Yes, this is a real image of an ant magnified five times under a stereo 10x microscope.
Captured by Lithuanian photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas, the image earned an “Images of Distinction” award in the 2022 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition for its eerie portrayal.
Kavaliauskas described his work as a glimpse into “God’s designs and the many interesting, beautiful, unknown miracles under people’s feet,” according to The Washington Post.
What makes the image so unsettling is its nightmarish detail — its antennae appear like glowing, demonic red eyes, and its jagged mandibles seem built to tear through flesh.
But this image isn’t the only reason ants are a little creepy. For example, some species are known to engage in bizarre behaviors, like vomiting into each other’s mouths to strengthen social bonds.
The total weight of all the ants in the world is more than that of all humans. For every human being living on the planet, there are about one million ants. In tropical regions, their combined weight can be more than of all ground living vertebrates.
The biggest ant colony ever found was the invasive Argentinian ant colony and it stretched 3750 miles long. Although many smaller colonies of Argentinian ants existed, they all merged together to create one super colony.
A queen ant was recorded to have lived for 30 years in its natural habitat in Idaho, United States.
Fire ants cause about $5 billion worth of damage in North America every year. Researchers believe that this is due to their aggressive nature towards agricultural assets, livestock and crops.
Leaf cutter ants are all female. They reproduce by cloning themselves.
Many ants can survive underwater for 24 hours. When they look like they’ve drowned, the water can evaporate and allow enough oxygen to flow through their spiracles which allows the ant to “come back to life.”
Some ant species can swim while others, like fire ants, can build structures using their bodies to get around obstacles.
The ant photograph is a chilling reminder that even the smallest creatures can reveal a world as terrifying as it is fascinating.
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This looks like some alien out of a sci-fi horror movie.
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Fascinating!
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It could be a monster from another world.
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“Regard the ant, thou sluggard!” Prov. 6:6
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LOL! Arrggg….
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“Fascinating” is the right word for this. As a kid, I was constantly drawn to the articles in my mother’s 1932 Compton’s Encyclopedia’s articles on insects, especially the ant one. But your article contains even more astounding revelations, like the huge miles of ancestral anthill, and fire ants in America. I thought they were all safely tucked away in Africa; does anyone remember the Tarzan episode with Ron Ely about the fire ants invasion that devoured every living thing, including people, in their path? It used actual footage. But the photo of the ants beats it all. What gets me are the stubbly facial hairs and the snake-like eyes.
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I do remember that Ron Ely Tarzan episode…but had forgot all about it. Ha!
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