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This peculiar array of prickles and tendrils is the antenna of a male
mosquito magnified 400 times. Gregory Paulson, of Washington State University
in Pullman, Washington, took the photograph as part of a research project
to document minute anatomical differences between insects. Only male mosquitoes
have these elaborate, feathery antennae. Female mosquitoes have straight,
unadorned antennae. Paulson’s picture won this year’s Polaroid photomicrography
competition. The competition, which has been running for 11 years, this
year attracted 600 entries from 277 micrographers around the world.