Shot with a Canon EOS R5 and custom lighting, this magical, otherworldly photo captures a moth's glowing eyes

A dramatic, dark blue macro photograph of a moth's face, focusing sharply on its large, glowing yellow-and-red compound eyes in an otherwise blurred, nocturnal setting.

Ever thought you'd glimpsed an eerie pair of glowing eyes in your headlights? You may not have been imagining it. This phenomenon is the result of a little-known but fascinating biological adaptation. And here's a shot that showcases it in stunning macro detail.

German photographer Ivo Niermann's picture of a noctuid moth took runner-up honors in the Other Animals category of the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. His image captures something many people don't realize insects possess: eyeshine caused by the tapetum lucidum. That's the same reflective layer behind the retina that makes cats' and deers' eyes glow when caught in electric light at night.