The photo of the ant face was exhibited in the competition and caught the eye with its details

Lately, Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas honored at the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography CompetitionBecause he photographed his face ant close up carpenter. Although many animations depict ants as beautiful insects, the photo reveals that they look like monsters. horror movies.

In addition to photographing the carpenter ant, Kavaliauskas uses stereo microscope at 10x magnification to show ‘terrible face’. The idea for the capture was conceived in the city of Taurage, in a forest near his home: After observing the ants in the trees, the photographer imagined that he could use the light to his advantage to photograph the ant’s face – and he did. .

The eye-like red orbs are actually the base of the ant’s antennae, while the “teeth” are tiny hairs near its chin. Some researchers even claim that the insect would look very cute if the photo was taken from a farther distance.

“There is no fear in nature, only a lack of knowledge. When I started photomicrography and before that I was like everyone else – all bugs and bugs were monsters for me. Now the situation is reversed. “Many insects are not as pleasing to the eye as a cat, but it all depends on your perspective,” Kavaliauskas said in an interview with The Washington Post.

carpenter ants

Despite the monstrous appearance in the photo, carpenter ants are extremely cute and important for helping the aphid cycle, according to Miles Maxcer, director of the scientific organization Ant Network. These tiny insects produce a sugary liquid that is a food source for the ants, thereby protecting the aphids from predators.

According to Maxcer, they take care of aphids just as humans do farm animals, because their food source is crucial—plus, ants are great engineers and architects. “What ants do in ecosystems is very extensive,” Maxcer adds.