Art of Nature Winner: Into the Light
Into the Light by Pål Hermansen
All of the insects displayed here were collected from a single outdoor light fixture after the light was left on for a night in Ski, Norway. Photographer Pål Hermansen carefully arranged each dead insect against a white background to bring attention to “the hidden creatures that are a foundation for our lives—creatures that we easily ignore,” he told bioGraphic.
The picture demonstrates the wide diversity and abundance of the insects all around us. And that diversity and abundance are, in many ways, a fundamental pillar of the animal kingdom. We need insects for pollination services, to support the food web, and so much more.
But scientists have begun to discover that many insect populations are declining worldwide. One potential threat to insects, well illuminated by Hermansen’s photo: light pollution.
