futurebird ,
@futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

This is not macrophotography. This is a scale model of a wood ant (Formica lugubris) made by Julia Stoess. It is 100cm long and I want to spend the rest of my life looking at it.

If only it could have little motors in it so it could walk around... and do things....

https://www.insektenmodelle.de/de/modelle/insekten/016_Gebirgsameise.php

ncdominie ,
@ncdominie@mastodon.scot avatar

@futurebird The comment about motors reminded me of the giant mechanical ant in Nantes:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R90VtBkR92w

JonnyT ,
@JonnyT@mastodon.me.uk avatar

@futurebird @NikaShilobod Great stuff.

It has reminded me of the wax models of insects that the entomologist Grace Edwards prepared in the 1920s for the Natural History Museum in London. I don't have a recent photo of them unfortunately - I have seen some of them in the flesh but didn't have a camera at the time - but here she is with her models in 1926. They are also amazing.

A woman wearing spectacles sits at the far side of a table. On the table in front of her are four wax models of insects propped up on metal rods and stands. The models comprise two insect larva on the left, a housefly and a mosquito. The woman is holding a fine tool and working on the incredibly detailed model of a housefly, which is approximately 40 to 50 centimetres long. Black and white photo.
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    • + futurebird
    MegaMichelle ,
    @MegaMichelle@a2mi.social avatar

    @futurebird

    What if it was a mech piloted by a real wood ant?

    futurebird OP ,
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    @MegaMichelle

    That would be such a happy little ant... can you imagine?

    enriquericos ,
    @enriquericos@mastodon.art avatar

    @futurebird Also: https://www.10tons.dk/atta-cephalotes

    futurebird OP ,
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    She also made a red wood ant with a dandelion seed.

    She looks like Snap, the minor worker from a story I'm writing.

    https://www.insektenmodelle.de/de/modelle/insekten/017_Rote_Waldameise_Arbeiterin.php

    lenahallesaale ,
    @lenahallesaale@mastodon.green avatar

    @futurebird thanks for telling me about her! She is Germany! Sadly her exhibition is not shown at the moment, but maybe in future, I hope!

    cursed ,
    @cursed@links.potsda.mn avatar

    @futurebird Oh wow this made me fall into a day-long obsession. Thank you

    EpiphanicSynchronicity ,
    @EpiphanicSynchronicity@pkm.social avatar

    @futurebird Careful what you wish for 😉

    rlcw ,
    @rlcw@ecoevo.social avatar

    @futurebird And she has made so many models! They are gorgeous. 💚

    NatureMC ,
    @NatureMC@mastodon.online avatar

    @futurebird Wow! Her work is amazing! And look at her partner artists in Denmark: https://www.10tons.dk/ - I'm flashed ...

    Beedazzled ,
    @Beedazzled@mastodon.green avatar

    @futurebird a real wood ant though? Dead obviously

    futurebird OP ,
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    @Beedazzled

    It's 100cm long. How I wish it were real. :(

    Beedazzled ,
    @Beedazzled@mastodon.green avatar

    @futurebird my goodness, that is incredible. Those little hairs! They are a genius 💕

    Orc ,
    @Orc@chaosfem.tw avatar

    @futurebird Oh. My. G-d.

    All of those models are beautiful!

    Hellybootwader ,
    @Hellybootwader@mastodon.scot avatar

    @futurebird wow, the models are amazing! Thanks for sharing

    emanuelegori ,
    @emanuelegori@mastodon.uno avatar

    @futurebird
    Sorry, but 100 cm in the International System of Units, is 1 meter.
    maybe 100mm = 10cm

    futurebird OP ,
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    @emanuelegori

    I said what I said.

    It's 1m long, 0.8m wide, 0.85m tall.

    montrebei ,
    @montrebei@mstdn.social avatar

    @futurebird So cool!

    jwcph ,
    @jwcph@helvede.net avatar

    @futurebird - or just randomly turn its head & look at you 😂

    moira ,
    @moira@mastodon.murkworks.net avatar

    @futurebird i think you mean 100mm

    i hope to god you mean 100mm xD

    (100cm = 1m = 39+ inches)

    futurebird OP ,
    @futurebird@sauropods.win avatar

    @moira

    If there were 100cm ants I would not be posting on the internet, I would be wherever those ants are.

    moira ,
    @moira@mastodon.murkworks.net avatar

    @futurebird i would be wondering what happened to the square cube law and checking to see whether the fruit of the loom logo suddenly has a cornucopia xD

    Nickiquote ,
    @Nickiquote@mstdn.social avatar

    @futurebird @moira Riding them into battle.

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