Brazilian Insects Journal — Maximilian Perty Delectus 1830 Spix Martius Expedition Plates 23 & 24

In 1817, the Bavarian naturalists Spix and Martius set out on one of the most ambitious scientific expeditions of the 19th century — a three-year journey through Brazil that would transform European understanding of South American biodiversity. Maximilian Perty spent years describing and illustrating their insect collection, producing Delectus animalium articulatorum (1830–1834): Plate 24 is dominated by Tropidacris latreillei, one of the largest grasshoppers in the world with its enormous red wings fully spread, illustrated here for the first time in science; Plate 23 presents a masterclass in evolutionary strategy — the ferocious Cerberodon viridis katydid, the glass-winged Mantis hyaloptera, mole crickets with perfect shovel-like forelegs, and Scaphura katydids mimicking wasps in colour and form, one of the earliest documented examples of Batesian mimicry.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 250 g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For

• Entomologists and insect lovers celebrating the foundational work of South American entomology and the Spix and Martius expedition
• Admirers of Tropidacris latreillei, the glass-winged mantis, and the wasp-mimicking Scaphura
• Collectors of 19th-century scientific illustration and hand-coloured engravings
• Students of evolutionary biology, entomology, and the history of Batesian mimicry
• Nature lovers drawn to the biodiversity of the Amazon and the scientists who first documented it
• Gift seekers looking for an extraordinary journal for insect enthusiasts and biology lovers