The Winner of Nikon's Small World Photomicrography

Winner:  Australian Ralph Claus Grimm

Photo by Ralph Claus Grimm:  Eye of a honeybee covered in dandelion pollen.

From LiveScience:

"A photo contest that pays tribute to the tiny wonders of the world has a particularly buzzworthy winning image this year: a close-up of a bee's eye, covered in dandelion pollen. More than 2,000 photographers submitted images to the 2015 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, but just 20 of those images were chosen as winners. The first-place picture of the bee's eye was taken by Australian photomicrographer Ralph Grimm, who spent 4 hours mounting the eye under a microscope and focusing the instrument to capture the stunning shot. Grimm, a high school teacher and former beekeeper, said that, in light of the ongoing collapse of bee colonies worldwide, he hopes his imageis a reminder of the important role these pollinators play in local ecosystems."

GO HERE to see the other photos.