I’ve missed the multitude of migrating monarch butterflies. That is to say they haven’t stopped by my yard the past couple of years. I don’t have what others call a ‘butterfly garden’ but they have stopped many times to hang out in a massive, late blooming bush I have in my yard. Digging around online to learn what their absence might mean, I ran across mentions of a recently documented phenomenon termed ‘kleptopharmacophagy’. Although not a brand new phenomenon, it has only recently been noticed among the Danainae subfamily, which includes the Monarch. A form of cannibalism, the discovery indicates that individuals may be evolving strategies that emphasize individual survival over species survival.

This work uses butterfly specimens from a retired teaching collection I inherited. The specimens are 70+ years old. By casting them in epoxy resin I have protected them from the wear and tear insect specimens are subject to. The images of butterflies are hand-painted in oil on surface treated printmaking paper. The images, along with the laser engraved text, are mounted onto an accordion. Taxonomy is hand lettered on the back side of the accordion. Covers are wood, the label laser engraved mica, the end sheets treated suede. The removable box lid allows the magnifying lens to be used in whatever way the viewer wishes.

Materials:

book board, paper, book cloth, butterfly specimen, epoxy resin, cast acrylic, magnifying lens, wood, paper, varnish, oil