Metamorphosis naturalis, ofte Historische beschryvinghe van den oirspronk, aerd, eygenschappen ende vreemde veranderinghen der wormen, rupsen, maeden, vliegen, witjens, byen, motten ende dierghelijcke dierkens meer; niet uyt eenighe boecken, maer alleenelijck door eygen ervarentheyd uytgevonden, beschreven, en na da konst afgeteyckent
Metamorphosis naturalis is a 1662 Dutch natural history of insects, published in Middelburg by Jaques Fierens and compiled by Johannes Goedaert and his collaborators from the author's own observations rather than earlier books. Its hand-coloured plates show moths in wing spread, side view and resting pose, alongside caterpillars and their adult forms. A designer might borrow the eyespot patterns, mottled wing textures and soft watercolour palette of these 17th-century specimen drawings.
