Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
The GNSI is a 501(c)(3) that connects, provides professional development & networking opportunities to visual science communicators
Message
- Janet Stephens
- Life Cycle of Blue Morpho Butterfly
- Graphite on Super Smooth Bristol Board
- 8.5 x 11.5 in
- Signature: Janet Stephens - currently a student in Gretchen Halpert’s Scientific Illustration Distance Program having completed sessions I and II. I retired from a long career in the corporate world in Marketing/Advertising and am now pursuing certification in scientific illustration. This first piece entered is my final project for my first session (graphite) in the SIDP program. I took several courses in scientific illustration in college under Lloyd Logan at UGA many years ago. While I finished my degree in Graphic Design from UGA, those scientific illustration courses under Lloyd Logan drove my interest to now pursue scientific illustration in a new career.
Morpho Peleides (common name Blue Morpho) is abundant in tropical environments of Mexico, Central America, Paraguay and Thailand. They are easily identified by the iridescent blue on the dorsal side of wings and the ventral side is cryptic brown with eyespots for camouflage on forest floor or in trees. The larva have five distinctive coloration stages called instar which provide camouflage in each stage. The chrysalis is green and blends with the surrounding foliage and the eggs are slightly translucent and laid on top side of leaves so the eggs reflect the green of the leaves to blend with the leaves.
- Subject Matter: Composite image of the Blue Morpho life cycle