nationalgeographic.com/…/jumping-spider-pollen

October 23, 2026 | Pretty in Pollen

Photographer John-Oliver Dum was first drawn to jumping spiders after learning that they sometimes supplement their diet with plant-based food sources. He then set out to capture that behavior, photographing this jumping spider carrying pollen on its body. “My aim is to combine microscopy, photography, observation of animal behavior, and education,” Dum says “to show that even very small and familiar creatures can reveal completely unexpected stories when we look closely enough.” Dum’s image won second place in the 2026 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

John-Oliver Dum, Nikon Small World