I’ve shared quite a few vintage butterfly collections on Pictureboxblue over the years, but these illustrations are a little different. Rather than focusing solely on butterflies and moths, many of these prints tell the whole story. Alongside the colourful adults, you’ll often spot the caterpillars, chrysalises and even the plants they feed on. I think that’s what makes them such an interesting collection.
The illustrations come from Lepidoptera, a beautifully illustrated manuscript of butterflies, moths, and caterpillars by the American entomologist Townend Glover. As they’re now in the Public Domain, you can download and print them for free to use in your own crafts, journals or home décor.
Who Was Townend Glover?
Townend Glover (1813–1883) was an American entomologist, illustrator, and the first person to be appointed as an entomologist by the United States Department of Agriculture.
In addition to studying insects, he carefully painted thousands of them. Rather than producing books for the public, he kept much of his work in handwritten manuscripts filled with detailed watercolour illustrations and notes. Thankfully, many of these have now been digitised, so we can still enjoy them over 150 years later.
About the Lepidoptera Manuscript
The Lepidoptera manuscript is full of beautifully painted butterflies, moths and caterpillars. Some pages show just one species, while others include different stages of its life cycle together on the same page.
That’s one of the reasons I wanted to share this collection. It’s a little more natural history than decorative art. The butterflies and moths are lovely, but the caterpillars are often just as fascinating with their unusual colours, patterns and shapes.
If you’ve already browsed my Vintage Butterfly Images collection of illustrations, you’ll notice these have a completely different feel. They’re also a world away from the bold Art Nouveau butterfly prints by E. A. Séguy, making them a nice addition to my growing butterfly collection.
How To Download The Butterfly Prints
All of the illustrations below are in the Public Domain and free to download.
Simply click on any image to open the full-size version, then save it to your computer or device. They’re perfect for printing at home and using for wall art, junk journals, decoupage, greeting cards, scrapbook pages and other creative projects.
Caterpillar & Pupae Prints 1-11
Print 1. Green Hornworm Caterpillars
Green hornworms are the ultimate masters of disguise in the insect world, using their bright lime bodies and diagonal white stripes to blend flawlessly into plant stems and leaves. Named for the distinct, slightly intimidating “horn” on their tails, these chubby caterpillars are actually the young larvae of massive, fast-flying sphinx moths, which zip around dusk-lit gardens like hummingbirds. While they are a fascinating marvel of nature to observe, they also possess a legendary, voracious appetite, capable of cleanly stripping entire tomato branches bare overnight!
Print 2: Spiny Moth Caterpillars
Spiny moth caterpillars are nature’s armoured tiny tanks, using vibrant warning colours and sharp bristles to ward off hungry predators. Many species feature hollow, venom-filled spines that sting like microscopic needles if touched. This striking defence system lets them safely munch on leaves until they are ready to build a cocoon.
Print 3. Striped Caterpillars and Pupae
Print 4. Spiny Larvae, Cocoons and Pupae
Print 5. Hairy Caterpillars, Moths & Larvae
Print 6. Small Moths, Larvae and Pupae
The print includes some of the plants they feed on.
Print 7. Caterpillars at the Leaf Feeding Stage
Print 8. Small Moths and Caterpillars
Print 9. Caterpillars and Red Underwing Moth
At first glance, the red underwing moth is surprisingly well camouflaged, with mottled grey forewings that help it blend into tree bark. But when it takes flight, it reveals a flash of vivid crimson-red underwings with bold black bands. It’s easy to see how this striking moth became one of Europe’s most recognisable species.
Print 10. Green Larvae and Pupae
Print 11. More Larvae and Pupae
Butterflies & Moths Prints 12-25
Print 12. Yellow & Black Swallowtail Butterflies
The black-and-yellow swallowtail butterflies are among the most eye-catching in the collection. Their bold yellow wings, marked with black stripes and finished with the distinctive tail-like extensions on the hindwings, make them hard to miss. In addition to the beautiful adult butterfly, many of the illustrations include the caterpillar and chrysalis, offering a glimpse of its remarkable transformation.
Print 13. Zebra Swallowtail Butterflies
Vintage hawk moth natural history illustration showing sphinx moths with pink hindwings and detailed moth specimens
Print 15. Clearwing Style Moths
Giant silk moths are among the largest insects in the world, famous for their massive wingspans and furry bodies. They often feature bright colours and large eyespots on their wings to scare away predators. Remarkably, adult moths have no mouths and cannot eat, surviving entirely on energy stored as caterpillars. Because they cannot feed, they live for only one to two weeks, focusing entirely on finding a mate.
Print 17. Luna Moth and Silk Moth
Luna moths are famous nocturnal insects known for their lime-green wings and long tail streamers. They feature clear, ringed eyespots to confuse predators. Like other giant silk moths, adults lack mouths and cannot eat. Living for only about one week, they expend all their energy finding a mate in the dark.
Print 19. Small Butterflies and Day-Flying Moths
Print 20. More Small Moths and Butterflies
Print 21. Large Dark Underwing Moth
Print 24. Large Brown Silk Moth
More Vintage Butterfly & Insect Illustrations
If you’ve enjoyed these butterfly and caterpillar prints, there are plenty more vintage insect illustrations to explore on Pictureboxblue.
One of my favourites is the Natural History Posters of Adolphe Millot. These colourful educational charts include beautifully illustrated butterflies and moths and are among the most popular natural history prints on the site.
You’ll also enjoy the wonderful work of Maria Sibylla Merian, who was famous for painting butterflies and moths alongside their caterpillars and host plants. Much like Townend Glover, she was interested in documenting the entire life cycle, making her illustrations as fascinating as they are beautiful.
For an even wider variety of insects, take a look at Fabre’s Book of Insects, which is packed with colourful plates of butterflies, moths, beetles and many other species. The elegant Entomology Plates from Jardine’s Naturalist’s Library are another lovely collection, while my Vintage Entomology Prints page brings together some of the best antique insect illustrations from a range of historic books and publications.
Butterfly & Moth Craft Ideas
Vintage butterfly illustrations aren’t just lovely to frame; they’re brilliant for crafting too.
One of my favourite projects is this Victorian Butterfly Wall Decoration. The butterflies are printed onto shrink plastic before being mounted in a vintage-style frame, giving the finished piece the look of an old-fashioned insect specimen display, without using real butterflies.
The vintage illustrations also work beautifully for Christmas crafts. These Butterfly Christmas Ornaments feature printable butterfly images, turning antique illustrations into upcycled decorations for the tree or for hanging around the home.
Moths make wonderful decorations too. Over on Pillar Box Blue, you’ll find my Map Paper Moths, which are made from vintage maps. They’re a great excuse to browse the map collections here on Pictureboxblue and choose your favourite maps to transform into a flutter of decorative paper moths.