This Silverfish Will Melt Your Heart

Some insects are an easy sell. Butterflies. Dragonflies. Honeybees. But for me it’s all about promoting the beauty inherent in the lesser-loved creatures on this planet, the ones who get no attention, or worse are vilified for having the temerity to exist in the first place. So this silverfish portrait by Matthias Lenke makes me super happy. Because BEHOLD:

Matthias Lenke, Silberfischchen, 2011

Matthias Lenke, Silberfischchen, 2011

How can you not love this? Close up, its scales become resplendent plumage, as iridescent as any butterfly. Little guy, you can have all the book-binding you want, so long as your coat keeps its iridescent sheen!

Lenke’s photostream is filled with glorious portraits of invertebrates both revered and reviled. Here’s a few of my favorites, but it’s worth it to check out his collection.

Matthias Lenke, Mehlwurm, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Mehlwurm, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Wasserläufer, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Wasserläufer, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Heimchen, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Heimchen, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Mayfly, 2012

Matthias Lenke, Mayfly, 2012

What’s up with this guy’s head? Read all about ‘turbinate eyes’ on Matthias’ Flickr site. The images are all giddily ginormotastically huge, allowing our human eyes to appreciate the incredible forms of often overlooked organisms. Everything’s wonderful when you get close enough to it. z end

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