buggy barbarity
September 8, 2008 6:58 AM Subscribe
Violent death in the insect world - grisly yet compelling macro photographs of bug-against-bug carnage.
What, you don't like "inspirational" death quotes mixed with your bugicide? I'll be honest, I barely paid attention to the copy beyond trying to identify a few of the subjects.
I meant to note that the credits under each photo link back to flickr galleries, some of which have wonderful insect macro galleries, if you like exploring that kind of thing.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:15 AM on September 8, 2008
I meant to note that the credits under each photo link back to flickr galleries, some of which have wonderful insect macro galleries, if you like exploring that kind of thing.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:15 AM on September 8, 2008
Thanks for this little nightmare.
"If God lived on earth, people would break his windows."
---Jewish proverb
posted by longsleeves at 7:24 AM on September 8, 2008
"If God lived on earth, people would break his windows."
---Jewish proverb
posted by longsleeves at 7:24 AM on September 8, 2008
See also: Sam Taylor-Wood's A Little Death.
posted by plexi at 7:42 AM on September 8, 2008 [5 favorites]
posted by plexi at 7:42 AM on September 8, 2008 [5 favorites]
nasreddin writes "Amazing photos, but the accompanying text is, um, a little off."
Just came in here to say the same thing. The "famous quotes on death" were annoying, pretentious, -- and worst, merely filler.
posted by orthogonality at 7:45 AM on September 8, 2008
Just came in here to say the same thing. The "famous quotes on death" were annoying, pretentious, -- and worst, merely filler.
posted by orthogonality at 7:45 AM on September 8, 2008
Amazing photos, but the accompanying text is, um, a little off.
I'll confess to only reading the quotations, some of which were marvelous, and I rather liked the way they interfaced with the photos, somehow. The various thoughtful and lofty human musings, juxtaposed with images of creatures so utterly removed from human concerns...
Nice post, madamjujujive.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:49 AM on September 8, 2008
I'll confess to only reading the quotations, some of which were marvelous, and I rather liked the way they interfaced with the photos, somehow. The various thoughtful and lofty human musings, juxtaposed with images of creatures so utterly removed from human concerns...
Nice post, madamjujujive.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:49 AM on September 8, 2008
The photos went well with my morning coffee. Thanks. (Seriously, I spent my weekend freaking out about a big bug in my apt. that my cat clearly knew about but did not kill. It was nice to see some insect death.)
posted by heyho at 7:52 AM on September 8, 2008
posted by heyho at 7:52 AM on September 8, 2008
The live action version of the above are the gruesome Gladiator Bugs.
NSFW?? I'm not sure, probably if you're working at PETA.
posted by bodywithoutorgans at 7:55 AM on September 8, 2008
NSFW?? I'm not sure, probably if you're working at PETA.
posted by bodywithoutorgans at 7:55 AM on September 8, 2008
Yowzah, plexi, that is both utterly fascinating and deeply disturbing. I wonder how long that took to occur? The peach fared pretty well.
posted by madamjujujive at 7:57 AM on September 8, 2008
posted by madamjujujive at 7:57 AM on September 8, 2008
The other day I saw at least a two inch long (!) hornet take down a screaming cicada. I wish I had my camera.
posted by starman at 8:27 AM on September 8, 2008
posted by starman at 8:27 AM on September 8, 2008
I felt pretty bad for that catepillar that got injected with wasp eggs and was then forced to continue life with a dozen or so wasp pupae hanging from its body. Wasps truly are the assholes of the insect world.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:49 AM on September 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 8:49 AM on September 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
See also: Sam Taylor-Wood's A Little Death .
That was really neat, and quite beautiful at times. What caused all the staining on the wall? It sort of looked like the dark stuff (fluid? flies?) ran upwards, and then partly retracted later.
And yeah, the photos of the bugs were great, but the captions were really bad. I would have preferred simple descriptive text explaining who was eating whom; I can supply the deep meaning on my own if I want to.
posted by Forktine at 8:52 AM on September 8, 2008
That was really neat, and quite beautiful at times. What caused all the staining on the wall? It sort of looked like the dark stuff (fluid? flies?) ran upwards, and then partly retracted later.
And yeah, the photos of the bugs were great, but the captions were really bad. I would have preferred simple descriptive text explaining who was eating whom; I can supply the deep meaning on my own if I want to.
posted by Forktine at 8:52 AM on September 8, 2008
The photographs are great, but the science is a bit off in spots. As far as I know, spiders can't eat butterfly wings, at least not the chitinous parts (A Cunning Disguise): they don't have jaws for chewing. Secondly (The Last Leap), those are most definitely not spiderlings eating the frog's corpse. Those are ants.
There are other mistakes, but those are the two that bothered me the most.
posted by malaprohibita at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2008
There are other mistakes, but those are the two that bothered me the most.
posted by malaprohibita at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2008
I imagine that photos of interspecies bug sex would look very much the same as this.
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:06 PM on September 8, 2008
posted by Halloween Jack at 1:06 PM on September 8, 2008
grisly yet compelling
hmm. See, that combo really is compelling. Thanks to this post I felt inclined to contemplate and wonder why. I was feeling a bit guilty feeling curious about the Ricardo Lopez death video. Maybe it's the fascination of death, the scary-fascinating reality, inevitability of it?
And there is something exquisitely beautiful about bug macros, those colors, the incredible detail.
Adding to the eewww, squick factor of insect eating insect, this video is repulsively interesting: an enormous centipede, (can hardly type that word without getting goosebumps and feeling nausea), the longest in the world, devouring its own recently shed exoskeleton! This centipede can grow over a foot in length and can feed on creatures as large as an iguana.
And, omg, plexi, that Sam Taylor-Wood's A Little Death is an incredible meditation on impermanence. It's got that old Dutch Master lighting, the still life that is so not still, all too wriggly. ugh but it's also so beautiful.
posted by nickyskye at 1:26 PM on September 8, 2008
hmm. See, that combo really is compelling. Thanks to this post I felt inclined to contemplate and wonder why. I was feeling a bit guilty feeling curious about the Ricardo Lopez death video. Maybe it's the fascination of death, the scary-fascinating reality, inevitability of it?
And there is something exquisitely beautiful about bug macros, those colors, the incredible detail.
Adding to the eewww, squick factor of insect eating insect, this video is repulsively interesting: an enormous centipede, (can hardly type that word without getting goosebumps and feeling nausea), the longest in the world, devouring its own recently shed exoskeleton! This centipede can grow over a foot in length and can feed on creatures as large as an iguana.
And, omg, plexi, that Sam Taylor-Wood's A Little Death is an incredible meditation on impermanence. It's got that old Dutch Master lighting, the still life that is so not still, all too wriggly. ugh but it's also so beautiful.
posted by nickyskye at 1:26 PM on September 8, 2008
drat, that Gladiator Bug site crashed my browser before I could post the grisly yet compelling link to the cannibal centipede.
Now, curious about the psychology of grisly-yet-compelling.
The octopus makes me feel in a similar way. But I have a tender spot in my heart for those elegantly ugly octopi.
Years ago I was picking flowers for pressing and came across a whole bunch of buttercups and daisies with spiders in them the same buttery golden yellow as the flower. It was such an ingenious disguise. They were waiting for butterflies and flies that they dined on. Like this.
posted by nickyskye at 1:47 PM on September 8, 2008
Now, curious about the psychology of grisly-yet-compelling.
The octopus makes me feel in a similar way. But I have a tender spot in my heart for those elegantly ugly octopi.
Years ago I was picking flowers for pressing and came across a whole bunch of buttercups and daisies with spiders in them the same buttery golden yellow as the flower. It was such an ingenious disguise. They were waiting for butterflies and flies that they dined on. Like this.
posted by nickyskye at 1:47 PM on September 8, 2008
Ha - I came in with a link to Catherine Chalmers but for Food Chain!
posted by plinth at 6:03 PM on September 8, 2008
posted by plinth at 6:03 PM on September 8, 2008
OK, nicky - a mammal eating bug is just too gross. Centipedes squick me out big time. I am glad the onesthat periodically show up in my kitchen don't grow that big. But you are redeemed with the cool yellow bugs links.
endquote and plinth - love the Chalmers stuff, suitably creepy.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:23 AM on September 9, 2008
endquote and plinth - love the Chalmers stuff, suitably creepy.
posted by madamjujujive at 5:23 AM on September 9, 2008
omg, mjj, I never knew there was a specific name for them, "house centipedes" (high res macros, open at your ability to handle squick). It's comforting to know more about them.
aww, look at the intent face on this dragonfly. I love bug macros, even though they scare me.
posted by nickyskye at 8:11 AM on September 9, 2008
aww, look at the intent face on this dragonfly. I love bug macros, even though they scare me.
posted by nickyskye at 8:11 AM on September 9, 2008
Oh, hey, thanks for reminding me I need to feed my praying mantis today! Knew I was forgetting something.
posted by bettafish at 8:16 AM on September 9, 2008
posted by bettafish at 8:16 AM on September 9, 2008
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posted by nasreddin at 7:07 AM on September 8, 2008