“Curiosity is the compass that leads us to uncover the hidden treasures of knowledge and ignite the flame of discovery within ourselves.” - Albert Einstein

Introduction:

Almost four hundred years ago the scientists of Europe, called natural historians then, thought that butterflies were born from mud and beetles were produced from snow. One young girl in Frankfurt, Germany helped scientists see the truth.

Her name was Maria Sibylla Merian. The caterpillars around her house fascinated Maria. By the time she was age 13, she began collecting and studying silkworms. Through her patience, steady focus, and skill as an artist, she was able to observe and document the stages of a moth’s metamorphosis. She figured out how metamorphosis works before the leading scientists of her day, and she carried her curiosity into adulthood.

When Maria was a young woman, a “curiosity” was a natural specimen collected and preserved in a cabinet or room, usually by wealthy men in European cities. These collections could be very large and take up several rooms. The collection of Hans Sloane, for example, was one of the largest in the world and included 5,843 different seashells. It became the foundation for the British Museum.

Maria was a gifted painter, and collectors hired her to paint specimens in their curiosity cabinets. She was much more interested in living animals, however, and wanted to learn about their development and life cycles. You can read in She Held Her Breath in Wonder about the trip she made to study butterflies and moths in their natural setting.

Maria’s big idea as an artist and as a scientist was to show in her paintings not only the stages of an insect’s life cycle but also the plant they ate. This helped tell the insect’s story and provided useful information to other scientists. Indeed, she inspired Linnaeus, who created the Latin taxonomic system we use today to name plants and animals. The tenth edition of his book about classification, originally published in 1735, mentions her 34 times!

We think like Maria today whenever we plant a garden for insects that help to pollinate plants. In order to create healthy habitat for butterflies and moths, we need to know their host plants—the specific species of plants that they use to lay their eggs. They look for the plants that will feed their caterpillars, and some species of butterflies and moths are picky. The host plant for monarch butterflies is milkweed. Zebra swallowtails choose pawpaw trees. The black swallowtail will lay its eggs on any plant in the parsley family, such as dill, fennel, and Queen Anne’s lace. I recently bought a spicebush to attract the spicebush swallowtail, and it worked!

Pollinator Partnership is an organization dedicated to teaching people about insects and other animals that help to pollinate plants, and they sponsor National Pollinator Week from June 19-25 to shine a spotlight on these critical creatures. Their website is packed with resources to learn more about the role of pollinators in bringing us the food we love and to take action to protect them.

Find a place in your yard to add some pollinator plants, and you can experience the same wonder Maria Merian felt outside her house in Frankfurt so many years ago.

Recommended Reading and other activities

This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of Maria Sibylla Merian, a young girl in 17th century Germany who was captivated by butterflies. Maria observed the caterpillars she raised herself and drew exactly what she saw. Her paintings transformed how scientists understood metamorphosis.

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Pollinator Puzzle

This crossword puzzle from Pollinator Partnership at pollinator.org supports learning about Pollinator Week. Download the crossword puzzle.

Pollination Fast Facts

This Fast Facts document from Pollinator Partnership at pollinator.org supports learning about Pollinator Week. Download the Fast Facts