Subjects for photos: Lepidoptera – butterflies and moths, but we will take dragonflies, fireflies, etc.
This year, we have chosen to highlight the various Lepidoptera species for our “Best of Show” photo award.
All decisions by our judges, Robert Smith and Donna Bush, are final.
There is no entry fee.
Registration begins at 9 a.m. CT on July 1, 2026. Entries will be accepted up to 11 p.m. CT on Friday, September 4, 2026. Here is the registration link: http://msuext.ms/bugfest
This competition is available to anyone who is interested in participating, apart from employees from The Crosby Arboretum, The Crosby Arboretum Foundation, and Wildlife Mississippi.
Participant categories and awards (10 awards in all):
- Ages 17 and under – Youth group (prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places)
- Ages 18 and over – Beginners group (prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places)
- Ages 18 and over – Advanced group (prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places)
One special award will be given to the top Butterfly/Moth (Lepidoptera) photo. This group is one of the most diverse insect order in the world with over 180,000 different, documented species. They come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Show us your favorite Lepidoptera pictures!
Prizes for 1, 2, 3 in each category and for the top Lepidoptera photo:
Each winning photo will be printed and mounted by the Crosby Arboretum at no charge to the photographer. These photos will be displayed at The Crosby Arboretum’s art gallery from September 1, 2027 to the end of November 2027. After the gallery showing, each photographer may pick up his/her mounted photo (December 2027).
Each 2026 winning photographer in the ten main categories will receive an individual award. Our judges also have the option of awarding a limited number of Honorable Mention awards.
By entering a photo in this competition, you are granting The Crosby Arboretum the rights to use your competition images to recognize photographers, market Arboretum programs and events, use for education and outreach programs, and promote future events/competitions. This includes online, print and display images. All other image rights remain with the photographer.
Additional Rules
- Each photographer may enter up to 3 photographs in total. Photographers can enter 2 and 3 photos at the same time or can enter up to 3 photos at different times. Should a photographer enter more than 3 images, only the first 3 images will be eligible for the competition.
- The person entering the photo into the competition must be the photographer. Our younger photographers may receive help from an adult regarding their entry/entries.
- There is no time restriction on when each photo was taken. There will be no geographical restriction. The date and place of the photo are to be submitted with the photograph for information purposes.
- The photographer of each photo needs to submit the photo along with a brief statement regarding the Lepidoptera(s) pictured. That brief statement (300 characters) should contain interesting information about the Lepidoptera and what appealed to the photographer.
- The winners in the 18 and older “beginners” category must move to the “advanced” category for future photo competitions at The Crosby Arboretum.
- The winning photos for the 2024 and 2025 Crosby Arboretum competitions cannot be entered in any future Crosby Arboretum competitions.
- All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared.
- Entrant’s submissions must not infringe on the rights of any other photographer or entity.
- Entrants must not submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer.
- No signatures, names, or watermarks on entries. Our judges prefer not to associate any image with a specific photographer.
- Photos must be entered in a JPEG format.
- Minimum Photo Size is 2000 pixels by 4000 pixels (larger images accepted)!!
**Please be sure your photo meets this size criteria.
Smaller photos will be disqualified. If you are working with a cell phone camera, you may need to change the settings in advance to accommodate the size requirement.
**Please be sure your photos are entered in a JPEG format.
Competition Timeline
- Registration begins at 9 a.m. CT on July 1, 2026.
- Entries to be accepted up to 11 p.m. CT on Friday, September 4, 2026.
- Judges to make their selections by the week of September 14, 2026. Winners will be notified by Wednesday, September 16th. We encourage all winners, if possible, to attend and be recognized as they accept their award!
- The top 10 winning photographs will be announced on September 16, 2026.
- The award ceremony will take place at BugFest 2026 at the Pinecote Pavilion on September 25–26, 2026. Winners will find out their specific award at this time.
- Winners do not have to be present to win but must arrange to pick up their award at The Crosby Arboretum by March 31, 2027.
Special Accommodations
The Crosby Arboretum/MSU Extension will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities or special needs. Please contact our office at 601-799-2311 or sydney.stubbs@msstate.edu prior to a program or event to request an accommodation.
Registration
Registration and entries must be completed by Friday, September 4, 2026 at 11 p.m. CT. Any entry made after 11 p.m. CT on September 4th will be disqualified.