Nature Science

THE UNEXPECTED BEAUTY OF GARDEN CATERPILLARS NOW

by Samuel Jaffe. Gravity - Hyalophora cecropia on buttonbush.

SAMUEL JAFFE

If you thought that the caterpillars in your garden were just the beginning of beautiful butterflies, think again. They are beautiful in their own right. And, they are critical players in a garden’s ecosystem, as they both feast on plants and feed birds.

Naturalist photographer Samuel Jaffe portrays these garden creatures in a beautiful new light! He aims to change our minds about caterpillars, so that when we see them in our gardens, we understand and appreciate their importance.

He runs the Caterpillar Lab, an educational nonprofit and traveling showcase of caterpillars native to New England gardens. It features Jaffe’s stunning collection of both live specimens and breathtaking photographs. Its mission is to teach farmers, gardeners, and the general public about the importance and beauty of caterpillars.

So far, since 2013, Jaffe, has led the Lab in various locations throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in places such as farmer’s markets, nature centers, festivals, and museums.

The Lab maintains about 80 different beautiful caterpillar species in the collection at any given time, all native to New England. They could be found in the backyard gardens of any of his audience members!

Jaffe’s photographs are taken in different settings, against a black background, to highlight the colors, textures, and individuality of each magnificent live specimen.

We love the beautiful blackberry and flower petal-eating Blackberry Looper (Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria) patterned with both stripes and polka dots, in bold shades of orange, white, and black.

Another species in Jaffe’s collection, the Black-spotted Prominent (Dasylophia anguina), has a matte, pleather-like appearance. Its strange skin is covered in elaborate patterns, in shades of orange, yellow, and lavender.

Simple is beautiful too, when it comes to caterpillar beauty. The Laurel Sphinx (Sphinx kalmiae) looks like the quintessential garden caterpillar, with a plump bright green body, and diagonal black stripes.

Jaffe’s work has been featured in various exhibition spaces, from the Boston Children’s Museum, to the halls of MIT and Antioch University, to the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.

Jaffe earned his degree in biology from Brown University, then spent time working on a study at Harvard University that examined the interactions between caterpillars and ants. He is now working towards earning his Masters in Environmental Education at Antioch University of New England.

Check out his website for more photos, or the Caterpillar Lab Facebook page. You can purchase his prints here.

Read more about Beautiful Gardens, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact, including 10 Books About the Most Beautiful Gardens Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Gravity - Hyalophora cecropia on buttonbush.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Turbulent Abstract – Phosphila turbulenta on smilax.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Father of Monsters - Eumorpha typhon on arizona grape.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Red Boots - Apatelodes torrefacta on cherry / Three Swallowtails - Papilio glaucus, polyxenes, and troilus.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Seasons - Sphinx chersis on ash.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Life on the Leaf Edge – Nerice bidentata on elm leaf.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Beautiful Woodnymph - Eudryas grata on grapevine.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Pleather – Dasylophia anguina on false indigo.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. The Fawn - Sphinx kalmiae on ash.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Necrosis - Oligocentria lignicolor on scrub oak.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Life on the Leaf Edge - Cerura scitiscripta on willow leaf.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Mimicry – Sphecodina abbottii on grapes.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Grapevine Calligraphy - Alypia octomaculata on grape vine.
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Anatomy of a Caterpillar – Nadata gibbosa on oak.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: by Samuel Jaffe. Emerald Deception - Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria on goldenrod / Cut Flowers - Eupithecia Pug on blue vervain.