--- title: "This Extreme Closeup of an Ant Is Giving Us Actual Nightmares" description: "Accursed Ant Ants aren't just going to ruin your picnics but now your dreams, too, thanks to a new close up photo of one that is truly the stuff of nightmares. The photo was originally submitted to Nikon's Small World Photomicrography Competition and has since gone viral on social media after placing in the contest. […]" date: "2022-10-21" modified: "2022-10-21" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/closeup-ant-nightmares" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "nature" - "photography" - "photomicrography" - "the digest" --- # This Extreme Closeup of an Ant Is Giving Us Actual Nightmares ![An ant photographed under a microscope by wildlife photographer Eugenijus Kavaliauskas has gone viral on social media for its evil appearance.]() *\Image: Eugenijus Kavaliauskas\* ## Accursed Ant Ants aren't just going to ruin your picnics — they're coming after your dreams now, too, thanks to a terrifying new close-up photo. The [photo]() was originally submitted to [Nikon's Small World Photomicrography Competition]() and has since gone [viral on social media]() after placing in the contest. Taken by wildlife photographer [Eugenijus Kavaliauskas](), the unnerving closeup is a convincing reminder that it's probably a good thing we don't see nature at the microscopic level. Just look at the ant's menacing leer, glowering like some demonic harbinger of doom, emerging from a hellish portal. https://twitter.com/RebekahMcKendry/status/1581898364144144384 ## Microcosm To clarify, the ant's red eyes aren't actually its eyes, but the bases of its antennae. Its real eyes are further back, shrouded by the image's vignetting — but don't let that spoil the fun. Besides looking absolutely terrifying, it's some remarkable photomicrography, which is the art of taking extreme digital close ups like this one by using a microscope. To capture the ant's baleful demeanor, Kavaliauskas used a 5x objective lens. While impressive, the photo sadly didn't breach the competition's top twenty, but it did earn the appellation of "Image of Distinction." To see other mesmerizing but decidedly less sinister snapshots of the microscopic realm, we recommend visiting the 2022 [competition's lineup of photos here](). **More on nightmarish images:** *[AI Dreamed Up a Bizarre Nightmare Creature That Doesn't Actually Exist... We Hope]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()