Papua New Guinean Wood Neolamprima Adolphinae

Glossy green beetle with horned head sprawls its wings inside a small frame.

This neolamprima adolphinae is from Papua New Guinea, and is contemporary. It is wood & glass. Some of the earliest insect collections appeared around the 17th century in European curiosity cabinets, displayed beside exotic plants and prehistoric fossils, which were forerunners of modern day institutions. Small beetle with a bright metallic green back, a darker horn-like head and thin pale wings spread to each side. Its legs are tucked beneath. It floats against a soft blue-grey backdrop in a compact black frame. It is 4.25 inches wide, 2 deep and 3.75 high.

Jewel-bright, small, and more colorful than most gemstones.