Oct. 26, 2012 --
As the Nikon Small World Competition shows, it really is a small world, after all -- a small, disgusting and occasionally creepy world that can sometimes escape our vision. Take this photo, for example, of a Dermatobia hominis larva, more commonly known as the human botfly. The black dots on the far right on the larva's body are actually its teeth, which have to be surgically removed its host.
PHOTOS: It's a Nikon Small World After All
This 30x close-up of a spider head might make your skin crawl at first. But try to remember that this shot is of a common house spider, so there could be a few of these little guys crawling in the space around you right now, and you might not even know it. Feel better?
In case you've ever wondered what the inside of a mouse colon looks like, Christmas came early this year. This is it. Or at least, this is the surface of a mouse colon at 350x magnification.
Whoever thought small things were cute clearly was not acquainted with this parasitic mite. Known as Varroa destructor and seen here at 4x magnification, this mite preys on honey bees and may even play a role in colony collapse disorder.
Looking at this image, it almost appears like a rainbow-colored, slightly misshapen heart. In fact, the photo shows the eye organ inside a fruit fry larvae magnified 60x.
This photo would almost be heartwarming were it not an extreme close-up of an insect. An ant carries its larva in this 5x magnification shot.
This 150x magnified shot of a mosquito head is almost enough to make you start scratching an itch you don't really have.
This newborn lynx spiderlings against what appears to be a snowy background shot at 6x magnification can send a chill down your spine that even the heaviest winter coat won't help you with.
The business end of a spider is magnified 18x in this photo.
A mite crawling on the eye of a Cinnabar flat beetle at 18x magnification shows the massive size different between these two insects.
This reflected light photo of a parasitic wasp, Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae, eerily looks like a set of human eyes staring right into the camera.
PHOTOS: Small Worlds Never Before Seen
