Insecta Collection (page 20)

Aglais urticae, small tortoiseshell
Plate 26 from Illustrations of British butterflies and their larvae, with the plants on which they feed, by Theo Johnson, 1892

Plate 30 from Libellulinae Europaeae by de Charpentier
Illustration of dragonflies. Plate 30 from Libellulinae Europaeae illustrated and described by Toussint de Charpentier, 1840

Fruit fly in Dominican amber
Fruit fly deriving from Diptera:Cyclorrapha:Drosophilidae trapped and preserved in Dominican amber with a parasitic or phoretic mite attached to its abdomen

Scorpion fly
A Scorpion fly, Mecoptera: Bittacidae with a long beak and long antennae, preserved here in Baltic amber. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Aeolothrips sp. banded thrips
This insects is a pest to Hyupocloeris sp. and Verbascum sp. plants. Specimen originating from Kew Gardens, Surrey, England by G.D. Morison

Ants in Dominican amber
Hymenoptera:Aculeata:Formicidae ants in Dominican amber. One is holding the others abdomen with its jaws. Lower Miocene about 20 million years old

Wasp in amber
A digger wasp preserved in in Baltic amber. This specimen originates from the Upper Eocene and was donated by Arne Urup

Argynnis adippe, high brown fritillary
Plate 29 from Illustrations of British butterflies and their larvae, with the plants on which they feed, by Theo Johnson, 1892

Butterflies - attrib. to Jan van Kessel
Painting of butterflies and other insects attributed to Jan van Kessel (1626-79). Oil on copper panel 57 x 43cm

Isotoma viridis, springtail
This springtail specimen was collected from the flood plain of Easdale Tarn, Westmorland, U.K. Image 21.x.1954. by M.E. Bacchus

Scale insect in amber
A scale insect preserved here in Baltic amber. These insects often secrete a protective, waxy covering. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Midges in amber
Pair of copulating midges preserved in Baltic amber accompanied by two air bubbles. Specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Bristletail in amber
A bristletail, Archaeognatha: Machilidae preserved in Baltic amber. Specimen originates from the Upper Eocene

Fly in amber

Chrysophanus dispar, large copper
From Illustrations of British Butterflies: with occasional figures of the larva, pupa, and food-plant (1878) by Theo Johnson

Bee in Dominican amber
A bee, Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Apidae trapped in Dominican amber. This specimen was used to attempt DNA extraction

Dominican amber containing a cockroach and two termites dating from the Lower Miocene about 20 million years old. Donated by Cobra and Bellamy

Caterpillar skin in Dominican amber
A shed caterpillar skin Lepidoptera, in Dominican amber. Specimen dates from the Lower Miocene. Page 66 Fig. 66 from Amber the Natural Time Capsule

Erebia aethiops, scotch argus butterfly

Social wasp in amber
A social wasp preserved in Dominican amber. Specimen dates from the Lower Miocene. Donated by Cobra and Bellamy

Parthenos sylvia salentia, clipper butterfly

Moth preserved in Baltic amber
A moth preserved in Baltic amber dating from the Upper Eocene period, about 40 million years old

Detail of terracotta moulding of a beetle in the Waterhouse
The Waterhouse Buiding at the Natural History Museum, London was designed by Alfred Waterhouse (1830-1905) and first opened its doors on Easter Monday 1881

Papilio peranthus

Symphoromyia pachyceras, snipe fly
Snipe fly from California, U.S.A. Females of this fly feed on blood which is necessary for egg production. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Coenagrion puella, azure damselfly
Azure dameselflies (Coenagrion puella) are often seen in the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum, London. May 2003

Carausius morosus, Indian stick insect

Theobaldia annulata, mosquito
Watercolour by Amadeo John Engel Terzi (1872-1956) c. 1904

Scientist working with butterfly specimen
Entomologist opening butterflys wings after relaxing ready to be placed into a specimen drawer. Specimen held at The Natural History Museum, London

Crowd around flea case, 1927
During the first decades of the 20th century, the Central Hall contained a number of exhibit cases explaining the role of insects and other animals in spreading disease

Argynnis paphia var. valezina, female silver washed fritilla
Plate 12, figure 22 from Natural History of British Butterflies Vol.1, c. 1914 by Frederick William Frohawk (1861-1946). Held in the Entomology Library at the Natural History Museum, London

Memoirs sur le Termes, 1786

Cocytius antaeus antaeus Drury, giant sphinx moth
Watercolour by Edith Blake (1845-1928), 1892, from Lady Edith Blakes collection of drawings of Jamacian lepidoptera and plants, held at the Natural History Museum, London

Bombyliidae specimens
Bee-flies from around the world, clockwise from top left: Systropus, Bombylius, Cephalopdromia and Ligyra. Adults are flower feeders, the larvae are parasitoids of other insects

Dragonfly from decorative ceiling panels

The Admirals Garden, Clarence Cove, Bermuda 1873
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876), funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

Insect Gallery
A butterfly display case within the Natural History Museums Insect Gallery. Photograph taken in October 1983. This case is no longer in display at the Museum

Melanargia galathea, marbled white butterfly
Close-up of the wings of the Marbled white butterfly (Melanargia galathea), native to most of Europe and North Africa

Ctenocephalides felis felis, cat flea
A macro photograph of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis), which is also found on dogs, and is the UKs most common flea found in the domestic environment

Southern Damselfly from the collections at the Natural History Museum

Syrphus ribesii, hoverfly
This species of hoverfly is often seen feeding on nectar within the Museums Wildlife Garden. Photograph taken by Derek Adams in April 2003

Entomologist with insect specimens
An entomologist working on the collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Swallowtail butterfly, papilio kama
Wing detail

Lasius niger, black garden ant
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) of a black ant leg. Widespread and common in a range of habitats but perhaps most familiar in gardens where nests are formed under paving stones and brickwork

Seleucidis melanoleucas, twelve-wired bird-of-paradise
Plate 14 from John Goulds The Birds of New Guinea, Vol. 1 (1875-88). Hand coloured lithograph

Calliphora vicina, blowfly or bluebottle
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a blowfly proboscis (x 85). This specialised mouth-part is used to squirt digestive enzymes onto the food

Papilio machaon, old world swallowtail
SEM image of a Papilio machaon wing

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