Ants feeding off honeydew wins the Royal Society of Biology’s photo prize
A picture taken by Viswanath Birje captures the mutualistic relationship between the ants and the aphid …
Viswanath Birje has been announced as the winner of the Royal Society of Biology’s photography competition, for his image of ants feeding off honeydew excreted by a yellow aphid.
Image source, Viswanath BirjeBirje, who captured the shot in Thane, India, said: “There are many magical events happening in nature around us – I was just being curious and observant.
“The photograph just shows such a situation between the ants, aphid and mites.”
The Royal Society of Biology’s annual photography competition attracts entries from amateur photographers around the world, with more than 1,600 entries submitted this year for the theme “interconnected”.
Runner up: Truong Hoai Vu – Hon Yen marine ecosystem, Phu Yen, Vietnam
Image source, Truong Hoai VuEvery year, between May and August, the coral of this rich and diverse ecosystem becomes exposed at low tide.
Shortlisted
Alfonso Roldán Losada – Family Quarrel, Córdoba, Spain
Image source, Alfonso Roldán LosadaHenry Harte – The plague, Borana, Kenya
Image source, Henry HarteRipan Biswas – The hunt, West Bengal, India
Image source, Ripan Biswas Wei Fu – Bite for survival, Bangkok, Thailand
Image source, Wei Fu
Chanchal Sur Chowdhury – Spiderman of our body, Missouri, USA
Image source, Chanchal Sur ChowdhuryJohn Ishide Bulanadi – A tiny gathering, Pampanga, Philippines
Image source, John Ishide BulanadiGu Guanghui – Solar power plan, Zhejiang Province, China
Image source, Gu GuanghuiYoung Photographer of the Year: Roan Jones, Somerset, UK
Image source, Roan JonesThe winner of the RSB’s Young Photographer of the Year is Roan Jones, aged 15.
Jones captured a tyre being reclaimed by nature in the Vallis forest, Somerset, showing the connection between people and the natural world.
“I felt inspired to take the photo at a local forest in my home town, because this is somewhere I often visit and know there are lots of places of interest.”
Runner up: Alice Feng, UK
Image source, Alice FengThe patterns in this image, called Fractals, are of Bacillus subtilis being grown on a dextrose agar plate.
The patterns form depending on the conditions of the bacteria’s environment and how bacterial cells move after coming into contact with each other.
Highly commended: Hayden Wood, the watering hole, Kenya
Image source, Hayden WoodA pair of Grévy’s zebra drink from a watering hole.
All photos courtesy The Royal Society of Biology
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