Insecta Collection (page 9)

Aphid in amber
A Winged aphid preserved in Baltic amber. This specimen dates from the Upper Eocene

Diaethura anna, Annas eighty-eight
A mounted specimen of the underside of Annas eighty-eight butterfly from Mexico

Millipede in amber
A Millipede, Myriapoda: Diplopoda preserved in Dominican amber. Specimen dates from the Lower Miocene about 20 million years old

Aeschna pilosa, dragonfiles
Plate 21, an illustration of two dragonflies from Libellulinae Europaeae 1840 by Toussaint de Charpentier

Ichneumon wasp in amber
Ichneumon wasp preserved in Baltic amber. This specimen with exquisitely preserved wings dates from the Upper Eocene period

Vanessa atlanta, red admiral
From Illustrations of British Butterflies: with occasional figures of the larva, pupa, and food-plant (1878) by Theo Johnson

Gonepteryx rhamni, brimstone
Plate 2 from Illustrations of British butterflies and their larvae, with the plants on which they feed, by Theo Johnson, 1892

Stylopid in amber
Stylopid parasite (Strepsiptera sp.) preserved in Dominican amber. This specimen dates from the Lower Miocene

Springtail in amber
Springtail, Collembola: Entomobryidae trapped in Dominican amber. The insects spring has been preserved in a folded position under its body

Black fly in Baltic amber
Black fly preserved in Baltic amber. This fly belongs to subgenus Morops and dates from the Upper Eocene about 35 million years old

Parthenos sylvia lilacinus, clipper butterfly
A subspecies of the clipper butterly from the Malay Peninsula. The clipper butterfly ranges from Sri Lanka, India and Thailand through Indonesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Cochineal Plantation, Tenerife
A photograph taken during the voyage of H.M.S. Challenger (1872-1876), funded by the British Government for scientific purposes

Glaucopsyche lydamus, xerces blue
The xerces blue (Glaucopsyche lydamus) survives in a series of subspecies. The xerces blue is one of them. Underside of butterfly shown here

Parthenos sylvia virens, clipper butterfly
A subspecies of clipper butterfly from southern India. The clipper butterfly ranges from Sri Lanka, India and Thailand through Indonesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Pegesimallus teratodes, robber fly
A robber fly, a predatory fly from Tanzania. Only the males have the long scales on the hind-legs, their use is not known but could be used to attract females

Flea
This species of flea is commonly known as a jigger, chigoe or sand-flea

Insect body
Micrographia: or, Some physical descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying glasses, with observations and enquiries there upon by Robert Hooke (1635-1703), 1665

Lampromyia sp. fly
Larvae of this family Vermilionidae behave like ant-lions, they make a funnel in the sand and wait at the bottom for other invertebrates to fall in. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Philoliche longirostris, horse fly
A horse fly specimen from India. This fly uses its long proboscis to feed at flowers. The mouthparts of the female also include shorter blades with which it takes blood

Detail of terracotta moulding of a dragonfly in the Waterhou
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

Oestridae, botfly larva
Scanning electron microscope image of a botfly larva. They are parasites feeding on skin in the case of warble flies, nostrils in the flies that affect sheep and deer

Dragonflies and Fish
Dragonflies from Libellulinae Europaeae by Toussaint de Charpenter, 1840. Fish from Voyage de la Coquille, Zoology Atlas II by Duperrey

Sabatinca perveta, moth
Shown here is a moth belonging to the living pollen-feeding family Micropterygidae, preserved in Burmese amber of Late Cretaceous age

Auchenorrhynchan bug, true bug
An example of an auchenorrhynchan bug or true bug from the Sinharaja rainforest, Sri Lanka

Pegasus draconis, sea moth
Specimen jar containing sea moths (Pegasus draconis), held in the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum, London

Two birds on title page, waiting for crumbs
Heart-shaped enamel on metal badge made by Ernestine Mills (1871-1959), possibly for the W.S.P.Us Womens Exhibition of 1909

Diplopoda sp. plate millipede
Scanning electron microscope image of a lateral view of the head of a plate millipede. Image displayed on the glass screens in the Darwin Centre, at the Natural History Museum, London

Kim Goodger with butterfly specimen
Kim Goodger a curator at The Natural History Museum, London. The specimen featured is a Papilio sp

Millipedes are common on the rainforest floor in Sri Lanka. This specimen belongs to the family Julidae

Brachyera family specimens
Examples of five Brachyera families showing diversity of appearance, Apioceridae, Mydidae, Empididae, Pelecorhynchidae and Nemestrinidae. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Mallophora infernalis, robber flies
Robber fly, male and female captured in Brazil carrying a katydid as prey (seen underneath). Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Brachycerous fly
The family Nemestrinidae comprises almost 300 species of brachycerous flies. Larvae of this family are parasitoids of Orthoptera and scarabeus beetle larvae

Hyperechia nigripennis, robber fly
A robber fly, an African predatory fly with a carpenter bee (Xylocopa) that it mimics. Specimens held at the Natural History Museum, London

Boloria selene, small pearl bordered fritillary
Varieties of the small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly from the collection of the late R.M. Craske. Now in the National Collection of British Lepidoptera

Hermetia illucens, soldier fly
Soldier fly from Christmas Island. Example of a species of fly that has been spread by human activity. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Collecting insects
A trap of funnels set out in the forest to collect insects as they fall from the trees after fogging

Danaidae sp. milkweed butterflies in mounts
Folio 20 from a volume of Petiver insects depicting milkweed or monarch butterflies from the family (Danainae) preserved between sheets of mica

Lucans (Odontolabis) gazella, Oriental stag beetle
Fig 5 of plate 26 from The Cabinet of Oriental Entomology, 1848 by J. O. Westwood

Danaus melanippus taimanu from Sumba Island (Indonesia), male, upper side. A butterfly specimen held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Collections

Papilio, black streaked little yellow butterfly
Illustration of a black streaked little yellow butterfly by John Abbot, Tab 241, Volume 16 from the Abbot Collection held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Library

Fannia scalaris, fake fossil fly in amber

Tenebrio sp. mealworm in a sticky lollipop
Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Papilio, clouded yellow butterfly

Papilio, red butterfly
Illustration of a red butterfly by John Abbot, Tab 306, Volume 16 from the Abbot Collection held in the Natural History Museums Entomology Library

Libellula depressa, broad-bodied chaser
A male broad-bodied chaser dragonfly (Libellula depressa). Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Argynnis paphia, silver-washed fritillary
Plate 31. A Watercolour by Frederick William Frohawk (1861-1946) depicting a caterpillar, chyrsalis and adult silver-washed fritillary butterfly

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