Maria Sibylla Merian — Der rupsen begin, voedzel en wonderbaare verandering (1712)

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Damask Plums.            Flos Pruna Damaſcena Flower of the Damask Plum.

Such a beautiful green caterpillar with black stripes and yellow coral-like spots, I fed with these leaves until the end of June, when it spun itself into an oval, shining like silver and sturdy like parchment, and transformed into a brown pupa. In the beginning of August, such a beautiful owlet-moth came out of it, whose lower wings are yellow, brown-striped, and beautifully spotted.

On the bottom green leaf hangs a small creature enclosed in a brown, hard shell. This moves slowly forward with its house like the snails. I fed it with these leaves until the 20th of June, when it remained lying still. On the 11th of July, such a white owlet-moth came out of it as is depicted above the brown caterpillar. The other small creature opposite is also of that kind.

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Red Currant Blossom.         Groſſularia hortens, non ſpinoſa, florens Garden Gooseberry, thornless, flowering.

One finds a sort of caterpillar on these small trees, whose fore-body is yellowish, and the rear-body is white on top and yellow underneath. I fed them until they transformed into a pupa, resembling well a swaddled infant, adorned as if with gold and silver. In the end of June, a butterfly came out of it, whose upper side was bright yellow and brown-spotted, and was adorned underneath with brown and black spots.