The Ugly Bug competition is held by the Oklahoma Microscopy Society (OMS) every year to educate school children about microscopy and increase it’s use in school level science education. Despite it’s noble cause the competition itself can get pretty ugly. What you have to do to win 1 out of 5 microscopes is submit the ugliest bug you can find.
School students are expected to collect and submit the bug along with it’s life history. Members of OMS photograph the bugs using a scanning electron microscope and decide which is the ugliest. Check out their official website for more details. Here are the pictures of the bugs who won the 2008 competition. Well rest assured I think that the name of the competition is justified. Also do comment on which do you find the ugliest of these.
Mole Cricket By Hodson Elementary, Owasso
Velvet Ant By Custer Elementary, Thomas
Wheel Bug By Bluejacket Elementary, Bluejacket
Moth By Hugo Intermediate, Hugo
Sycamore Tussock Moth By Larvae Mc Kinley Elementary, Norman