Farmers and gardeners abhor them for their destructive nature — and let’s face it, they are not the most photogenic of insects.
Yet Dunedin photographer Nahuel Kondratzky has managed to capture a striking macro image of a weevil with its distinctive elongated snout, and it has won him the overall award in the 2026 Otago Museum Wildlife Photography Competition.
It won the hearts of the competition judges, particularly Craig McKenzie, who said it was an ‘‘extremely unique and strong’’ image.
He praised its composition, detail, and the photographer’s ability to give ‘‘personality’’ to what many people usually deem a small and unlikable subject.
This year’s competition was a record-breaker, having attracted 9372 submissions - the highest number in its 26-year history.
The number of entries was boosted by a newly established nationwide Wild Aotearoa category, which alone generated 5717 of the entries.
The high numbers have cemented the competition’s place as one of New Zealand’s leading amateur wildlife photography events.
A public exhibition of finalists and winning images is now open at Tūhura Otago Museum, and coincides with the Wild Dunedin New Zealand Festival of Nature which will run from April 10-19.
