Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.11825

    Butterflies in general

    Date
    1849
    Creator - Organisation
    Benham and Reeve, Printer
    After
    L M Budgen (British) , Illustrator
    Object type
    Material
    Technique
    Dimensions
    height (print): 200mm
    width (print): 132mm
    Subject
    Content object
    nature
       > animal
          > insect
    Description
    Butterflies and their pupal cases shown against a decorative burst of sunrays emerging from behind dark clouds and within a floral border.

    All are British species or visitors, including (clockwise from lower left): the Peacock Aglais io; the Small copper Lycaena phlaeas including its underwing at the very apex of the group; the Common blue Polyommatus Icarus including its underwing; the Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines; the Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni; the Purple hairstreak Favonius quercus; the Silver-washed fritillary Argynnis paphia; the Meadow brown Maniola jurtina; the Small white Pieris rapae; and the Red admiral Vanessa atalanta; with the Swallowtail Papilio machaon placed towards the centre of the whole group.

    Frontispiece of the book Episodes of insect life by Acheta Domestica (pseud., Miss L.M. Budgen], first series (Reeve, Benham and Reeve, London, 1849).

    Inscribed below: ‘L.M.B. del. Reeve, Benham & Reeve lith.’ Also below, four lines of verse by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, commencing: ‘And with child-like credulous affection…’

    Accompanying text described these as: ‘Various species just risen and bursting from their chrysalidian shrouds, mount towards the skies or repose upon everlasting flowers.’

    Miss L.M. Budgen (fl.1850s) British illustrator and popular writer on floriculture and entomology.
    Associated place
    <The World>
       > Europe
          > United Kingdom
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