Hemeroplanes Triptolemus – The Creepy Snake That’s Actually a Harmless Caterpillar
Looking at a photo of Hemeroplanes triptolemus, nine out of ten people would swear it’s a snake. But look closer, and you’ll realize there’s something peculiar about it – the body is unusually short and ends abruptly with a large reptilian head. The truth is, it’s not a snake at all. The Hemeroplanes is actually […]
Meet Steven Kutcher – The Guy Who Gets Insects to Act on Camera
Have you ever wondered how the insects in movies do exactly what they’re supposed to? How do they know they’re even in a movie scene and play along with the plot? Like the spider that bites Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) in Spiderman. The bees that swarm Matt Damon in We Bought a Zoo. The spider […]
Fascinating Orchid Mantis Mimics Flowers to Attract Unsuspecting Prey
The orchid mantis, named after the flower it strikingly resembles, fools prey and predators alike. Its imitation of orchids is so convincing that insects are more attracted to it than the real deal. Camouflage isn’t a strange concept; many animals and insects adopt clever disguises to avoid predators. But orchid mantises are unique. They stand […]
Bugs the Size of Your Hand – The Titan Beetle
As its name suggests, the Titanus giganteus, or Titan Beetle, is a giant of the insect world. Adults can grow up to 6.5 inches (16.7 cm) long and have incredibly strong jaws that can snap wooden pencils in half, so just imagine what they could do to your fingers. Luckily, these scary-looking bugs are quite […]
Man Has Eaten Over 5,000 Bug Species in the Last 11 Years
David Gracer is an entomophagist, which means he consumes insects for sustenance and flavor. During the last 11 years, he claims he has munched on countless creepy crawlies from 5,000 different species. Eating bugs may seem disgusting to a lot of people, but mankind has been doing it for most of its existence. The Greeks and the […]
Insect Body Snatchers – How the Jewel Wasp Turns Cockroaches into Zombies
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, I don’t need to tell you what the Imperius curse is. For the rest of you, it’s a spel used to control people’s minds. Now, if you thought something like this was possible only in J.K. Rowling’s world, well here’s some news for you. Nature’s obviously one step ahead. […]
Controversial Artist Unveils Work Created with Hundreds of Dead Insects
Damien Hirst is known as one of the most controversial artists of our time, and his latest work only adds to his reputation. Capaneus, part of the ‘entomology‘ series that hirst has been working on since 2009, features hundreds of insect species placed in intricate geometric shapes and fixed in place with household gloss paint. Considering many […]
Jeweler Creates Mechanical Creepy Crawlers from Watch Parts and Light Bulbs
JM Gershenson-Gates is a Chicago-based jeweler who creates unique accessories from discarded watch parts, in a bid “to show the beauty of the mechanical world, a place generally hidden from the public behind metal and glass.” On his website, Jason Gershenson-Gates says he has always been fascinated with mechanical things. The son of a “gearhead”, and […]
Dutch Insect Cookbook Will Have You Eat Bugs
Some people will eat anything that moves or even crawls. While the rest of us are wrinkling our noses at them, they’re actually at an advantage, because insects are considered to be very rich in proteins. A group of Dutch insect munchers love their creepy crawly snacks so much they’re releasing a special Insect Cookbook, […]
The Secret Life of Ants, Shot by Andrey Pavlov
We’ve seen insects used as art protagonists before. Mike Libby turns them into steampunk hybrids, and Ubyka creates armed insect cyborgs, but I haven’t seen anything like what Andrey Pavlov does with ants. This is the touching story of a man who found comfort in studying and immortalizing hardworking ants performing their daily routines. Andrey Pavlov wasn’t […]
Girl Meets Bug – Where Insects Are the Main Course
Daniella Martin is the host of a web-based show called Girl Meets Bug, which tries to show viewers just how eco-friendly it is for people to eat insects and worms. Daniella’s fascination with eating bugs began 10 years ago, while she was doing anthropological work in Mexico. She discovered the Maya used to eat a […]
Micromachina – The Hallowed-Out Insect Sculptures of Scott Bain
Micromachina is a collection of real taxidermy insects fitted with various devices that is meant to show how we humans mistreat nature, forcing it to do our bidding. Scott Bain’s creations show humanity’s disregard for nature in all its forms: genetic modifications, pesticides or massive urban expansion. There’s practically nothing we won’t do in our […]
Arthrobots – Steampunk Insects by Tom Hardwidge
Using nuts and bolts to connect various bits of metal, English artist Tom Hardwidge creates beautiful steampunk insects he calls Arthrobots. They may look like metal toys, but Tom’s arthrobots are actually intricate steampunk sculptures inspired by real insects and built from various recycled metallic parts. The Manchester-based artist starts by drawing up a series […]
Artist Turns Insects into Fashionable Pieces of Jewelry
The “Living Jewels” created by Etsy artist aquakej are made from real colorful insects collected from all around the world. Insect art is definitely not for everyone, but if the mere thought of bugs doesn’t make your skin crawl, you might actually consider wearing one of these unusual accessories. The Insects come from various insect […]
The Matchstick Insects of Kyle Bean
Although he only just graduated from art school in 2009, Brighton-based artist Kyle Bean already has a very impressive portfolio under his belt. Throughout his yet short but successful career, Bean has collaborated with important names like the BBC, New York Times Magazine, Selfridges or Hermes. His latest collection, “Stick Insects”, features a series of […]