Cocoons Collection (#3)

European Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) baby, just hatched, standing on ootheca, Savona Province, Liguria, Italy, june

Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonoidea sp. ) cocoons, on fritillary butterfly larva, Causse de Gramat, Massif Central, Lot
Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonoidea sp.) cocoons, on fritillary butterfly larva, Causse de Gramat, Massif Central, Lot, France, may

Cave Spider (Meta bourneti) adult, with cocoon in cave, Italy, july

European Cave Spider (Meta menardi) egg cocoon with spiderlings ready to hatch inside, hanging in cave, with adult female in background, Italy, january

Wasp Spider -by cocoon - Bedfordshire UK 008132
BB-1938 Wasp Spider - by cocoon Bedfordshire UK Agriope bruennichi Brian Bevan Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Wasp Spider -by cocoon - Bedfordshire UK 008129
BB-1936 Wasp Spider - by cocoon Bedfordshire UK Agriope bruennichi Brian Bevan Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Parrotfish - sleeping in the safety of it's sand spotted mucus cocoon
VT-8717 Parrotfish - sleeping in the safety of it's sand spotted mucus cocoon. Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Scarus sp The cocoon is made by inflating the mucus coating on the fishes scales

Parrotfish - sleeping in the safety of its sand spotted mucus cocoon. The cocoon is made by inflating the mucus coating
VT-8719 Parrotfish - sleeping in the safety of its sand spotted mucus cocoon Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef. Scarus sp. The cocoon is made by inflating the mucus coating on the fishes scales

Spotted Fritillary Butterfly pupa. UK
DOW-246 Spotted Fritillary Butterfly pupa. UK Melitaea didyma Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly pupa. About to hatch - wing markings showing. UK
DOW-233 Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly pupa. About to hatch - wing markings showing. UK Aglais urticae Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Newly emerged White Plume Moth with pupal case. UK
DOW-227 Newly emerged White Plume Moth with pupal case UK Pterophorus pentadactyla Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Newly emerged Small Tortoisehell Butterfly with puplal case. UK
DOW-236 Newly emerged Small Tortoisehell Butterfly with pupal case UK Aglais urticae Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Newly emerged Small Tortoishell Butterfly on pupal case. UK
DOW-235 Newly emerged Small Tortoishell Butterfly on pupal case. UK Aglais urticae Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Newly emerged Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly on pupal case. UK
DOW-234 Newly emerged Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly on pupal case. UK Aglais urticae Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Comma Butterfly chrysalis. UK
DOW-201 Comma Butterfly chrysalis. UK Polygonia c-album Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Newly emerged Comma Butterfly on pupal case. UK
DOW-213 Newly emerged Comma Butterfly on pupal case. UK Polygonia c-album Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Harlequin Ladybird larva and pupa. UK
DOW-232 Harlequin Ladybird larva and pupa. UK Harmonia axyridis Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Newly emerged Peacock Butterfly with pupal case. UK
DOW-230 Newly emerged Peacock Butterfly with pupal case. UK Inachis io Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Helena moth - emerging from a hole scratched in the softened cocoon wall by projections on the moths shoulder
AUS-495 Helena moth - emerging from a hole scratched in the softened cocoon wall by projections on the moths shoulder Australia Opodiphthera helena Densey Clyne / Auscape / ardea.com Auscape Please

Green tree or Weaver ants - attending larva of lycaenid Oak-blue butterfly (Arhopala sp. )
AUS-391 Green tree or Weaver ants - attending larva of lycaenid Oak-blue butterfly (Arhopala sp.). Tropical Australia Oecophylla smaragdina virescens Densey Clyne / Auscape / ardea.com Auscape Please

Sugar ants - accompanying larvae of lycaenid butterfly (Ogyrus genoveva) up a tree to mistletoe, their food plant
AUS-390 Sugar ants - accompanying larvae of lycaenid butterfly (Ogyrus genoveva) up a tree to mistletoe, their food plant. Australia-wide Camponotus sp

Valentine ants - guarding pupa of Mangrove ant-blue butterfly (Acrodipsas illidgei) in exchange for sweet secretions
AUS-386 Valentine ants - guarding pupa of Mangrove ant-blue butterfly (Acrodipsas illidgei) in exchange for sweet secretions. Australia Crematogaster sp

Sugar ants - guarding larvae and pupae of the butterfly Ogyrus genoveva in exchange for sweet secretions from
AUS-387 Sugar ants - guarding larvae and pupae of the butterfly Ogyrus genoveva in exchange for sweet secretions from the larvae

Green tree or Weaver ants - milking honeydew from protege butterfly larva (Hypolycaena phorbas)
AUS-394 Green tree or Weaver ants - milking honeydew from protege butterfly larva (Hypolycaena phorbas). Tropical Australia Oecophylla smaragdina virescens Densey Clyne / Auscape / ardea.com Auscape

Blue Bottle Maggot Pupa on rotting meat, UK
SPH-160 BLUEBOTTLE / Blowfly MAGGOT - pupae x1 on rotting meat. UK Calliphora vomitoria Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Pupa of a butterfly - underneath a leaf - Danum Valley Conservation Area - Sabah - Borneo - Malaysia
MAR-951 Pupa of a butterfly - underneath a leaf Danum Valley Conservation Area - Sabah - Borneo - Malaysia Thomas Marent Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Cicada emerged from nymphal case - Andasibe-Mantadia National Park - Madagascar
MAR-1150 Cicada emerged from nymphal case Andasibe-Mantadia National Park - Madagascar Thomas Marent Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Pupa of Orange-spotted Tiger Clearwing Colombia
MAR-102 Pupa of Orange-spotted Tiger Clearwing - under leaf Colombia Mechanitis polymnia Thomas Marent Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Convolvulus Hawk Moth - pupa
JLMO-283 Convolvulus Hawk-Moth - pupae Herse convolvuli John Mason Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

7 Spot Ladybird JLMO 1437 Emerging from pupa Coccinella septempunctata © John Mason / ARDEA LONDON
JLMO-1437 7-Spot Ladybird - emerging from pupae Coccinella septempunctata John Mason Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Pupa of Black Fly Simulium JC 156 © John Clegg / ARDEA LONDON
JC-156 Pupa of Black Fly Simulium John Clegg Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Lesser Wanderer / African Monarch / Golden Daniid / Plain Tiger Butterfly. emerging from chrysalis. Sequence 5 of 5
ASW-603-m Lesser Wanderer / African Monarch / Golden Daniid / Plain Tiger Butterfly.emerging from chrysalis Sequence 5 of 5 Danaus chrysippus Alan J. S

Monarch Butterfly - Hatching sequence 6 of 6
JZ-2762 Wanderer / MONARCH / Milkweed Butterfly - Hatching sequence 6 of 6 USA Danaus plexippus Jim Zipp Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Monarch Butterfly - Hatching sequence 5 of 6
JZ-2761 Wanderer / MONARCH / Milkweed Butterfly - Hatching sequence 5 of 6 USA Danaus plexippus Jim Zipp Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Monarch Butterfly - Hatching sequence 2 of 6
JZ-2758 Wanderer / MONARCH / Milkweed Butterfly - Hatching sequence 2 of 6 USA Danaus plexippus Jim Zipp Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar - Hatching sequence 1 of 6
JZ-2757 Wanderer / MONARCH / Milkweed Butterfly Caterpillar - Hatching sequence 1 of 6 USA Danaus plexippus Jim Zipp Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Spider - Tarantula laying its eggs on a silk cocoon
PPG-1529 Tarantula / Bird-eating Spider - laying its eggs on a silk cocoon Lasiodora parahybana Pascal Goetgheluck Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Spider - Tarantula - preparing its cocoon with the eggs inside
PPG-1527 Tarantula / Bird-eating Spider - preparing its cocoon with the eggs inside. Lasiodora parahybana Pascal Goetgheluck Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

2-spot Ladybird Pupa UK
SPH-634 2-spot Ladybird Pupa UK Adalia bipunctata Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

2-spot Ladybird Recently formed pupa, UK
SPH-630 2-Spot Ladybird- recently formed pupa UK Adalia bipunctata Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

2-spot Ladybird Larva about to pupate, UK
SPH-629 2-SPOT LADYBIRD - larvae about to pupate UK Adalia bipunctata Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Bag Moth - Larva, Mimicry of Conifer. USA
SPH-2921 BagMOTH - larva mimicry of Conifer USA Thyridopterix ephemeraeformis Steve Hopkin Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Dragonfly - newly emerged with exuvia
ROG-5417 Dragonfly - newly emerged with exuvia Orthetrum cancellatum Bob Gibbons Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Bagworm Psychid Moth - larval in camouflaged pupal case. Fam: Psychidae
ROG-10599 Bagworm Psychid Moth - larval in camouflaged pupal case. Fam: Psychidae Bob Gibbons Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Dragonfly Emerging from nymph stage. Sequence, 4
PS-8872 Dragonfly Emerging from nymph stage. Sequence, 4 Peter Steyn Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Mosquito Emerging from pupa on surface of water
PPG-765 Mosquito - Emerging from pupae on surface of water Culex pipiens Pascal Goetgheluck Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

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"Cocoons: Nature's Hidden Treasures" Cocoons, the enigmatic creations of various creatures, hold within them a world of wonder and transformation. From the bustling honey bee colony to the intricate nest of a tarantula, these cocoons serve as protective sanctuaries for their inhabitants. In the depths of a beehive, we witness the diligent work of honey bees. The queen and her workers delicately construct combs where they raise their young and store sweet nectar. Within these hexagonal chambers lie future generations waiting to emerge into a buzzing world. Meanwhile, high up in trees or hidden underground, tarantulas carefully carry egg cocoons with utmost care. These silk-wrapped packages safeguard precious spiderlings until they are ready to embark on their own arachnid adventures. The bagworm moth takes cocoon construction to another level by fashioning its larval case using plant fragments. A masterpiece blending nature's materials into an impenetrable fortress that shields it during its transformative journey from caterpillar to winged beauty. Silk moths spin elegant cocoons with fine threads that encase their pupae in silken splendor. These delicate structures reveal cross-sections showcasing nature's artistry at its finest - layers upon layers forming a sanctuary for metamorphosis. But not all cocoons house only one inhabitant; some become hosts for parasitic wasps seeking shelter on silk threads spun by brush-footed butterfly caterpillars. A macabre sight indeed, as tiny cocoons dangle like eerie ornaments amidst the vibrant tapestry of life. Centuries ago in Japan, Shunsho captured moments frozen in time through his artwork depicting people examining newly spun cocoons. Plate 6 from his series "Kaiko Yashinai-gusa" transports us back to 1772 when fascination with these natural wonders transcended cultures and eras. Across continents in India, silk they can carefully dried under the sun's warm embrace.