Chris Minihane

Karen, Kenya

Beetle on thistle bush

"This very colourful beetle was laying her eggs on a thistle bush. I took this shot because I'd never seen anything like this before, and was fascinated not only by the fact that I'd noticed this small beetle, but also by her incredible shyness. It was very difficult to get anywhere near her. I had to carefully walk up to her and simply stand for several minutes, moving bit by bit until I could get a bit of her face in the shot. It was very windy and she would turn away from me if I got too close, or if I moved an inch, so this was a lucky shot indeed."