Entomorphologic

Entomorphologic is a project with an ecological aspect through the use of A.I. generated visualization. The goal is to increase the empathy for invisible animals by taking real ones as a base, analyzing their characteristics and visualizing how they would look like when they evolve to survive the current declination in numbers and worldwide extinction.

Learn more about the insects by reading their descriptions. And support the project by exposition requests or buying the digital artworks, posters, canvases or stickers.

Buprestidae Metallica

This beetle is an evolvement of the Euchroma Giganteum beetles which are actually not evaluated to be endangered at this moment. These beetles frequently visit flowers, and various other deciduous trees or large shrubs, where they feed on pollen. They use their hard wing coverings, called elytra, to make a clicking sound.

This cybernetic evolvement called Buprestidae Metallica, has enhanced their communication channels from visual and acoustic to electronic. Found near communication antennas, disrupting communication stations used by deforestation companies. Their ecosystem impact: biodegradation.

This specimen can be purchased as high resolution digital image for your desktop background, mobile device or to print out here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1431590207/buprestidae-metallica

Jewel beetle

The mechanism by which some beetles have evolved to look like faces is called “aposematism” or “masquerade.” As a form of camouflage or defence mechanism.

Buprestidae Chromatic is a cybernetic evolvement of the jewel beetle. Which is ranked in the top 10 of most endangered beetles.

The beetle’s exoskeleton had been modified to incorporate advanced camouflage technology. It could change color and pattern in response to its surroundings, allowing it to blend in seamlessly with its environment and avoid detection by predators or humans.

When threatened, the beetle could activate a special mechanism that caused its exoskeleton to transform into a face-like pattern that resembled that of a dangerous predator. This not only scared off potential predators but also attracted the attention of other animals that could help protect the beetle.

Monarchetype Tigre

Monarchetype Tigre evolved to avoid extinction by fusing with Wasp DNA. Wasps play a crucial role in many ecosystems, serving as pollinators, predators of pest insects, and food sources for other animals. Due to intensive agriculture and their use of pesticides, wasps, like the Monarch butterfly, are greatly reduced in numbers, especially in Europe and North America.

Wasps, are social animals. They only survive when they act as a whole group. This hybrid takes the best of both worlds to battle human caused global warming, pesticides and loss of habitat.

Viridis Powelliphanta

Snails can live for 20 years or more. It is illegal since 1982 to collect shells of Powelliphanta; collecting live animals for their shells have made some species rarer, but some species also need to feed on discarded shells to recycle their calcium lining.

This version Viridis Powelliphanta evolved to counter the threat of extinction by hardening their shell against predators by consuming plastic waste, moving their habitat above the treeline and storing solar energy in their shell. They now face another threat by humans collecting their shell for decoration purposes.

Monarchetype Masaica

The Monarch butterfly

The iconic Monarch butterfly was once a familiar sight, now plummeting toward extinction due to landscape-scale threats from pesticides, development and climate change. The western population is suffering a 99% decline. They are threatened by pesticides — including toxic neonicotinoids and herbicides, which are killing off the milkweed plants they need to survive — as well as urban development and climate change.

The evolution

This Monarchetype Masaica evolved by increasing the amount of chemosensoric receptors that detect scent. A more robust armour to withstand the extremes in weather caused by climate change, and having a longer lifespan.

How to save them

Planting milkweed, reducing pesticides and protecting overwintering sites.

Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed
Monarch Butterfly on Swamp Milkweed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Monarchetype Nymphalidae

The monarch butterfly is at greatest risk of extinction, having declined by an estimate of 99.9%, from as many as 10 million to 1.914 between 1980 and 2021 according to IUCN. This is due to the use of pesticides and herbicides used by farmers in intensive agriculture. In 2009, monarchs were reared on the International Space Station, successfully emerging from pupae located in the station’s Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus. The monarch is also the first butterfly to have its genome sequenced.

Monarchetype Nymphalidae adapted by having more robust wings and feeding on thrown away batteries found at landfills. Click on the image below to view a 3D version of the image:

Discotecus rotundatus

Discotecus rotundatus is a species of small, air-breathing, land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk. Its almost indestructible shell is clearly recognised by predators and can fire glitter to scare them off. Adapted to the threat of global warming by having the ability to eat metal. This snail, like most terrestrial gastropods, is hermaphrodite.

Land snails and slugs represent about 40 percent of the known animal extinctions since 1500, more likely disappeared before becoming known to science, and many species are now on the edge.

Calosomatic scrutator

Nr4. Calosomatic scrutator is a cybernetic evolvement of a large ground beetle that usually lives in North America. Also known as the fiery searcher and caterpillar hunter. A Holarctic genus distributed in Europe, Asia, North Africa and North and Central America. They became self sufficient after the mass extinction of American insects by storing heat in the gemlike fuel cells on their back shield. The adult beetle is known to excrete a diesel-smelling oil when it is handled.

If you need this image in high resolution without any text or logo you can find it here.

Elaprator cupreus

Nr 3. Elaprator cupreus is a cybernetic evolvement of a ground beetle native to Palearctic (the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth). It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. Evolved after the mass extinction of Russian insects by their resistance against extreme temperature fluctuations due to global warming.

Some images like this one are available as poster or print on metal at the webshop here.

Digitalis phyllodes

The second one in the series.

A.I. Visualisation made to raise awareness of the worldwide decline of insect populations as part of the Entomorphologic project.

Digitalis phyllodes, a cybernetic evolvement of a ground beetle, also known as the violin beetle. For defence purposes, they secrete the poisonous butyric acid. This species can be found in rainforests of Southeast Asia. These beetles possess a flat leaf-shaped, shiny black or brown body with distinctive violin-shaped translucent elytra. Which protects them against predators, while their flat shaped body allow them to dwell in soil cracks or under the bark and leaves of trees. Both adults and larvae are predators, feeding on insect larvae.

The music, is called: March of the insects and is composed by Arno Vrijman in collaboration with Anton Lustig. More about the project as well as other visualisations can be found here: https://www.ifolio.nl/entomorphologic/ If you like the project and would like to support, or just to have this image on your desktop background or as canvas on your wall, go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/ifolio/

Subscribe for Drop Updates

About iFolio

iFolio is a design studio to help businesses visualise their ideas, products or visual identities. 

View the services, contact to see how we can help you or get inspired once a month and subscribe to the latest innovations:

Who is iFolio

Arno Vrijman is a cross-media industrial design engineer always in search of innovation in all design related areas.

While enjoying his regular work in retail design, feel free to ask any other design or music production related matters:

4 + 7 =