1986 Golden Bee Exaerete Smaragdina Print - Durin Bernard Les Insectes - Vintage Scientific Illustration - Guerin Entomology - 11 x 13 in

This is a gorgeous high quality vintage print with vivid colours taken from a disbound copy of Les Insectes by Bernard Durin. The dimensions are 11 x 13 inches. Visit https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ForestHillArtsHouse?section_id=53836226 for more Insects prints. This wild bee from South America bears the Latin name smaragdina and belongs to the most beautiful species of bees. It is worn as jewelry by indigenous people. They skillfully use its finely sculpted thorax—after removing the head, abdomen, wings, and legs—as ornament. Its metallic colours are exceptionally vivid for a bee. These colours are due to a special chitin structure that reflects light rays like a gemstone. These metallic shades range from green to blue and violet, up to purple. In insects, such colours are called structural colours, or physical colours. The tongue, clearly visible, is in this species almost as long as the entire body. With it, the bee draws nectar from flowers. The tongue length of different species is related to the depth of the flowers they visit. The tongue is formed from the lower lip, greatly elongated and covered in tiny hairs, which, together with the two paraglossae, forms a kind of tube. Nectar is pumped by suction movements of the mouthparts. The antennae—sensory organs—are bent. The outer face of the hind legs has a hollow area, called a pollen basket (corbicula), where the bee collects pollen. This bee measures between 2 and 2.5 cm in length. **Background** The artist Bernard Durin was an artist and illustrator transforming the tiniest creatures into works of art. Born in France in 1940, "Beetles and Other Insects," was published in 1980. It is considered a masterpiece. Durin has captured the intricate patterns, textures, and colours of his subjects with stunning accuracy. He made around 60 portraits of insects, using rare and fascinating specimens entrusted to him by the entomologists of the Museum of Natural History in Paris. Durin’s work combines scientific precision with artistic beauty. This has made them valuable to entomologists and other scientists. Bernard Durin passed away in 1988. His illustrations continue to be admired for their beauty and precision, and they remain a valuable resource for anyone interested in the natural world. **About Your Purchase:** - Your purchase is this ORIGINAL vintage print. No modern reprints, reproductions, or copies. - Please note: This print is sold unmounted. **Condition:** Good. Consistent with age. **Returns & Shipping** - **Returns:** No-questions-asked within 14 days provided in the same condition as dispatched; buyer pays return shipping. - **Packaging:** All prints are securely packaged in a clear bag with a board-backed envelope, further reinforced with recycled cardboard. - Dispatched via Royal Mail Tracked 24/48 (and Royal Mail Tracked International) with: - UK delivery within 1-3 days - US/EU delivery within 5-12 days - Rest-of-world delivery within 7-21 days