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  • Previous Photo Contests

Photos and Contests

Announcing the Seventeenth Annual Photo Contest

Seventeenth Annual Photo Contest

The 17th Annual Photo Contest to select images for the 2022 covers of The Canadian Entomologist and the Bulletin of the Entomological Society of Canada is underway. The cover images are intended to represent the breadth of entomology cove red by the Society’s publications. Insects and non-insects in forestry, urban or agriculture; landscapes, field, laboratory or close-ups; or activities associated with physiology, behaviour, taxonomy or IPM are all desirable. A couple of ‘Featured Insects’ are also needed. If selected, your photo will grace the cover of both publications for the entire year. In addition, winning photos and a selection of all submitted photos will be shown on the ESC website.

Contest rules

  • Photos of insects and other arthropods in all stages, activities, and habitats are accepted.
  • To represent the scope of entomological research, we also encourage photos of field plots, laboratory experiments, insect impacts, research activities, sampling equipment, etc. Photos should, however, have a clear entomological focus.
  • Digital images must be submitted in unbordered, high-quality JP G format, with the long side (width or height) a minimum of 1500 pixels.
  • Entrants may submit up to five photographs. A caption must be provided with each photo submitted; photos without captions will not be accepted. Captions should include the locality, subject identification as closely as is known, description of activity if the main subject is other than an insect, and any interesting or relevant information. Captions should be a maximum of 40 words.
  • The entrant must be a member in good standing of the Entomological Society of Canada.
  • Photos must be taken by the entrant, and the entrant must own the copyright.
  • The copyright of the photo remains with the entrant, but royalty-free use must be granted to the ESC for inclusion on the cover of one volume (6 issues) of The Canadian Entomologist, one volume (4 issues) of the Bulletin, and on the ESC website.
  • The judging committee will be chosen by the Chair of the Publications Committee of the ESC.
  • The Photo Contest winners will be announced on the ESC website, and may be announced at the Annual Meeting of the ESC or in the Bulletin.
  • There is no cash award for the winners, but photographers will be acknowledged in each issue in which the photos are printed.
  • Submission deadline is 31 August 2021.
  • Entries should be submitted as an attachment to an email message; the subject line should start with “ESC Photo Contest Submission”. Send the email message to: photocontest@esc-sec.ca.

Winners of the Sixteenth Annual Photo Contest

1st Place: Tim Haye

Samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, parasitizing egg of Halyomorpha halys (Delémont, Switzerland)

2nd Place: Mel Hart

Enallagma civile watching the foot traffic along a boardwalk at Riding Mountain National Park, MB

3rd Place: Andrea Brauner

A presumed Acrididae grasshopper found hanging out in the backyard in Summerland, BC.

Entomology in Action

Chris Ratslaff collecting

Honourable Mentions

Matt Muzzatti

Chiang Mai, Thailand. Two male rhinoceros beetles (Xylotrupes: Dynastinae) preparing to ‘fight.’

Prize fighters are bred and bets are placed on which male will throw the other off a cylindrical piece of wood.

Robyn deYoung

Robber fly in the Subfamily Asilinae, photo taken at Trout Creek Point in Summerland, B.C.

Richard Yank

Portrait of a male American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) photographed along the Châteauguay River at Ste-Martine, Québec on August 13, 2020. A small population of this colourful damselfly was discovered at this site, well north of its usual range, several years ago.

Andreas Fischer

Subadult female black widow spider walking on her web. Tsawwassen, BC, Canada

Sixteenth Annual Photo Contest Submissions

ESC2020.001

Ottawa, ON. Cercopia moth caterpillar (Hyalophora cercopia) heavily parasitized with tachinid fly eggs.

ESC2020.002

A small Nomad bee (Nomada genus) forages on a Prairie redroot (Ceanothus herbaceous) inflorescence. Marmora, Ontario.

ESC2020.003

Chiang Mai, Thailand. Two male rhinoceros beetles (Xylotrupes: Dynastinae) preparing to 'fight.' Prize fighters are bred and bets are placed on which male will throw the other off a cylindrical piece of wood.

ESC2020.004

Samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, parasitizing egg of Halyomorpha halys (Delémont, Switzerland)

ESC2020.005

A stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) photographed during an Entomological Society of British Columbia macrophotography workshop in 2015 (Kamloops, British Columbia).

Giant water bug (Lethocerus americanus)

A Giant Water Bug (Lethocerus americanus) guarding its eggs. Lac Vermeil, Réserve faunique des Laurentides, Québec. 22 July 2020

ESC2020.007

Climaciella brunnea resting on an aspen leaf along the 70 Mile Butte trail at Val Marie, SK

ESC2020.008

Hovering Habropoda cinerea faces me down.

ESC2020.009

Floral devastation. Striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum, on baby blue Hubbard squash used as a trap crop. Kentville Research and Development Centre, Nova Scotia.

ESC2020.010

Agapostemon virescens gathering pollen from a Bull Thistle.

ESC2020.011

Jaws: Melanchra adjuncta larva on Russian Sage in London, Ontario

ESC2020.012

Lytta nuttalli in the blistering sun at Grasslands National Park, SK.

ESC2020.013

Habropoda cinerea pollinating a Golden Currant.

ESC2020.014

European Paper Wasp, photo taken in Summerland, B.C.

ESC2020.015

An Eastern Pondhawk covered in a light morning dew. Madison Laprise (Chatham-Kent, ON)

ESC2020.016

Masked Hunter, photo taken at Summerland, B.C.

ESC2020.017

Oxyrrhexis carbonator paralyzing a spider on the sound wall running parallel to the pedestrian trail in Pacific Heights Neighborhood Saskatoon, SK. June 2020

ESC2020.018

Photo of a camouflaged (except for its brightly coloured tubercles) Giant Silk Moth caterpillar. Lepidoptera: Saturniidae. Brentwood Bay, BC

ESC2020.019

A bee wolf, Philanthus crabroniformis Smith, feeding at the flowers of yarrow (Achillea millefolium Linneaus) in Vancouver, British Columbia.

ESC2020.020

Freshly molted larva of the invasive virburnum beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni (Delémont, Switzerland)

ESC2020.021

Museum specimens of glasswing butterflies (Greta oto) from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Using historical collections of butterfly specimens, we are documenting baseline historical ranges and phenologies in order to compare to modern data.

ESC2020.022

Actias luna moth and Automeris Io moth were taken during a moth outing at the Gananoque Lake Reserve in Ontario close to Outlet village. 44°26' 43.3"N 76°08'17.6"W The Actias showed up around 1:30 am and landed on the tree trunk. The Automeris Io moth came in great number, possibly 40 males and one female. This was part of an inventory to be shared with Ontario Nature

ESC2020.023

Wondering about life on the outside. Colony specimen of obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana. Kentville Research and Development Centre, Nova Scotia.

ESC2020.024

Megachile feeding on thistle beside the Pascua Lake beach in Echo Valley Provincial Park, SK. August 2020

ESC2020.025

Geometrid caterpillar covered in various petals and pieces of common Yarrow. Pacific Heights Neighborhood Saskatoon, SK. August 2020

clone tag: -5188260101401797235

A Mottled duskywing butterfly (Erynnis martialis) rests after being painted by scientists as part of a mark re-sighting study. Marmora, Ontario

ESC2020.027

Collecting insects and setting up pan traps on the dry slopes of Galiano Island, British Columbia as part of the Biodiversity Galiano Project.

ESC2020.028

The adult brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, is an invasive pest from Asia that is known for its damage on a variety of economically important crops. The following image shows a female feeding on a pepper plant.

ESC2020.029

A small Orb-weaver spider begins a tiny web.

ESC2020.030

Honeybee drinking 'dirty water', North Vancouver BC

ESC2020.031

In 2018, the City of Brandon became Manitoba’s first Bee City. In 2020, the community voted for Brandon’s Official Bee, Tri-colored Bumble Bee (Bombus ternarius). The Bee City Committee in Brandon is committed to the education of the citizens of Brandon of the importance of native pollinators, celebrating pollinator week and helping to create native plant habitat for pollinators.

ESC2020.032

Uxbridge, ON. Dendryphantini species of Salticidae snacking on a Gryllidae cricket bigger than itself!

ESC2020.033

A leaf rolling caterpillar (Lepidoptera) takes shelter in a New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) leaf. Marmora, Ontario.

ESC2020.034

A large Tiger Beetle found on the beach at Gabriel Dumont Park along the S. Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, SK. June 2020

Flutter Fly

Toxonevra superba, Pallopteridae, Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada (53°41'33" N 113°14'22" W)

ESC2020.036

Saint-Mathieu-Beloeil (Québec). Syrphidae (Hoverflies) are beneficial insects, being predator at larval stage and pollinator at adult stage. Here is an adult on corn tassel.

ESC2020.037

Western bean cutworm (adult) - Shawville (Québec). Studies conducted in Quebec have shown that the western bean cutworm is able to complete its developmental cycle in the province. It is the northermost evidence of winter survival in North America.

ESC2020.038

Halyomorpha halys feeding on green beans (Delémont, Switzerland)

ESC2020.039

A common honey bee found washboarding (cleaning) the hives landing ledge. Madison Laprise (Chatham-Kent, ON)

ESC2020.040

Squash Vine Borer

ESC2020.041

Dicromantispa interrupta – Four-spotted mantidfly was photographed during a moth outing at the Reveler Conservation outing near St-Albert, Ontario (Prescott-Russell county. It was the first time seeing one. It came to the black light and stayed at least one hour.

ESC2020.042

I’m hungry: Hummingbird sphinx moth in London, Ont.

ESC2020.043

Back off: Black swallowtail larva on fennel in London, Ont

ESC2020.044

Crochets just keep me hanging on. Pandora sphinx moth, Eumorpha pandoras, on grape. Canning, Nova Scotia.

ESC2020.045

Viceroy butterfly on raspberries. Carman, MB. Aug 3, 2020

ESC2020.046

A Linne's Cicada perched upon my finger after falling out of a tree. Madison Laprise (Chatham-Kent, ON)

ESC2020.047

Lily leaf beetle larva seen at Carman, MB July1,2020

ESC2020.048

Mormon cricket. Elm Creek, MB. Sept 11, 2020

ESC2020.049

Froghopper, North Vancouver BC

ESC2020.050

Bean leaf beetle adult - Saint-Mathieu-Beloeil (Québec). The bean leaf beetle is one of the emergent pest in soybean in south western Quebec. This defoliator could have two generations per year.

ESC2020.051

Robber fly in the Subfamily Asilinae with damselfly, photo taken at Max Lake in Penticton, B.C.

ESC2020.052

Enallagma civile watching the foot traffic along a boardwalk at Riding Mountain National Park, MB

ESC2020.053

Various blow flies identified to species after being trapped for a research project that investigates species diversity over a land-use gradient.(Focused: Lucilia sericata) Madison Laprise (Windsor, ON)

ESC2020.054

Comma butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) resting on a logging road (Kelowna, British Columbia).

ESC2020.055

A bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) peering out of its nest in Summerland, BC

ESC2020.056

An Elfin butterfly larva (Callophrys genus) rests on a cluster of flower buds (Family Fabaceae) as it is tended by ants (Family Formicidae). Centreton, Ontario.

ESC2020.057

A Damselfly rests on a Virginia Creeper leaf.

ESC2020.058

Coccophahus scutellaris (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) reared from cottony vine scale, Pulvinaria vitis (Hemiptera: Coccidae), on wine grapes in Summerland, BC

ESC2020.059

Biological control of leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) at Canadian Forces Base Shilo has been ongoing since the early 1990s. Aphthona spp and Spurge hawkmoths (Hyles euphorbiae) along with other moth, beetle and fly species have all been release in the Range & Training Area.

ESC2020.060

Watching you watching me. Newly emerged cicada (Tibicen spp.) peering around a cherry branch. Kentville Research and Development Centre, Nova Scotia.

American Rubyspot (male)

Portrait of a male American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) photographed along the Châteauguay River at Ste-Martine, Québec on August 13, 2020. A small population of this colourful damselfly was discovered at this site, well north of its usual range, several years ago.

ESC2020.062

A presumed Acrididae grasshopper found hanging out in the backyard in Summerland, BC.

ESC2020.063

Chiang Mai, Thailand. A crimson dropwing (Trithemis aurora) just before it 'dropped' its wings to rest.

ESC2020.064

Eight spotted skimmer dragonfly, Libellula forensis (Odonata: Libellulidae), “spotted” in Camosun Bog (Vancouver, British Columbia).

ESC2020.065

Encountered northeastern pine sawyer (Monochamus notatus) camping at Hilliard's Provincial Park, AB.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Clytus ruricola (Olivier) (Cerambycidae) is found across Canada from B.C. to Cape Breton. This individual was self-isolating on a leaf in late June in Woodlawn, Ontario

Tipulogaster glabrata

A tiny, easily overlooked robber fly, Tipulogaster glabrata, photographed in Mulgrave-et-Derry, Québec on August 17, 2020.

ESC2020.068

A spruce budworm (Choristoneura spp.) found in Kananaskis, AB

ESC2020.069

A leaf miner enjoying the perks of feeding within the tissues of this leaf, found close to Upper Kananaskis Lake, AB.

ESC2020.070

Found in Brandon, Manitoba in September 2019, different life stages of the of the Eastern Boxelder bug (Boisea trivattata).

ESC2020.071

Mating Sicus ferrugineus (Conopidae), parasitoids of bumble bees (Passwang, Switzerland)

ESC2020.072

Gotcha: Robber fly with prey in London, Ont

ESC2020.073

Taken at CFB Shilo, Manitoba July 2020. Part of Species at Risk monitoring at CFB Shilo includes examining milkweed for Monarch caterpillars

ESC2020.074

Extracting larvae of the invasive apple clearwing moth, Synanthedon myopaeformis, from apple trees (Hörhausen, Germany)

Silver-spotted Skipper

lovely Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) was photographed on June 12, 2020 when it briefly visited our flower garden in Cumberland, Ontario

ESC2020.076

A Taylor's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori) during a captive breeding effort on Denman Island, BC. Individuals of this endangered subspecies were caught in the wild and placed in an enclosure with their native plant in hopes they would lay eggs.

ESC2020.077

Subadult female Black Widow on her web. Tsawwassen, BC, Canada. This field collected subadult female has been mated by a male that chew through the cuticle above her fully developed epigyne (see: Biaggio et al. 2016)

ESC2020.078

Variegated Meadowhawk, photo taken at Powell Beach Park in Summerland, B.C.

ESC2020.079

A cuckoo wasp (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) captured inside, and released from, a glass mason jar during an impromptu photoshoot (Victoria, British Columbia).

ESC2020.080

Diptera TBD

ESC2020.081

Western corn rootworm - Saint-Alexandre (Québec). The western and northern corn rootworms are pests that could be controlled by rotation or by different strategies among which Bt traits, but resistance is developing in Ontario and probably in Quebec.

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) with Monarch cate

Photographed in Papineau-Labelle Reserve, Québec on August 1, 2020. A pair of Red Milkweed Beetles (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) and a Monarch caterpillar enjoying their favorite food plant.

ESC2020.083

Crocus Geometer found on the side of a building. Winnipeg, MB 2007

ESC2020.084

Honey bee approaching a nectar source in Hamburg, Germany

ESC2020.085

An eastern bumblebee, Bombus impatiens Cresson, introduced to Vancouver, British Columbia, visiting flowers in a garden.

ESC2020.086

Canadian tiger swallowtail - Parc de la Vérendrye (Québec). This specimen of Canadian tiger swallowtail is special. The pattern on his wings is uncommuon and corresponds to an abberation caused by a genetic mutation

ESC2020.087

Freshly hatched! Squash bug, Anasa tristis, on squash. Kentville Research and Development Centre, Nova Scotia.

ESC2020.088

Commonly known as the green lacewing, one of nature’s best pest controls. Madison Laprise (Chatham-Kent, ON)

ESC2020.089

Camp Fortune, Gatineau, QB. A female black giant ichneumonid wasp (Megarhyssa atrata) observed ovipositing into a deciduous tree to lay eggs onto Tremex columba (Siricidae) larvae, with a male simultaneously attempting to fertilize the eggs.

ESC2020.090

Alder bark beetles, Alniphagus aspericollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) captured in a handmade trap as they emerge from beneath the bark of a large senescing red alder tree in the Greater Victoria Water Supply Area (Victoria, British Columbia).

ESC2020.091

Soft winged flower beetle (Melyrid?), North Vancouver BC

ESC2020.092

A Goldenrod crab spider (Misumena vatia) feeds on a recently-caught bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae). Marmora, Ontario.

ESC2020.093

Crab spider on daisy, Chilliwack BC

ESC2020.094

An Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) captured during field work in the south of France in March 2020. In collaboration with French researchers at the CNRS, we are examining phenological shifts in butterflies and which traits predict these shifts

Lupine Bug

Megalotomus quinquespinosus, Alydidae, J. J. Collett Natural Area, Alberta, Canada (52°33'25" N 113°38'19" W), 26 Aug 2020

ESC2020.096

Pemphredonina Wasp resting on sand in a residential Alley behind the Esso gas station in Caswell Hill Neighborhood Saskatoon, SK June 2020

ESC2020.097

Lily leaf beetle seen at Carman, MB July1, 2020

ESC2020.098

Subadult female black widow spider walking on her web. Tsawwassen, BC, Canada

ESC2020.099

Robber fly in the Subfamily Asilinae, photo taken at Trout Creek Point in Summerland, B.C.

View submissions to Previous Contests

Gallery of previous photo contest submissions

Contains photos from the fifth through the fifteenth annual photo contests

As part of the mandate of the Entomological Society of Canada these insect photographs are made available to the public free of charge,
providing that they are not for resale and that proper credit is given to the authors. The ESC thanks the photographers for their contribution.

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