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

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Below, on the stem of the rosebud, sits a small yellow caterpillar. This changed in July into a green and red pupa. After fourteen days, such a cute gray creature emerged, which was light ochre-colored and white-striped.

A similar caterpillar lay down as if it were dead. After a few days, five maggots crawled out of it, which turned into white barrels pupa cases, which the aforementioned caterpillar spun together before it died. After fourteen days, a small fly emerged from each barrel.

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This beautiful caterpillar has black bands across its back that look like they are embroidered with pearls. I fed them with these leaves; once, due to a lack of food, they ate each other. In July, they spun an oval that shone like silver and turned into pupae. In August, beautiful owlet-moths emerged, being colored black, white, gray, orange, and rose-red.

On the cherry tree, a beautiful sea-green caterpillar appears, which is very quick in its movement. This turned into a brown pupa at the beginning of August; at the end of this month, a little butterfly emerged from it, as depicted in the figure.