This weekend, I worked on a new piece. For the frame, I repurposed a clock. I often use clocks for my pieces. I love working with them and all of the different designs that make for some beautiful, lightweight displays.
The featured specimen in this piece is a Chrysiridia rhipheus. This is my first time working with this species of moth, and I was in awe of its spectacular colors when I pinned it.
Here is an excerpt from Bug Under Glass with some interesting facts about the Madagascar sunset moth:
• Sunset moths were originally believed to originate from China
• Sunset moth populations go through cycles of explosive growth and decline as the seeds of their host plant become more toxic due to selection pressures from feeding, then revert as moth populations fall.
• The sunset moth is one of the most sought-after Lepidoptera from insect collectors. Jewelers in the Victorian period would make pieces out of their wings.
• The indigenous Malagasy people of Madagascar call the sunset moth “adriandolo” which roughly translates to “noble spirit” or “king spirit.”
The Insect Lady 