Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium

Maria Sibylla Merian was one of the most important female naturalists of her time. Between 1699 and 1701, she travelled to Suriname in South America to document the plants and insects found there. She was fascinated by their life cycles and published this book on her return to Amsterdam, which includes incredibly detailed illustrations depicting species of spiders, moths and butterflies that had never been seen before in Europe.