Theo Bosboom / Close-up of Emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa) compound eye, covered in dewdrops, Hatertse vennen, the Netherlands, July.

Paul Bertner / Fly with compound eyes, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Alex Hyde / Close-up of Owl Butterfly (Caligo memnon) head showing compound eyes and proboscis. Captive, originating from Central America.

Andy Sands / Robberfly (Machimus cingulatus) head close up showing large compound eyes. Captive, UK, July.

David Maitland / Close-up view of the upward-looking giant dorsal compound eyes of the St Marks fly (Bibio marci) used to detect female flies flying above. Like many insects the eyes are "hairy". Feltwell, Norfolk, UK...

David Maitland / Close-up view of the upward-looking giant dorsal compound eyes of the St Marks fly (Bibio marci) used to detect female flies flying above. Like many insects the eyes are "hairy". Feltwell, Norfolk, UK...

David Maitland / Head of female St. Marks fly (Bibio marci) showing normal sized compound eyes. Feltwell, Norfolk, UK

David Maitland / Head of female St. Marks fly (Bibio marci) showing normal sized compound eyes. Feltwell, Norfolk, UK

David Maitland / Close up of head of a male miniature Blue-winged olive mayfly (Acentrella sp). The male mayflys head is dominated by its remarkable red 'Turbinate' compound eyes which, directed upwards and phenomenal...

Alex Hyde / European hornet (Vespa crabro) head close up showing the three ocelli between the two compound eyes.

Russell Cooper / Common Darter Dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) head and compound eyes, South London, UK, September

Alex Hyde / Close-up of compound eyes of unidentified fly {Diptera}. Masoala Peninsula National Park, north east Madagascar.

Stephen Dalton / Head of Horsefly (Tabanus sp) showing compound eyes, UK

Kim Taylor / Common blue damselfly {Enallagma cyathigerum} face portrait of male, showing compound eyes, Surrey, England.

Kim Taylor / Common Darter Dragonfly {Sympetrum striolatum} female, close-up of compound eyes, Surrey, England.

Paul Bertner / Ground Beetle (Carabidae), Ankarana Special Reserve, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Fly (Pipunculidae) pair mating, Antananarivo, Madagascar

Paul Bertner / Horse Fly (Tabanidae), Danum Valley Conservation Area, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia

Paul Bertner / Stalk-eyed Fly (Diopsidae) female compound eyes, Mount Isarog National Park, Philippines

Paul Bertner / Damselfly, Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

Konrad Wothe / Downlooker Snipefly (Rhagio scolopaceus) with compound eyes, Upper Bavaria, Germany

Alex Hyde / Compound eyes of Ruddy darter dragonfly (Sympetrum sanguineum) Strumpshaw Fen, Norfolk, UK, September.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo) close up of face showing mandibles and compound eyes. Italy, July.

Peter Schwarz/ BIA / Wasp Beetle (Clytus arietis) head and compound eyes, Hesse, Germany

Peter Schwarz/ BIA / Damselfly (Erythromma sp) head and compound eyes, Hesse, Germany

Peter Schwarz/ BIA / Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii) dragonfly compound eye covered with dew, Hesse, Germany

Peter Schwarz/ BIA / Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly compound eye, Hesse, Germany

Alex Hyde / Elephant Hawkmoth (Deilephila elpenor) close up of head showing proboscis. Note the pollen grains attached to its hairs. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. August. Focus Stacked.

Alex Hyde / European / Common Lobster (Homarus gammarus) develoing eggs. The compound eyes of the embryos can be clearly seen. Controlled conditions, Cornwall, UK. Focus stacked image.

Alex Hyde / Close-up of Owl Butterfly (Caligo memnon) head showing compound eyes. Captive, originating from Central America.

Georgette Douwma / Drone Fly (Eristalis tenax), close up of compound eyes. UK.

Georgette Douwma / Flesh fly (Sarcophaga carnaria), close up showing compound eyes. UK.

Albert Lleal / Dragonfly (Libellulidae) head, seen under SEM, 25x magnification

Stephen Dalton / Compound eyes of Southern hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea), UK.

Alex Hyde / Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoe populi) male, detail showing compound eye. Derbyshire, UK. July.

Alex Hyde / Brown / Common Shrimp (Crangon crangon) showing close up of reflecting superposition compound eyes. Isle of Mull, Scotland, UK. June.

Alex Hyde / Common Prawn (Palaemon serratus) close up showing reflecting superposition compound eyes, taken in mobile field studio, Isle of Mull, Scotland, UK. June.

Ammonite / Panning shot along body of a Southern hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea) resting on Bramble (Rubus plicatus), showing compound eye, Norfolk, England, UK, September.

Ammonite / Close-up of a Mining bee (Andrena praecox) cleaning its compound eyes and taking off, France, March.

Alex Hyde / Common Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus) in shell of Edible Periwinkle (Littorina littorea). This close up shows the compound eyes. Northumberland, UK. May.

Alex Hyde / Squat Lobster (Galathea sp.) close up showing compound eyes. Northumberland, UK. May.

Thomas Marent / Yellow-spotted Dragonfly (Somatochlora flavomaculata), Switzerland

Michael Durham / Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) showing hairy proboscis, Cascade Head Preserve, Oregon

Michael Durham / Miniature fly, western Oregon

MYN / Matt Cole / Close-up of the head of a female Emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa), showing compound eyes, Leicestershire, England, UK, July. meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Matt Cole / Close-up of the head and compound eyes of a female Common darter (Sympetrum striolatum), Leicestershire, England, UK, July. meetyourneighbours.net project

Pete Oxford / Mydas Fly (Mydas sp) showing large compound eyes, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Stephen Dalton / Compound eyes of Southern hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea) UK

Jan Hamrsky / Backswimmer / Water Boatman (Notonecta glauca) portrait showing compound eyes. Czech Republic. Controlled conditions.

Kim Taylor / Common Darter dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) close up of compound eyes, UK. Commended in the Audubon Society of Greater Denver ‘Share the View' competition 2011

Bernard Castelein / Close up of compound eyes of Southern Hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea), Brasschaat, Belgium, August

Stephen Dalton / Close-up head portrait of Southern hawker dragonfly (Aeshna cyanea) showing compound eye, UK

Stephen Dalton / Head portrait of Horsefly (Tabanus) showing compound eye, UK

Stephen Dalton / Close up of Hornet {Vespa crabro} showing simple and compound eyes, UK

John Cancalosi / Robber fly (Asilidae, probably Efferia spp) Arizona, USA

Solvin Zankl / Close up of the double compound eyes of eyes of the deepsea amphipod Pram bug {Phronima sedentaria} Atlantic ocean

Solvin Zankl / Close up of the compound eyes of the deepsea amphipod Pram bug {Phronima sedentaria} Atlantic ocean -has four pairs of eyes instead of two that most crustaceans have

Premaphotos / Horse fly (Philopomyia sp) showing multifacetted compound eyes and thick, biting proboscis, Corfu, Greece

Albert Lleal / Harvester Ant (Messor sp) SEM close-up view of eye at 140x magnification

Albert Lleal / Indian Meal Moth (Plodia interpunctella) SEM close-up view of face at 420 magnification

Albert Lleal / Harvester Ant (Messor sp) SEM close-up view of eye facets at 700x magnification

Albert Lleal / Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) SEM close-up view of eye, which is made up of multiple facets, at 45x magnification

PREMAPHOTOS / Female Southern hawker dragonfly {Aeshna cyanea} close-up of compound eyes, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Southern hawker dragonfly male {Aeshna cyanea} close-up of compound eyes, UK

PREMAPHOTOS / Clouded yellow butterfly (Colias croceus) showing its yellow compound eyes and proboscis probing the flower, UK

Piotr Naskrecki / Green-eyed Fly (Scione sp) on human skin showing compound eyes, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Green-eyed Fly (Scione sp) portrait showing compound eyes, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Green-eyed Fly (Scione sp) portrait showing compound eyes, Guyana

Piotr Naskrecki / Horse Fly (Tabanidae) living under bark of Elephant-damaged Baobab, Botswana

Piotr Naskrecki / Hawk Moth (Enyo sp) portrait showing compound eyes, Costa Rica

Piotr Naskrecki / Centipede (Scutigera sp) cleaning its foot, Costa Rica

Kim Taylor / Snout / Hover fly {Rhingia campestris} close-up of compound eye, Surrey, England.

David Shale / (Pasiphaea sp) mesopelagic decapod, head showing compound eyes, deep sea Atlantic ocean

Kim Taylor / Bluebottle / blowfly portrait {Calliphora sp} UK.

Kim Taylor / Close up of head of male horsefly {Tabanus distinguendus} UK.

Kim Taylor / House fly {Musca domestica}, close up of head of female. UK.

Kim Taylor / Close up of horsefly or cleg fly {Haematopota pluvialis}. UK.

Kim Taylor / Close up of head of Horsefly {Tabanus sp}, UK.

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) feeding on Kiwi fruit showing compound eyes and mouth parts, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Greenbottle Fly (Lucilia caesar) close-up of compound eye, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) close-up portrait showing compound eyes and mouth parts, worldwide distribution

Heidi & Hans-Juergen Koch / Blue Bottle Fly (Calliphora erythrocephala) close-up portrait showing compound eye, worldwide distribution

Duncan Mcewan / Golden-ringed dragonfly, CU head showing compound eyes

Konrad Wothe / Horse Fly (Chrisoms relictus) close-up portrait, Germany

Konrad Wothe / House Fly (Musca domestica) close-up, North America

Mitsuhiko Imamori / White-tailed Skimmer (Orthetrum albistylum) dragonfly close up perched on reed, Shiga, Japan

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Robber Fly (Promachus yesonicus) close up portrait on leaf, Shiga, Japan

Constantinos Petrinos / Compound eyes of Smasher Mantis shrimp {Odontodactylus scyllarus} Sulawesi, Indonesia

Albert Lleal / Dragonfly (Anax sp) compound eye, 9x magnification, Barcelona, Spain

Konrad Wothe / Yellow-legged Clubtail (Gomphus pulchellus) male dragonfly, Upper Bavaria, Germany

Konrad Wothe / Downlooker Snipefly (Rhagio scolopaceus) with compound eyes, Upper Bavaria, Germany

Piotr Naskrecki / Human Botfly (Dermatobia hominis), Belize

Thomas Marent / Yellow-spotted Dragonfly (Somatochlora flavomaculata), Switzerland

Thomas Marent / Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea) male, Switzerland

Pete Oxford / Chiron Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes chiron) showing large compound eyes, Yasuni National Park, Amazon, Ecuador

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Harlequin Beetle (Acrocinus longimanus) in rainforest, Costa Rica