Insects

Insects make up the largest animal class, closely associated with almost every other form of life, and of prime importance ecologically and economically.
These entomological works are the first scientifically correct descriptions and illustrations of phases of
metamorphosis and of many life forms of insects.
There are works of the entomological pioneers of the 1600s - Redi and Swammerdam, who were the first to produce scientifically correct descriptions and illustrations of insects and their metamorphosis.
From the 1700s are major works, e.g., Jablonsky, Roesel, and Schaeffer, containing coloured copper engravings of outstanding quality - ambitious attempts at giving a complete description of the knowledge of insects at that time.

Francesco Redi (1621-97): Opuscula. Bd. 1: De generatione insectorum, 1729 (1. udg.: 1671):

Jan Swammerdam (1637-80): Biblia naturae. 1737/38 og 1752

Pioneer of scientific research into insect metamorphosis. He was the first to document the continuity in the developmental stages of, a.o., the insects with complete metamorphosis. He constructed microscopic tools for his investigations, which he described and illustrated with impressive precision in large copper-engraved plates.
His scientifically active period was manically productive but relatively short, because he became religiously revived and renounced his entire work, burned many of his papers, and did not publish anything himself. His major work, Biblia naturae, was published many years after his death.
The LIFE Library has the first edition of this major scientific work made up of three folio volumes with Dutch and Latin text from 1737/38 and a single-volume German edition from 1752.

Augustus Iohannes Roesel von Rosenhof (1705-59): Der ... Insecten-Belustigung ... 1746-61 - fuldendt af C.F.C Kleeman 1792:

J.C. Schaeffer: Elementa entomologica, 1766:

C.G. Jablonsky: Natursystem ... Insekten: Die Käfern. 10 tekst- & 10 tavlebind. 1785-1806 :
(The LIFE Library also has his corresponding work on butterflies in 11 text- & 10 plate volumes from 1783-1804)

Copenhagen University Library

Insects