Coleoptera

The order of Coleoptera, the beetle, is with over 350000 known species, the most numerous group of the insect world. Estimates put the total number of species, described and undescribed, at between 5 and 8 million. At a rate of approximately eight frames per second, it would take over nine days to view all of them. This animation shows the first two minutes. A raw impression of movement and transmutation is generated by the slight variations of the insects body shapes.

2007 | animation | 00:02:57 | edition of 5

In the collection of Phyletisches Museum, Jena, Germany.

In collaboration with Kristen Cooper.

All content © Kristen Cooper and Uli Westphal. Please respect the copyright.