Naturalist decorative board, a decoration that combines beauty and natural knowledge - Bombylie punctuated by Charles d'Orbigny

Engraving reproduction of: Spotted Bombylia (Bombylius punctatus, Fabr.), Amethyst Chrysochlore (Chrysochlora amethystina, Fabr.), Golden Flame Cyphomyia (Cyphomyia auriflamma, Wiedem.), Dreadful Acanthomera (Acanthomera armata, Macq.), Golden Belted Horsefly (Tabanus aurocinctus, Fabr.)

Illustration taken from the Universal Dictionary of Natural History, written under the direction of Charles Henry Dessalines d'Orbigny (1806-1876) and published from 1841 to 1849.

This work, considered one of the major achievements of the 19th century in terms of scientific synthesis and quality popularization, wonderfully illustrating the great beauty and impressive diversity of the biological world, was supplemented by a certain amount of scientific information, some extracts of which are reproduced below.

Important note: the scientific classification elements of the time have been preserved as they are and may of course be obsolete today.

Scientific classification and description of the species present in the engraving:

Class of Insects
Order Diptera
Suborder of the Tipialians
Agilian Family
Anthracide Tribe
Fig. 4. Natural-size spotted bee moth (Bombylius punctatus, Fabr.).

Class of Insects
Order Diptera
Suborder of the Tipialians
Tabanian family
Fig. 1. Amethyst chrysochlore (Chrysochlora amethystina, Fabr.) Natural size.
Fig. 2. Golden flame cyphomyia (Cyphomyia auriflamma, Wiedem.) Natural size.
Fig. 3. Terrible acanthomera (Acanthomera armata, Macq.) Natural size.
Fig. 5. Gold-belted gadfly (Tabanus aurocinctus, Fabr.) Natural size.