Meet Michael Amoia (47, New York) who now holds the Guinness World Record for the most insects tattooed on his body... a whopping 864!
He has 889 bugs in total, but as Guinness states:
Worth noting that non-insects (spiders, millipedes, scorpions etc.) were not counted towards the final record total of 864
Amoia began tattooing bugs on his body at the age of 21 and has more than doubled the previous record held by Baxter Milsom (UK), who had a meager 402 insects tattooed on his body.
And possibly more interesting, Amoia is actually afraid of bugs. He states:
“A lot of people think I like bugs — actually, it’s the complete opposite. I’m afraid of bugs, I hate bugs... My tattoos take me back to my childhood. I had multiple fears instilled in me, and insects and bugs were part of my fears. The first one I got was a red queen ant. She got pregnant, and that’s where it all spawned.”
The reason for the tattoos?
Amoia states:
“Do you run from the fire, or do you run through it? I chose to run through it, and it feels better than running away."
That's certainly one way to own your fears!