Butterflies

Butterflies (Lepidoptera) include both the popular butterflies as moths and owlets. Like many other insects butterflies have a life cycle with complete transformation from egg to caterpillar via chrysalis to adult butterfly. The metamorphosis takes place in the chrysalis, where the tissue is broken down and rebuilt to the adult individual. As caterpillars they are herbivores and often conflict with human economic interests - in gardens, fields and forests. Many are pests to us at this stage of their life cycle. The adult, winged butterflies feed on nectar, however and are thus transformed into utility animals in this phase of life where they pollinate flowers. Butterfly wings are covered with fine scales which are arranged in rows as the tiles on a roof. The pigments and the layered structures of the scales form the often colourful patterns.  

Below selected plates from some of the library's fine illustrated works with butterflies from the 18. century. The illustrations reproduce the animals accurately, but at the same time they are presented decoratively and elegantly with fine aesthetic sense of the diverse and fascinating shapes and colours.