Photographing the Microscopic: Winners of Nikon Small World 2026

Daniel Knop, Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany Image of Distinction: A close view of the leg of a weevil Eric Epstein, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Sixth Place: Hemitrichia slime-mold spore structures (fruiting bodies) Dr.

Marcel Clemens, Verona, Veneto, Italy Eighth Place: Pencil lead during exposure to a high-voltage electrical discharge Amartya Tashi Mitra and Paul Maier, Aria Huang, Nathaniel Sweet and Anthony Wokasch, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Honorable Mention: Neurons of red-eared-slider ( Trachemys scripta ) embryo Nicolas Noel and Dr.

Valentina Cigliola, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

Image of Distinction: Neonatal-mouse astrocyte in culture Anne Gleich, Licoi, Kaiserslautern, Rheinlandpfalz, Germany Image of Distinction: Daphnia sp. (water flea) and Volvox sp. (green algae) Přemysl Orlík, Opava, Czech Republic Image of Distinction: Hazelnut weevil ( Curculio nucum ) Gerhard Vlcek, Maria Enzersdorf, Austria Image of Distinction: Cross-section of spruce treetop Zhang You, Kunming, Yunnan, China Image of Distinction: A weevil pokes its head out of a hole it bored into a fava bean.

Amartya Tashi Mitra and Harsha Sen, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Image of Distinction: Cellular structures of slipper-limpet ( Crepidula fornicata ) larva Kaelin Wulf and Ms.

Rachel Flannery, Allen Institute, Seattle, Washington, U.S.

Third Place: Neurons in an expanded mouse brain Dr.

Arlene Wechezak, Anacortes, Washington, U.S.

Image of Distinction: Red algae, diatoms, and protozoans Justin Zoll, Freeville, New York, U.S.

Image of Distinction: Adult fungus gnat caught in the sticky trichomes of a cannabis plant Be sure to visit the Nikon Small World competition website to view the full set of winning and honored images.