A man who says he hates bugs has just broken the world record for most insect tattoosa> on his body.<, has 864 tattoos of insects, according to a Tuesday announcement from Guinness World Records.
However, that doesn’t mean he likes bugs.
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“A lot of people think I like bugs – actually it’s the complete opposite,” Amoia told Guinness. “I’m afraid of bugs, I hate bugs. But it has multiple meanings, that’s why I put them all over my body.”
“It’s some dark meaning, but more of a positive message,” he added.
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Amoia’s tattoos include 89 ants on his left forearm and 36 ants from his forearm to his bicep, plus an additional 23 red ants on his right calf.
Amoia also has a 13-inch moth across his throat and chest, a 2.5-inch beetle over his right eye and a 2.5-inch earwig behind his right ear, according to Guinness.
Michael Amoia, who has 864 tattoos of insects, broke the world record for most insect tattoos.
(Courtesy of Guinness World Records)
In addition to his 864 insect tattoos, Amoia also has several tattoos of other creatures including spiders and two huge millipedes, a 50-inch millipede on his back and a 17-inch-by-19-inch millipede on his chest.
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The first tattoo Amoia got was of a red queen ant on his right forearm when he was 21 years old, he told Guinness.
Since then, his tattoo collection has grown significantly. He said the tattoos attract a lot of attention when he’s out in public.
Despite the sheer number of insect tattoos, Amoia told Guinness that he actually hates bugs.
(Courtesy of Guinness World Records)
“People always come up to me and talk to me about my work,” he told Guinness. “I guess I have to expect it; but when they learn about my story they start to formulate a completely different opinion of me.”
“Hopefully I can open up some people’s minds so they can realize, you know, there’s a few ways to look at things and don’t judge a book by its cover, I guess,” he added.
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Currently, Amoia’s plan is to create an NFT using his record-breaking tattoos to raise money for For a Bright Future, an organization that helps “underprivileged, underrepresented kids,” according to Guinness.
“If I can create an NFT out of these tattoos and validate it with Guinness World Records then we can donate some of the proceeds back to these kids,” Amoia told Guinness. “My tattoos have a personal meaning to me as it takes me back to my childhood, and I figure it’s a nice full circle story.”
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Amoia’s insect tattoo record was confirmed in October, according the Guinness announcement on Tuesday.
He beat out the previous record holder, U.K.-based Baxter Milsom, who has 402 insect tattoos. Milsom was recognized for his record in August 2021.
