3D model of parasitoid wasp
Three-dimensional models of insects—such as this one of an undescribed species of parasitoid wasp from Baltic amber, generated using micro-CT—are immensely valuable substitutes for real specimens because they can be shared with the entire taxonomic community. In a new paper in the journal Megataxa, an entomologist envisions a future in which non-fungible tokens (NFTs) could drive collecting of 3D virtual models of insect holotype specimens, thereby subsidizing increased digitization of entomological collections and discovery of new species. (Image courtesy of Jonathan Bremer and Elijah Talamas, Florida State Collection of Arthropods)