Les Lépidoptères de la Belgique leurs Chenilles et leurs Chrysalides décrits et figurés d'après nature

Description:

Text French. First and only edition. A beautifully illustrated work on the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) of Belgium. The work was initiated by Belgian naturalist Charles Frédéric Dubois (1804-1867) and, following his death, completed by his son, Alphonse Joseph Charles Dubois (1839-1921). The text is in French, with finely detailed illustrations drawn from life by Alphonse, who also lithographed the plates.They illustrate the adult insect with its immature stages depicted on the larval foodplant. A scarce work as it was published in a short print run.

Les Lépidoptères de la Belgique is a significant contribution to 19th-century entomological literature, valued both for its scientific accuracy and the beauty of its illustrations. It offers a comprehensive visual and descriptive account of the Lepidoptera species native to Belgium, bridging two generations of the Dubois family’s dedication to natural history.

Nissen ZBI 1164; Horn-Schenkling 5275.

Condition

3 vols, roy. 8vo, handsome cont. red half-morocco, marbled boards and endpapers; gilt tooling to spines with decorative motifs to spine compartments; all edges gilt. Some very minor rubbing to joints. Some spotting / foxing, heavier at beginning and end of each volume, affecting a few plates, and some light offsetting of text to facing plates. Some names neatly added to the text in pencil. Small ownership stamp of Eug. De Keyn. A very handsome set.