2009: Behaviour: All Other Animals - Highly Commended
Alexandr Pospech (Czech Republic)
Little hopper
Even when the mosquitoes bit, Alexandr didn't move. He didn't dare take his eye from the viewfinder - the plant-hopper larva was so tiny (just millimetres long) and so active. He'd spotted it on a banana leaf in forest in Papua New Guinea and spent about half an hour trying to photograph it. The tiny larva feeds by piercing the leaf with its needle-like stylet and sucking the sap. The filaments sticking up from its rear end may serve to confuse or distract predators, but no one knows for sure.
Canon EOS 40D + Canon MP-E65mm f2.8 1.5x macro lens; 1/250 sec at f11.3; ISO 100; flash.
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