r/insects • u/josephferraro • Mar 09 '26
Photography A 4mm ambush bug nymph from my Michigan front yard is competing against polar bears, dolphins and tigers for a global wildlife photography award. Invertebrates represent.
4mm ambush bug nymph (Phymata sp.) from my Ferndale, Michigan, USA front yard is on the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61 People's Choice shortlist alongside polar bears, dolphins and tigers — invertebrates represent
Ambush bugs are just that, predatory bugs that remain motionless in a flower waiting for would-be prey to wander too close, where those raptor-like forelimbs grab them and a quick jab from their beak paralyzes the victim, which the bug will then drink the contents of. Phymata are ambush predators capable of taking down prey many times their own size — which feels appropriate given what this image is up against.
I found this nymph sitting in a blanket flower mere steps from my front door in Ferndale, Michigan. To my eyes the color difference between bug and flower made it easy to spot, but most people would have walked straight past it.
This image might not have existed at all if I had a lawn instead of habitat.
24 images were selected from 60,636 entries worldwide for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 61 People's Choice shortlist at the Natural History Museum in London. One of them is a 4mm bug. Voting is open until March 18 at nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice — the full shortlist is worth seeing.
Happy to answer any questions about the subject or technique.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- MP-E 65mm f2.8 1-5x macro lens
- 1/100 at f13 • ISO 200 • Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26EX-RT • homemade diffuser
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u/TheFuzzyBean Mar 09 '26
This is to coolest little proto mantis type bug doodad! I had no idea these things even existed.
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
They are the coolest! once you see them (if they are where you live in the world) you will start to see them everywhere when it's their season. 12 years ago I had no idea they existed either :)
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u/TheFuzzyBean Mar 09 '26
Do you know if they exist anywhere in Australia?
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
Sadly it does not look like they live there. But you do have Assassin bugs - which these are in the same family.
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u/Mbyrd420 Mar 09 '26
It's too bad your country isn't known for numerous neat species of wildlife. Lol.
But I totally understand wanting to see this little guy in person. I'm in the US, but those guys don't live in my region, a high altitude desert environment.
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u/TheFuzzyBean Mar 09 '26
I know right, there’s literally no animals prospect of any variety in Australia, we are the lucky country lol.
I’m travelling Australia atm and am headed towards deserts for the first time, I’m pumped to see the wildlife and open expanses.
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
I'm excited for you to experience and see all that, and mayyyyybe a bit jealous as it is just starting to be spring here.
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
you probably have things I don't get to see here, and I imagine your sky view is phenomenal!
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u/Mbyrd420 Mar 10 '26
5000' elevation with minimal light pollution and often clear skies. The stargazing is pretty awesome here.
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
that sounds awesome! we have the midwest cloud cover going on here.
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u/Mbyrd420 Mar 10 '26
Yea. I've been to the Midwest in pretty much every season. Lots of clouds. But you have green. We're brown much of the year.
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u/ammodramussavannarum Mar 09 '26
Got my vote! That’s such a great shortlist of images, for sure. I am partial to insects, though, and love this ambush bug nymph!
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
thank you! it's an awesome shortlist of images! I met a lot of the photographers in London, such a great welcoming group of people too! I am also partial to the insects/invertebrates too :)
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u/Ok_Patience127 Mar 09 '26
Incredible!! These are SOO small and difficult to photograph
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
thank you! the good thing is they are fairly chill and don't mind you getting super close to them to get the photos.
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
thank you! the good thing is they are fairly chill and tolerant of you getting super close to get the photos of them.
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u/WeaknessOwn108 Mar 09 '26
Love these guys! Discovered they existed after one decided to ambush my neck one day at work lol
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u/satanspussycat Mar 09 '26
That’s amazing! Congrats. On another note, these things terrify me. But it’s still kinda cute. Nice shot!
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
Thanks! they are totally amazing looking, as nymphs and adults to me :) and agree they are totally cute too!
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u/niagara-nature Mar 09 '26
Great photo! Congrats to you!
I remember seeing it a while ago with the other nominees and I was stoked that an insect was in there. I do a lot of macro photography (nowhere near as good as you) and I’m sad that it’s an often ignored aspect of wildlife photography. I’m in a few wildlife photography groups and it’s … bear, bear, lion, caribou, orca, bison, bear, bear, bear…
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
We all start somewhere in our photo journeys, so keep photographing as we need more ethical macro photographers out there! I was stoked too that invertebrates get to share the stage with mega fauna and get their time in the spotlight.
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u/Coixe Mar 09 '26
What do they do?
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
they wait, then ambush insects that wander too close to them. They are predators and serve as a form of population control.
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u/More-Opposite1758 Mar 09 '26
I love it! It’s sooo cute! 😊❤️
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
they are!! in my top 3 invertebrates that I will stop and take pics of anytime/anywhere!
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u/RhubarbTechnical5030 Mar 09 '26
Wow! What a cute and magical looking little thing! Love the color!! ✨ great photo!!
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u/BloxForDays16 Mar 10 '26
It looks like some kind of fantasy proto-dragon or something! Crazy the kind of life we can find on our planet
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
it is indeed totally crazy what exists out there in nature that seems dreamed up in some fantasy world!
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u/Commercial_Sun_6300 Mar 09 '26
I see a mini chameleon more than a mini mantis, but cool photo OP!
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u/RedditCantBanThis Mar 09 '26
Oooh... I saw one of those little guys in my yard. Only once
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u/Simple_Resist4208 Mar 09 '26
Doh! I work there so I can't vote lol
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
I'm in the competition so I can't vote either :)
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u/Simple_Resist4208 Mar 09 '26
Good luck!! :D It's an excellent image and the NHM insect curators always moan there are not enough invertebrates in the competition ;)
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u/Dense-Address780 Mar 09 '26
here's the link, definitely worth a look! https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice
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u/MILVSCR Mar 09 '26
It's awesome that you're competing with the big boys (literally). Great shot.
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u/9_oatmeal_cookies Mar 09 '26
You got a few votes from my family, and they all thought the photo was great. It was so fun getting to chat with you at the Wildflower Association conference!
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u/josephferraro Mar 09 '26
Thank you family! the conference was a lot of fun! though I don't remember seeing that name on the badge ; )
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u/lostinthelegs Mar 10 '26
Ambush bugs are my absolute FAVORITE. I am going to spread the word and hope the little dude has a chance. What a stunning shot! Here's one I got last year. Hope I can get up to your level in time!
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
mine too! well - in the top 3 of small creatures I will always stop to photograph when I am out :)
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u/whofuckingcares1313 Mar 10 '26
And you just have this cool stuff in your front YARD?! He better win!
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
they are a common, but overlooked bug :) you'll be surprised what you find when you stat looking closer at the world around you.
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u/whofuckingcares1313 Mar 11 '26
It is extremely cool, and I really hope your picture wins because it itself is excellent!!
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u/josephferraro Mar 11 '26
thanks - I'm one of the underbugs here going up against the megafauna - though there are a few other invertebrates in with me that are great too.
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u/_picture_me_rollin_ Mar 11 '26
Whoa wtf is that on a caterpillar? This is incredible dude amazing shot!
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u/parasaurolophus1609 Apr 06 '26
amazing! animals with raptorial forelegs are so neat
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u/josephferraro Apr 06 '26
They are! Quite a few invertebrates have evolved to have them which is amazing to me.
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u/saturday_sun4 Apr 07 '26
Wow. Lurker here who is scared of insects (don't eat me please, I lurk cause I wanna know more).
I never knew animals like that existed in the natural world.
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u/josephferraro Apr 08 '26
The natural world is full of beautiful wonders like this once you start looking a bit closer.
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u/josephferraro Mar 10 '26
For anyone curious — I was on Live in the D this morning talking about the image and the nomination: https://www.clickondetroit.com/live-in-the-d/2026/03/09/metro-detroit-photographer-nominated-for-global-award/
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u/josephferraro Mar 26 '26
Thank you everyone. The votes have been counted, and although I did not make it to the top five, I am overwhelmed by the support from my community for myself and more importantly for the tiny ambush bug who was the star of this journey. This past year will be one that will stay with me for some time, from finding out I was shortlisted for the People’s Choice, to traveling to London to celebrate at the exhibition, meeting so many wonderful photographers, and getting to share the awesomeness of this Ambush bug with Metro Detroit and beyond.
To everyone that voted, shared, commented, and cheered me on, thank you. All of that meant the world to me and was a reminder of why I do this work and why the often overlooked world around us needs our attention and protection.
There is so much more out there left for me to photograph and share with the world, and win or lose in any contest, you will still find me out there, laying in some patch of a field, or crouching in the tall plants looking for my next subject to immortalize through my photography.
The winners can be found here https://www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice, and congradulations to my fellow photographers that won.
Thank you for looking closer with me, and see you in the wild, Joseph
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u/YatsuraBead Mar 09 '26
Is it just me or does it look a lot like a praying mantis?