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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Apr 6

THIS WEEK: Spring Entomology Sale @ The Bridgeport Art Center, April 9-12 from 11am-4pm! 🔥🪲🦋

Get THOUSANDS of ethically-sourced insect specimens and vintage collections at 40+% off retail price! Open to the public; drop in and say hi! 👋

#nature #sale #taxidermy #oddities #odditiesandcuriosities

Spring Cleaning Entomology Sale
April 9-12 | Wednesday-Saturday
Bridgeport Art Center
1200 W 35th St, Floor 4R, Chicago, IL 60609

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Apr 5

Lucanidae ssp. in progress, feat. a little aqua-colored weevil! 🪲

#taxidermy #coleoptera #nature #art #odditiesandcuriosities #oddities #curiosities

A green foam board with three Stag Beetle specimens (Lucanidae ssp.) spread with their legs outstretched symmetrically. While one of the beetles is completely black, two beetles have coffee-brown elytra, indicating these beetles are distinct species. Yellow pins hold their legs and mandibles in place as they dry.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Apr 3

Some recent spreads of fiery Hebomoia leucippe 🔥🔥🔥

#taxidermy #lepidoptera #odditiesandcuriosities #entomology #nature #art

An array of Fire Orange Tip butterfly specimens (Hebomoia leucippe), spread with their wings outstretched symmetrically. These brightly-colored butterflies are vibrant, with bold orange forewings and neon yellow hindwings.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Apr 1

These amazing Giant Water Bugs use their sharp rostrum to feed on all sorts of aquatic life, including fish, frogs, and snakes.💥 Though humans aren't on their menu, their defensive bite is among the most painful in the world!

#entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities #nature

Two Giant Water Bug specimens, Lethocerus ssp., displayed against a white foam backdrop with their legs and wings outstretched symmetrically. These are two different species from around the world, with one specimen twice as big as the other.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 30

A small array of cicadas endemic to Asia! Did you know each species has its own unique song? 🎶

#entomology #insects #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities #odditiesandcuriosities #natureart

Five colorful cicada specimens displayed on a white foam backdrop, all with their wings spread out symmetrically. The cicadas range in size and pattern, showing how diverse the cicada superfamily is even within the same continent.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 29

With such incredible iridescent patches on its wings, Papilio karna looks stunning as ever 💎✨

#lepidoptera #insects #entomology #taxidermy #odditiesandcuriosities #oddities #curiosities #natureart

A Peacock Swallowtail specimen, Papilio karna, photographed from the top, its wings symmetrically outstretched in a flat position.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 18

Come visit us this Friday, March 20th, during Open Studios at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago! 🦋🦋🦋

#insects #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities #bugs #chicagoevents

The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 20

Are you a Chicago local and bug enthusiast looking for a fun Friday night? Visit us during Open Studios tomorrow at the Bridgeport Art Center, from 7pm-10pm!! Our office space has thousands of butterfly and insect treasures ready to be discovered ✨

#taxidermy #entomology #artgallery #curiosities

A closeup of a large resin keychain with a beetle, flower, and leaves preserved inside. The beetle is gold with black elytra markings, while the flower it rests on is a soft yellow. Other similar keychains hang behind it.

A green foam board tightly packed with Blue Morphos (Morpho menelaus). The photo is at an angle, showcasing the iridescent blue spectrum of the butterflies' wings.

A shelf in a glass cabinet with an assortment of insect curiosities: mounted specimens, glass vials with butterfly wings, and metal casts of underground ant tunnels.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 16

These fiery Red-Splashed Sulphurs are found ONLY in Cuba, and are rarely on the market due to their protected status. What a privilege to spread this quartet 🔥

#entomology #insects #oddities #curiosities #taxidermy

Four Red-Splashed Sulphur butterfly specimens (Phoebis avellaneda) spread flat with their wings outstretched symmetrically.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 15

A gorgeous leaf insect ready to dry 💚

#taxidermy #entomology #oddities #curiosities

A leaf insect specimen (Phyllium westwoodi) spread symmetrically on a foam board, its legs and wings outstretched. Yellow pins are positioned around the insect to affix its limbs and body in place, while two glass slides flatten the wings.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 13

It's official: we're hosting a Spring Cleaning Entomology Sale on April 9-12, 10am-5pm! 🦋🪲🐛🐞🪰🕷

We are downsizing our inventory and have THOUSANDS of specimens available for low prices. Swing by our office at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago, IL to build your own collection ✨

#taxidermy

A collection of many earth-toned beetle specimens pinned onto white foam. All are spread with their legs and antennae symmetrical, an entomological pin through one side of their elytra.

A pile of papered butterfly and moth specimens, all ranging in size and color. Some packages are semi-transparent, showing a glimpse of the folded butterfly inside.

A pile of colorful weevil specimens, individually packaged against cardboard strips and secured with cellophane.

A close-up shot of dried, unmounted butterfly specimens of different species, shapes, and colors.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 11

Taking a quick look at some of the LARGEST butterflies on Earth 🦋 One of several Birdwing drawers here at our office!

#insects #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities #collection

A wooden display cabinet with a drawer labeled "Ornithoptera" partially pulled out, showing a variety of spread Birdwing butterfly specimens.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 9

Measuring just under 6 inches, the wingspan of this katydid from Papua New Guinea is among the largest in our collection!! 🏆

#insects #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A top-down view of a medium-sized helmeted katydid (Siliquofera sp.) posed with its wings and legs outstretched, pinned to a white foam background.. Its forewings are remarkably leaf-like, with yellow-green veins and spots mimicking those in a leaf. Other insect species can be seen in the periphery of the photo.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 8

Celebrate spring with 10% OFF ALL products on our website! 🌸🦋🍀

Explore hundreds of dried insect specimens, spreading & mounting services, rare collector's items, entomology supplies, and more at our website: thebutterflycompany.com !

The Butterfly Company: Preserved Dried Butterflies & Insects

The Butterfly Company is a sustainable supplier of preserved dried butterflies and insects for sale for collectors, artists, educators, everyone.

thebutterflycompany.com

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 6

This "Umbrella Rhinoceros Beetle" has a fitting name indeed! ☂️🦏

#insects #entomology #coleoptera #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A three-quarters view of an Umbrella Rhinoceros Beetle (Golofa claviger) specimen pinned against white foam, its legs outstretched symmetrically. This robust scarab is the color of tanned leather, its limbs and horns fading into a darker umber. It has two horns curving towards each other: one curving up from its head, and one curving down from the top of its thorax. While the head horn is of a typical sickle shape, the latter widens into an umbrella shape at the tip.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 4

Cattleheart butterflies have the prettiest complementary color combo 💚❤️🖤

#insects #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A dried Cattleheart butterfly (Parides childrenae) specimen spread symmetrically, its triangular wings outstretched to show its topside. Its wings are pure black, save for the striking green and red iridescent color patches on its fore and hind wings respectively. Leaves of a yellow-green Pothos are in the backdrop.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 3

A fuzzy swarm of blue bees 🐝 Xylocopa caerulea is a fave!

#entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A pile of blue carpenter bee specimens in their packaging. Each one is spread flat against cardboard, with a thin plastic wrap secured around the bee with staples. These bees have a striking layer of sky blue hair on their thorax and top of abdomen, while their wings are a dark violet color.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Mar 2

Jewel Beetle spread from last week, ready to take flight 🪲

#entomology #insects #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A preserved Red-Speckled Jewel Beetle (Chrysochroa buqueti buqueti) posed symmetrically with yellow quilting pins on a green foam board. Its elytra and wings have been spread open as though it were flying, revealing its iridescent green-blue exoskeleton beneath. Its banded elytra shimmer with deep blue and cream, while its blue thorax has big ruby patches on either side.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 27

Taking a peek inside our Owl Butterfly (Caligo ssp.) drawer for #InsectThursday 👀

#entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A wooden drawer with a foam bottom filled with various species of Owl Butterflies.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 25

Incredible work! 🌈🦋 Love the composition!

The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 25

Here's what the two males look like spread 🌟

#entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 25

New shipment of lovely Birdwing butterflies from the Philippines 💚💛 Trogonoptera trojana and Troides plateni, male AND female, are now available online!

#insects #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 23

Whether you're looking at their topside or verso, Numberwing butterflies are just spectacular! 🦋

#bugsky #entomology #taxidermy #oddities #curiosities

A symmetrical assortment of warm-toned Numberwing butterflies in a matted square frame. While half of the butterflies are facing up, the other half is placed so their underside is visible, showcasing a variety of colors and patterns.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 22

Itsy-bitsy Giraffe Weevils... all the way from Madagascar 🦒 Aptly named for their very looooong neck!

#entomology #taxidermy #insects #weevils #oddities #curiosities

A cluster of Giraffe Weevils (Trachelophorus giraffa) lined side-by-side against cotton. These tiny beetles have a black head, thorax, and legs, while its elytra are deep red. Its neck is incredibly long, comprising most of its body length. Both males and females are shown, with males having double the neck length of females.

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The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 22

Thank you to all who stopped by tonight! 🦋❤

The Butterfly Company @thebutterflyco.bsky.social · Feb 20

Are you a Chicago local and bug enthusiast looking for a fun Friday night? Visit us during Open Studios tomorrow at the Bridgeport Art Center, from 7pm-10pm!! Our office space has thousands of butterfly and insect treasures ready to be discovered ✨

#taxidermy #entomology #artgallery #curiosities

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