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Mother defender by Javier Aznar González de Rueda, Spain — winner, wildlife photographer portfolio award (from a portfolio of six images). A large Alchisme treehopper guards her family as the nymphs feed on the stem of a nightshade plant in El Jardín de los Sueños reserve in Ecuador. Unlike many treehoppers, which enlist the help of other insects (mostly ants), this species is guarded by the mother alone. She lays her eggs on the underside of a nightshade leaf, covers them with a thin secretion and then shields the clutch with her tiny frame. (Photo by Javier Aznar González de Rueda/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
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