Following from a ballot across the senior editors of Parasitology, we are delighted to announce that the new front cover image for Parasitology features the zoonotic hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum. This photograph was taken by Andrea Langeland, George Washington University, USA, which certainly brings us face-to-face with a ferocious little worm normally hidden from our sight. It reminds us of ancylostomiasis, a global concern for veterinary and public health, and the need to devise better strategies and methods to protect us all from its detrimental impact.

The Editorial Team would like to thank all who provided images for this year’s competition.

We also congratulate Sophia Delgado Serra, University of the Balearic Islands, Spain, who is this year’s runner up. Her image of a tick will later feature on the front cover of our forthcoming special issue on “The biology of ticks and associated epidemiology of tick-borne parasitic diseases”.

We commend Dr Alex Juhasz, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK for her entry that highlights the giant liver fluke. We look forward to the next open competition for our front cover which will be advertised in the Autumn of 2024.

We wish all our authors, reviewers and readers of Parasitology a very happy festive break.