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic. November 20...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) juvenile male 'Mobangi' aged 5 years feeding on termites from a nest he has broken open, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Centra...

Kim Taylor / Wood Ant (Formica rufa) worker protecting the nest by jetting formic acid from its tail. Endemic to Europe and Asia. Surrey, UK.

Chris Mattison / Ecuadorian lubber grasshopper (Chromacris psittacus pacificus), captive, occurs Ecuador.

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male with wings open showing eyespots on Blackthorn, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male (bottom) and female with wings open showing eyespots on lichen covered twig, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Small emperor moth (Saturnia pavonia) male below female both displaying eyespots on Gorse, Captive, UK, April

Andy Sands / Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) feeding on flower of Ice plant (Sedum) in garden, Hertfordshire, UK, September

Chris Mattison / Common wasp (Vespa vulgaris) caught in a Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), cultivated, occurs in North America

Tui De Roy / Marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) emerging from sea onto beach, with Sally lightfoot crabs (Grasopus graspus) and Galapagos Fur Seal in background. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, June.

Martin Dohrn / African driver / Siafu / Safari ant biting {Dorylus/ Anomma speciess). Species is non-stinging, but jaws can tear human flesh. East Africa

Martin Dohrn / Wood ant (Formica rufa) basking to absorb heat from the sun which is brought back to the nest when they return, Europe

Martin Dohrn / Maricopa harvester ant (Pogonomyrmex maricopa) fighting a different species of ant (Aphaenogaster cockerelli), over territory Arizona, USA

Martin Dohrn / Driver ant / Siafu (Dorylus sp.) in nomadic stage carrying pupae

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Striated green heron (Butorides striatus) jumping to catch dragonfly prey, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Alex Hyde / Small emperor moth female (Saturnia pavonia), Peak District National Park, UK. April.

Phil Savoie / Mosquito (Culex pipiens) carrier of the West Nile Virus close-up

Terry Whittaker / 2020VISION / Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus) in defensive posture; male in garden where it emerged naturally. Kent, UK, June. Controlled situation.

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Common hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus), Loch Leven, Ballachulish, Scotland, UK, April

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Pink shrimp (Pandalus montagui), Loch Carron, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, UK, April

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Amphipod (Iphimedia obesa) on top of a colony of Deadman's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) coral, Loch Carron, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, UK, April. Highly commended in the British Wildlife Photograph...

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Great spider crab (Hyas araneus) on Deadman's fingers (Alcyonium digitatum) coral, feeding in a current, Loch Carron, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, UK, April

Paul Hobson / Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) male grasping stem with eyes and head in sharp focus. Sheffield, UK, May. 'Animal Portraits' category, British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 2012.

Andy Sands / Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) drinking at water's surface from floating leaf. Captive, UK. 'Hidden Britain' category, British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 2012.

Solvin Zankl / Fairy Shrimp (Eubranchipus grubii) eggs Digital focus stacking image

Solvin Zankl / Army ant (Dorylus sp.) close-up of male. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Close up of ant (Acanthognathus brevicornis) from South America. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Trap jaw ant (Odontomachus sp.) close-up showing powerful mandibles with sensory hairs. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Close up of ant (Cephalotes clypeatus) Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Fire Ant (Solenopsis geminata) head of a major worker with mandibles used for opening seeds. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Close-up of ant (Thaumatomyrmex atrox) from the neotropics, specialists predators on millipedes Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Red Ant (Myrmica rubra) close-up portrait, Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Leaf cutter ant (Atta cephalotes ) close-up. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Close up of ant (Harpegnathos venator) head from Asia. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Jet Ant / Shining Jet Black Ant (Lasius fuliginosus), worker. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking