This week: See the extraordinary lives of bugs. Plus, a close-up look at foods you may hate, and a glimpse at nature’s daredevils.

PHOTOGRAPH BY  GEORGI GEORGIEV

When it comes to a bug’s life, photographer Georgi Georgiev is an expert. In the above image, a yellow flower crab spider matches a spring pheasant’s-eye bloom. In another, a ladybug drinks water from a dewdrop on a long blade of grass. 

A trained ecologist, Georgiev is acutely familiar with what’s at stake for his subjects as he captures their beauty in otherworldly close-ups. “The smaller they are, the more hidden and interesting their world is to me,” he says. “Their world is as beautiful as it is dangerous.” 

More photos up-close: 
— Hate cilantro or anchovies? Evolutionary science could explain why. 
— These painstakingly preserved plants are still radiant centuries later 

And some exciting news: Photo of the Week is a 2025 Webby Winner! If you love what we do, please consider subscribing to Nat Geo digital. Thank you for your support.

PHOTOGRAPH BY NDREW MATTHEWS, PA IMAGES, GETTY IMAGES

Each spring, on the night of April 30, thousands gather on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill to welcome the return of summer with this Celtic fire ritual. What is this celebration’s name?

A. Glastonbury Festival
B. Beltane Fire Festival
C. Fyre Fest
D. None of the above 

PHOTOGRAPH BY BERTIE GREGORY

NATURE’S DAREDEVILS: “Oh my god, this thing’s going to die.” That was what wildlife filmmaker and National Geographic explorer Bertie Gregory thought when he saw a juvenile emperor penguin jump off a 50-foot cliff. But it didn’t, and neither did the several hundred penguins that followed. 

From incubating eggs to shooting out of the sea (like the photo above), these feats are proof of the fortitude of emperor penguins. See more of their daring feats. 

BEFORE YOU GO: See inside the Arizona city that's America's final frontier.

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