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Winner | Mutualism | Thane, India
The mutualistic relationship between ant and aphid. The ants consume honeydew excreted by a yellow aphid, and in return the ants protect the aphid from other organisms such as red mites
Photograph: Vishwanath Birje/Royal Society of Biology
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Runner-up | Fractals | UK
The patterns in this image are of Bacillus subtilis being grown on a dextrose agar plate. The patterns form depending on the conditions of the bacteria’s environment and how bacterial cells move after coming into contact with each other
Photograph: Alice Feng/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | The hunt | West Bengal, India
The interaction between the jewel wasp and cockroach is anything but friendly. The jewel wasp injects venom into the cockroach’s brain, paralysing the latter. The wasp then lays an egg in the zombified cockroach
Photograph: Ripan Biswas/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | Bite for survival | Bangkok, Thailand
The tokay gecko bites back despite being held in the coils of the golden tree snake
Photograph: Wei Fu/Royal Society of Biology
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Highly commended | Watering hole antics | Kenya
A pair of Grevy’s zebra drink from a watering hole
Photograph: Hayden Wood/Royal Society of Biology
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Winner | Submerged | Somerset, UK
A tyre being reclaimed by nature in the Vallis Forest, Somerset, showing the connection between people and the natural world
Photograph: Roan Jones/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | Solar power plant | Zhejiang province, China
A large group of night herons perch on solar power panels at dusk
Photograph: Gu Guanghui/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | Spiderman of our body | Missouri, USA
Immune cells communicate with each other to protect our body from invading foreign particles or micro-organisms. Here, neutrophil cells (light blue) release web-like structures (yellow) to defend against tuberculosis bacteria (pink)
Photograph: Chanchal Sur Chowdhury/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | A tiny gathering | Pampanga, Philippines
A small group of thief ants are gathered to enjoy a few drops of syrup on top of a wax apple leaf
Photograph: John Ishide Bulanadi/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | The plague | Borana, Kenya
In 2019, Kenya and most of east Africa saw its worst locust outbreak in 70 years. Varying weather due to climate change and travel and shipping restrictions have meant the outbreaks are getting larger and harder to control
Photograph: Henry Harte/Royal Society of Biology
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Shortlisted | Family quarrel | Cordoba, Spain
Bee-eaters are easily spotted birds because of their colours. They spend most of their time flying in search of insects
Photograph: Alfonso Roldan Losada/Royal Society of Biology
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Runner-up | Hon Yen marine ecosystem | Phu Yen, Vietnam
Every year between May and August, the coral of this rich and diverse ecosystem becomes exposed at low tide
Photograph: Truong Hoai Vu/Royal Society of Biology
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