A microscopic portrait of two extraordinary strands of silk from the Australian net-casting spider has been crowned the winner of the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2025.
By Dean Murray
The winning image, captured as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph, showcases an ultra-close view of silk fibers about 0.05 millimeters in length from Asianopis subrufa, the Australian net-casting spider.
The competition, organized in partnership with the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), honors striking photographs that illuminate hidden scientific phenomena in the natural world.
Taking top honors this year is Mesmerizing spider threads, created by Dr. Martin Ramirez, a research scientist with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) at the Argentinian Museum of Natural Sciences. Ramirez’s work focuses on spider systematics, evolutionary morphology, and biogeography.
The striking image was produced after samples were studied back in Buenos Aires using electron microscopy, which relies on a beam of electrons to achieve exceptional resolution beyond what light can provide. Ramirez explained that the photograph reveals the intricate spinning process of net-casting spiders and the winding fibers that grant both strength and elasticity to their silk.
The spider in question employs an ambush predation strategy: it spans its web between its front legs and launches the silk out to ensnare passing insects. This behavior demands silk with unique mechanical properties, which drew Ramirez and his collaborator, Dr. Jonas Wolff of Greifswald University, to investigate.
“From simply watching the spider’s behavior, it was clear something extraordinary would emerge,” Ramirez noted. “The web is incredibly stretchy; no ordinary silk can extend in that manner and then rebound to its original shape.”
Prior to the SEM analysis that produced the winning shot, the researchers conducted detailed measurements of the web’s tension using specialized equipment and light microscopes. Ramirez described the process as a meticulous, artisanal dissection of fibers to quantify stretchiness.
This marks Ramirez’s first entry in the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition, though he has followed the event for several years.
Hugh Turvey, Chair of the Science Committee for the Royal Photographic Society and a judge, remarked: “The judges unanimously selected this image. Entries are evaluated on two main criteria: visual appeal and the capacity to communicate a compelling scientific phenomenon. The bold, graphic SEM rendering of the rope-like structures—with their twists and undulations—evokes wonder and demonstrates the fusion of artistic form with scientific function.”
Entries to the competition span five scientific categories:
- Astronomy
- Behavior
- Earth science and climatology
- Ecology and environmental science
- Microimaging
This year’s winning photograph continues to highlight how high-resolution imagery can reveal the remarkable engineering of natural materials and the surprising beauty of science in action.
