We’re pleased to announce the winning articles from the 2025 Student Science Communication Award
To enter the annual competition, students write an 800 word article in English, on an insect-related topic of interest to the general public.
Winner
Amy Fleming, MSc Entomology student at Harper Adams University, for the article “Snout & About, Your bite sized travel guide to desinations in the UK“.
Amy Fleming
“I had so much fun creating my article for the Student Science Communication Award, so when I found out I had won I was over the moon! It is such an amazing privilege to receive the award and be recognised by the RES for my submission. I love beetles, and weevils are my favourite, so I used this as an opportunity to share how amazing some of the weevils in the UK are and tell people about just a few of their ecological niches. I would definitely encourage more students to take part and get creative as it was so fun!”
Amy Fleming
Second place
Amalia Herrera Grau, MSc Entomology student at Harper Adams University, for the article “The Search for Splendid“.
“What brings me the most satisfaction is knowing I have helped put a tiny spotlight on some tiny wasps which I am hoping will contribute in some small way to a shift in perception for one of the most persecuted of insect groups. Wasps are such a diverse, beautiful and underappreciated bunch and a children’s-book-style story seemed an opportunity to encourage empathy for them.”
Amalia Herrera Grau
Amalia Herrera Grau
Commended articles
The judges commended two further articles as being excellent.
Xiaoyu Chen, BSc Biological Sciences student at Imperial College London, for the article “Stressed Ants“.
Beatrix Ward, MSc Entomology student at Harper Adams University, for the article “Buried with care: a Coleopteran romance“.
Members of RES Outreach Committee judged the entries: Dr Chantelle Jay, Engagement Officer at the Forestry Commission; Dr Joshua Sammy, Senior Executive Office at the Office for National Statistics and artist; and Sophia Reinisch, Research Assistant at the Natural History Museum, London.
″We enjoyed reading through the 2025 competition entries, especially as they were so varied in style and intended audience. The winner and runner up were particularly strong in terms of scientific messaging and accessibility. We really enjoyed the fun format of Snout and About, and the idea of children’s book about fig wasps as seen in The Search for Splendid was inspired.
We also wanted to recognise two further entries with commendation. Stressed Ants was a beautifully written personal account of the writer’s experience with insects, and Buried with Care brought love to a species that might otherwise be overlooked by the wider public.
We saw increasing use of AI in the illustration and writing of science stories submitted this year, and will be considering how this is judged in the 2026 competition.″
Chantelle Jay, Joshua Sammy & Sophia Reinisch
The winner and runner up will be published in the Society’s membership bulletin Antenna later this year. The 2026 competition is expected to open in Summer 2026.
