Invisible, Ignored

ignored

pratyush gupta

ignored

pratyush gupta

ignored

copyright Š 2010 by Pratyush Gupta, Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology All rights reserved.

No Part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means- graphic, electronic or mechanical without the written consent of the copyright owner Manufactured in India First printing, 2010

Contents Preface

4

millipedes

6

ants

9

grasshopppers

13

tettigoniidae

15

butterflies

17

Index

21

3 1

Preface Insects are my obsession.

Very long ago, In second grade, i did a project on ants. I was so amazed by their intelligence and strength, that i still haven’t stopped admiring them. They caught my attention, or rather, kidnapped it. Soon i realised that not only ants, but each and every member of the insect world had something intriguing to offer. They some how manage to crop up in almost all of my projects and art works. There is so much more to them, which most people can’t even imagine, or like some, have chosen not to. I still don’t why people find insects ugly, annoying and even scary. So in this book, through my experiences and interactions with different insects, i have tried to bring out a different side to them, a side which most people ignore; and through this, i hope to change at least one such person’s perspective

24

5

millipedes

I had decided. i would not use insects for any of my projects again. well, at least not for this project.

I got on my cycle heading towards an unknown place, looking for an interesting subject for my project, when this creature decides to come right in front of my wheel. I immediately pulled my brakes. It survived.

And then i knew. It was my destiny to photograph this arthropod.

6

7

This majestic millipede was about 0.7 inches

protecting their delicate

fat, 4 inches long with 56 segments (i counted),

legs inside an armored body

aptly dressed, tip-toeing on its almost 200

exterior. Many of them emit

legs across the road.

poisonous secretions as a

Millipedes are powerful burrowers. With

secondary defence. Animals

their body moving in a wave like pattern,

such as Capuchin monkeys

they easily force their way underground.

have been observed inten-

Due to their lack of speed and their inability

tionally irritating millipedes

to bite or sting, millipedes’ primary defense

in order to rub the chemi-

mechanism is to curl in to a tight coil,

cals on themselves to repel

the wanderer

mosquitoes. This milipede however, was in an extreme hurry, and not at all afraid of me. it did not surprise me

It was my destiny to photograph this arthropod.

with any of its amazing antics.

It let me photograph it in all its glory, as it crossed the road twice, for no reason perceivable to me

8

ants ANTS are all around us. they crawl above us, below us, gnawing at the crumbs that we wasted during lunch. They are master architects and farmers.

They have colonised almost every part of the world. They are, the kings of the insect world. The ants to the right were actually right wrewhere i met the millipede.

From far they looked like black dots, scurrying here and there; but on closer inspection, you could see a world food of action, suspense and tragedy

9

From far they look like black dots, scurrying here and there

10

sky is the limit

ANTS are one of the most clever insects around, and definitely the most civilised. but hunger or threat can make them into the most savage beasts. ones that we too tend to fear

12

grasshoppers

the solitary leaper

This grasshopper seems to be in a very pensive mood, almost as if it was contemI find grasshoppers to be one of the most

plating murder; no wonder

difficult insects to capture on the camera.

it got a bad image in Aesop’s

They can sense you coming from 2 meters

Fables.

away, and would launch themselves immediately. The one above is a tiny nymph grasshoppper. These youngsters are rather similar to the adults, the only difference being their body and wing size.

13

I found this colourful pair of grasshoppers

In certain countries,

hiding in a mango orchard. They were very

grasshoppers are eaten as

camera shy (for obvious reasons) and would

a good source of protein. In

keep going round and round the bush to

Mexico for example, They

evade me.

are usually collected at

After fertilisation the female digs a hole of

dusk, using lamps or electric

about 2 inches underground and deposits

lighting, in sweep nets. They

the eggs. The eggs can take up to 9 months

are then placed in water for

to hatch, after which the grasshopper lives

24 hours, after which they

up to only 3 months

can be boiled or eaten raw, sun-dried, fried, flavoured with spices, such as garlic, onions, chilly, drenched in

in certain countries, grasshopppers are eaten as a good source of protein

lime, and used in soup or as a filling for various dishes.

14

tettigoniidae

When i took this photograph, i was amazed to see such a cooperative grasshopper. It was a perfect model, without mood swings.

It was not afraid of me. I poked it, put that yellow leaf under it, but it didn’t budge. its movements were just like a praying mantis’.

I was really confused. on Googling, i found that this was neither a praying mantis nor a grasshopper. It was in fact a tettigoniid, commonly known as katydid or bush grasshopper, even though it is more closely related to the crickets

15

their antennae may exceed twice their body length They can be distinguished from grasshopppers by the length of their antennae, which may exceed their own body length.

I found the tettigoniid to the left mimicking a leaf, with its front legs and antennae looking like the stem. Is was still as, well a dead leaf, when i approached it, but as soon as i touched it lifted itself up, split its antennae, sprouted 4 more legs and took flight

16

Butterflies are one of the few insects that get the attention they deserve, mostly because of their large, often brightly coloured wings and conspicuous, fluttering flight. they have infact been over exploited for their beauty, be it in art, literature or even music

butterflies, bugs

the aviator

Melanitis leda

I flicked the ant away, but it was determined Acanthocephala femorata

This leaf footed bug is considered a pest, eating and causing damage to fruits; In this case, mangoes

This bug looked drunk.

It could walk forward, backward and sideways, but was always confused in which direction to choose.

And it loved climbing ropes.

This milkweed bug is dressed in bright orange to keep predators at bay The patches on its back unmistakably resemble the Nazi leader- Adolph Hitler.

19

Oncopeltus fasciatus

Scarabaeidae

I chanced upon this white grub while

into the earth, but the ants

gardening. It was burried deep in its grave,

wouldn’t let it. I couldn’t

waiting to be born once again. Waiting to be

stand so many ants digging

transformed into one of the most beautiful

their jaws into its jelly-like

and prized insects- the scarab beetle.

skin; so i dug a tunnel for

I left the grub aside and continued gardening.

it. It quickly krept inside.

before long an ant sniffed it. it attacked. The

Before the ants could find

grub wriggled with pain. I flicked the ant

it, i covered the tunnel and

away, but it was determined. It returned

planted a sapling on it.

with back ups. the grub tried crawling back

20

Index ant, 9-12, 20 black leaf footed bug, 19 bush grasshoppper, 15-16 butterfly, 17-18 caterpillar, 2 drunk bug, 19 grasshopper, 13-14 katydid, 15-16 milkweed Bug, 19 millipede, 6-8 moth, 10 nymph grasshopper, 13 scarab beetle, 20 tettigoniidae, 15-16 wasp, 10 white Grub, 20

21

my journeys and experiences about the various insects and other arthopods that i have encountered over the years