When I first saw this model I knew it was going to be a tough one – so much paper compressed into such a compact model:

I searched for some large format copy paper and an architect friend gave me some A1 80gsm, from which I cut an 80cm square (well, as I discovered when I was folding, it was not quite square, but I soldiered on)

The SCALE of this model is terrifying, the finished model is bigger than my hand and horrifically spider-like, even as a white first-fold. I am itching to fold this again, with some thinner, more robust paper.

I would like to say this was a quick model, in truth it ate nearly 4 hours (but I did manage to make some rather spectacular pumpkin soup during the many tea and chore breaks). Some of the steps are astonishingly tricky, and I could not imagine achieving them easily on a smaller bit of paper – the body and leg thicknesses were very tough and I am afraid the paper suffered paper fatigue on many primary creases.

I am seriously chuffed I managed to achieve something so spider-like, there were many junctures where I thought of giving up and folding something simpler (and denying all knowlege of the crumpled mess in the bin) but patience, perseverance and earl grey tea took the photocopy paper places it should not have been able to go.

You too can have a go at this here … wish I had seen this video before finishing the thing.

I love this pose-able model, and accept your discrete applause for being able to fold it. I am sorry Mr Lang, I will attempt to make the bits neater the next time I fold it – you are a design genius however.

This model seems like it wants to get up and go places, so I have begun creeping out the family by making it do so (Blu Tac is a lovely thing)

Now when I was a kid, ferreting around in the underbrush, we used to call these little chaps “Slaters”, as a Biology teacher, I referred to them as “Wood Lice”:

These isopods were made famous by “A Bugs Life” – remember the foreign tumbling critters Tuck and Roll? They are a sort of primitive crustacean and have a myriad of legs, body segments, are rarely bigger than 1cm in length and are usually grey or light brown (depending on how much light they have been exposed to.

Mistakenly I decided to try a “simpler” model than my chosen Joisel model which stated it needed much bigger paper to make it even possible – I cursorily scanned a Lang design and settled on this – it looked simple enough – boy was that a mistake.

This has taken me AGES, and so often I thought it was going to hell in a handbasket. So much paper torture to get to the stage when it said to do 8 3-way accordion crimps (like Hoodie) and I was ready to give up. Instead, I made a cup of tea and persisted.

It has 14 individual legs, a pair of antennae, 10 body segments and I think it is just plain awesome that it worked, first fold.

You may applaud now.

It amazes me that this pattern was generated MATHEMATICALLY first – Mr Lang, you are a genius – everything in its place based on some seriously wonky geometry constructed by exhausting pre-creasing. Very happy the paper survived and it looks like it should.

This model elevates me to Paper Ninja status (and reminds me to consider MORE carefully before launching into a model).

Although the wing-span of this model is quite large, for an A4 square-based model, the formation of the body using this paper was torturous at best.

I am very happy, as a first-fold, to get something even vaguely butterfly shaped from this complex design. Having folded it once, I think I could do it much better now I know what goes where.

Robert lang is a master, even though I think this butterfly looks more like a moth (particularly the body placement), it has 2 spikey antennae and a meaty body that seem quite natural.

I sat for 1/4 hour just trying to collapse the base, the valley and mountain folds seemed not to make sense until, when ready to hand in the towel and admit defeat it just sort of… worked. Photocopy paper is lousy as a medium for these types of models, it is just too coarse and there were many moments when bending the model that I fully expected the paper to give. Anyway, 78 down, only 287 to go….