Gallery: Creepy Close-Ups: Best Microscope Critter Photos
01house-spider
Spiders, weevils, wasps, lice, mites and mosquitoes are among the creepiest subjects of the winners of [Nikon's Small World](http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/) microscope photography competition this year. Super-close-ups of eyes, tongues and silk spinnerets are amazingly beautiful, but also gross enough to induce shivers. More Microscope Images:[](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/06/bugeyes-gallery/?rm)[6 Super Close-Ups of Crazy Bug Eyes](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/06/bugeyes-gallery/?rm/) [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/nikon-small-world-winners/?rm)[Incredibly Small: Best Microscope Photos of 2012](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/nikon-small-world-winners/?rm) [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/best-microscope-videos/?rm) [Mini Motion: Award-Winning Microscope Videos](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/best-microscope-videos/?rm)These delightfully disturbing photos are among the winners, honorable mentions and images of distinction selected for their originality, informational content, and visual impact by Nikon's judging panel of scientists, journalists and optical imaging experts. Nikon announced the rankings at 10 a.m. ET today, including the first place winner, who will receive $3,000 and some Nikon products. We have a post with [the top 20 winners](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/nikon-small-world-winners/) on Wired Science. If your favorite from the tiny terrors contained in this gallery isn't among the winners, you can vote for it until Nov. 13 on the Small World Facebook page to win the popular vote. __Above:__ House Spider ------------ __Harold Taylor__, Kensworth, Dunstable, United Kingdom __Subject:__ House spider __Technique:__ Image stacking __Magnification:__ 30x
02bat-embryos-2
Bat Embryos ----------- __Dorit Hockman,__ University of Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge, United Kingdom __Subject:__ *Molossus rufu* (black mastiff bat) embryos __Technique:__ Brightfield
03cinnabar-flat-beetle
Cinnabar Flat Beetle -------------------- __Nikola Rahme__, Budapest, Hungary __Subject:__ Eye and first segments of *Cucujus cinnaberinus* (Cinnabar flat beetle) __Technique:__ Reflected light __Magnification:__ 18x
Photographer: Nikola Rahme04wasp-2
Parasitic Wasp -------------- __Nikola Rahme__, Budapest, Hungary __Subject:__ Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae (parasitic wasp) __Technique:__ Reflected light __Magnification:__ 21.2x
05fruit-fly-larvae
Fruit Fly Larvae ---------------- __Andrew J. Woolley, Kevin Otto, Michelle Drennan, James Clemens__, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN __Subject:__ Fruit fly larvae __Technique:__ Confocal __Magnification:__ 100x
David Maitland06mosquito-2
Mosquito -------- __[David Maitland](http://www.davidmaitland.com)__, Feltwell, United Kingdom __Subject:__ Male *Culex pipiens* (mosquito) __Technique:__ Reflected (episcopic) diffuse illumination __Magnification:__ 10x
07butterfly-tongue
Butterfly Tongue ---------------- __Philippe Verrees__, Knokke, Belgium __Subject:__ Butterfly tongue __Technique:__ Rheinberg illumination __Magnification:__ 5x
08mouse-embryo
Mouse Embryo ------------ __Evan Heller__, Fuchs Lab, Rockefeller University, New York, NY __Subject:__ Mouse embryo (16 dpc) expressing the epithelial-specific nuclear marker K14-H2B-GFP, illustrating the pattern of whisker follicles on the face __Technique:__ Fluorescence __Magnification:__ 4x
09ants
Ants ---- __Geir Drange__, Asker, Norway __Subject:__ Two ants of different genus meeting on a twig __Technique:__ Reflected light, image stacking __Magnification:__ 2.5x
10lice
Lice ---- __Györgyi Zséli__, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Integrative Neuroendocrinology, Budapest, Hungary __Subject:__ Chewing lice of common buzzard (Colpocephalum platystomus) __Technique:__ Confocal, autofluorescence __Magnification:__ 10x
11mosquito-3
Mosquito -------- __Ralph Claus Grimm__, Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia __Subject:__ Head of a mosquito __Technique:__ Reflected light/image stacking __Magnification:__ 150x
Christian Gautier/Biosphoto12cricket-tongue
Cricket Tongue -------------- __Christian Gautier__, Vernafilm, Le Mans, Sarthe, France __Subject:__ *Gryllus campestris* (cricket) tongue __Technique:__ Darkfield and Rheinberg illumination __Magnification:__ 40x
Gilles St. Martin13parasitic-mite
Parasitic Mite -------------- __Gilles San Martin__, Biodiversity Research Center, University of Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium __Subject:__ Female of *Varroa destructor* (parasitic mite that attacks the honey bees *Apis cerana* and *Apis mellifera*) __Technique:__ Reflected light __Magnification:__ 10x
14lacewing
Lacewing -------- __Ralph Claus Grimm__, Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia __Subject:__ Chrysopa (lacewing) head __Technique:__ Reflected light, image stacking __Magnification:__ 130x
15weevil
Weevil ------ __Chao Zhang__, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China __Subject:__ Weevil, with an extremely long snout __Technique:__ Reflected light __Magnification:__ 4x
16copepod
Copepod ------- __Terue Kihara__, Senckenberg am Meer, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany __Subject:__ *Pontostratiotes* sp., female, dorsal view. A deep-sea copepod collected in the southeastern Atlantic at a depth of 5,395 m. __Technique:__ Confocal __Magnification:__ 10x
17spider-spinnerets
Spider Spinnerets ----------------- __Walter Piorkowski__, South Beloit, IL __Subject:__ A spider’s posterior lateral and median spinnerets with silk gland spigots __Technique:__ EPI, reflected light, fiber optics, image stacking __Magnification:__ 18x
18mite
Parasitic Mite -------------- __Alain Bocquillon__, Maraussan, France __Subject:__ *Varroa destructor* (parasitic mite that infests honey bees) __Technique:__ Oblique illumination (negative picture) __Magnification:__ 4x
