Insect Wing Scale Prints

Insects, such as butterflies and moths, have minute, colored or iridescent scales on their wings that make up the distinctive patterns used for identification. In the late-1700’s French entomologists developed several methods for making direct transfers of these delicate scale patterns that could be used to illustrate scientific identification guides. The wings of a dead specimen are spread out flat and carefully dried. The piece of paper to be printed is coated with a thin layer of gum-arabic. A specimen is placed on the paper and pressed gently into place. When well attached the body is cut away. A second sheet of adhesive paper is placed on top and pressure is applied. When the wings are removed the scales adhere to the paper and the precise color patterns of the upper and lower surfaces of the wings remain. The body is either painted in or engraved and hand colored.

Denton’s guide to the butterflies and moths of the eastern United States was limited to an edition of 500 copies. Each copy contains over 100 original transfers. Denton collected the majority of the insects illustrated in this work and had to make well over 50,000 transfers to include in the entire edition.