In the footsteps of Linnaeus: scientists share their passion for species from tiny wasps to hairy plants – in pictures

Photographer Christer Björkman created a project called 'De Oförtrutna' (The Relentless). He photographed Swedish scientists who work in the spirit of Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus was a botanist who developed the modern system for classifying organisms based on how they look.

For the photo shoot, each scientist brought a book and an item important to their work. The scientists pictured include Julia Stigenberg, Vivi Vajda, Mats Thulin, Emma Kärrnäs, and Anders Lindström.

Passion for Tiny Wonders

Mikael Sörensson, an entomologist at Lund University, studies featherwing beetles. These are some of the world's smallest insects. He focuses on the spermatheca, which are sac-like organs in female beetles that store sperm. Sörensson, inspired by classical music, holds a tuning fork and rests his arm on an 1872 book about featherwing beetles. He describes them as "little winding works of art."

Martin Ryberg from Uppsala University studies how new species of fungi evolve. He holds a magnifying lens and leans on a 1992 field guide to fungi. He noted, "I’ve figured out what it isn’t."

Emma Kärrnäs studies eulophid wasps, which are only a few millimeters long. She uses a triangular sweep net for her work. She finds them to be "like tiny jewels."

Anders Lindström from the National Veterinary Institute studies mosquitoes. He uses a specially adapted camera and a 1691 book by Filippo Bonanni about small lifeforms in decaying matter. He finds them "beautiful, fascinating…"

Torbjörn Tyler, a botanist from Lund University, identifies plants by studying their hairs. He brought a microscope and a 1943 book about plants accidentally brought to Sweden. He joked that "the most annoying thing is plants that lack hair."

Emma Wahlberg studies thrips, tiny insects that feed on sap from leaves. She uses a small brush to handle these delicate creatures. She brought a 2001 book on Swedish flora and is "fascinated by those little things everyone walks past."

Uncovering the Unknown

Magnus Gelang, a senior curator at Gothenburg Natural History Museum, is fascinated by bats. He uses an ultrasound detector and a 2023 book about these winged mammals. He noted, "We don’t even know how many species there are in Sweden."

Julia Stigenberg, a specialist in parasitic wasps at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, continues Linnaeus's work. She is pictured with a microscope and a 1993 taxonomy book. She stated, "Discovering the unknown is what drives me."

Palaeontologist Vivi Vajda from the Swedish Museum of Natural History uses a hammer to open fossil-bearing stones. She brought a 1986 book on extinction dynamics. She described palaeontology as "detective work."

Anders Dahlberg from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences studies the ecology of fungi. He is pictured with a flask and a 1992 guide to fungi. He finds that "nature is like a drug."

Botanist Mats Thulin brought a map of African flora and a 1753 book by Linnaeus. He recalled the moment he realized he could make a living from his passion, calling it "something of a revelation."

Åsa Kruys, curator of fungal collections at the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University, has a carved wooden cup from friends. She also brought a 1972 book on fungi. She believes "a beautiful world exists under the microscope."

Yannick Woudstra from Stockholm University is fascinated by the asexual reproduction of dandelions. He is pictured with a pocket magnifying glass and a 2024 book on dandelions. He noted that this process "goes against basic evolutionary theory."

Botanist Anne-Sophie Quatela from Stockholm University uses DNA sequencing to understand evolution's complexity. She brought a herbarium and a 2017 book on the random nature of evolution. She finds it "kind of a mystery."

Paco Cárdenas, who manages the Linnaean historical collection at Uppsala University, began a PhD on sponge genetics. He brought a microscope and a 1989 book about evolution. His response to the idea was, "Sure, I can give it a try."

Entomologist Mats Jonsell from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences encourages parents to foster their children's interest in insects. He holds a stick and a 2002 book on identifying insects by the damage they leave in wood. He used the saying, "The apple doesn’t fall far from the pear tree."