Wildlife photo: Is this mosquito the most beautiful in the world?

You can not help but marvel at its beauty. This female mosquito, with its gorgeous hairy legs and iridescent glow, is stunning.

It is one of the species of Sabethes found in Central and South America.

Unfortunately this particular specimen also happens to be an important carrier of tropical diseases.

Scroll down to this page and you can enjoy some of the other highly acclaimed images in the 57th year of the prestigious competition.

Gil is a trained entomologist, so he really understands his subjects. And getting this kind of stroke requires a lot of planning, patience – and even a little pain.

He describes the Sabethes mosquitoes as extremely thick and difficult to photograph well, especially in the heat and constant humidity of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, where this photograph was taken.

“The mosquito responds to smaller movements and changes in light intensity,” he told me.

“This means you have to stay very calm while trying to photograph it, and also be prepared for mosquito escape if you use a flash. Fortunately, you are never alone with a single mosquito. , because there are usually dozens of them hovering over your head.

“These mosquitoes are important vectors of some tropical diseases, such as yellow fever and dengue fever. While taking the picture, I was bitten by this mosquito and some others, increasing the risk of contracting a tropical disease transmitted by “Vector. But I’m still alive!”

Anyone who has ever tried to take a picture of an insect will realize that Gili had to “collect” some differently focused images to get the depth of field needed to show all the details along his body.

A figure looking for salmon carcasses in the shallows of Lake Karluk at Alaska Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

Notice how the mosquito’s hind legs are held up as it feeds on blood from the Gill node. They are sensory. The insect should remain very aware of what is happening around it only in case there is a requirement to make a quick escape.

And then, of course, there are those feathered “rides” on the other legs. Their purpose is not entirely clear, but they are likely to be involved in attracting a spouse.

There are more than 3,300 species of mosquitoes in the world. They have few admirers.

Most of us have a laid back attitude when it comes to painting a picture about ourselves. But if we did, we would find a lot of colorful scales and hair, says Erica McAlister, a senior curator at the Natural History Museum in London, which runs the WPY competition.

To some extent or another, everything has its place in nature.

“The Sabethes female will only feed on blood when she is ready to produce eggs. The rest of the time she feeds on nectar. Therefore, she will be a pollinator,” Erica explains.

“You have to remember that she is being manipulated by these viruses (yellow fever and tinnitus). This is one way to look at it.”

The image of Gil is titled Beautiful bloodsuckerBelow are some other highly acclaimed photos.

A burning mushroom climbs a dead tree in the rainforest of Queensland, Australia. Click on the image and you can also watch some videos

Strong swimmers. Male cheetahs paddle along the flooded Talek River in Kenya’s Maasai Mara

A drone looks down on a polluted river in the Geamana Valley, inside Romania’s Apuseni Mountains

Three parakeet birds with pink rings stick their heads out of a nest hole while their father returns with food. This photo was taken by 10-year-old Gagana from a balcony at his home in Colombo

Overall winners in Wildlife Photographer of the Year the competition will be announced at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 12th. The NHM annual exhibition will open next Friday, October 15th, and, as usual, will then go on tour.