Prodromus Entomology facts for kids

Prodromus Entomology is a very old and important book about the amazing insects of Australia. It was one of the first books ever written about Australia's natural history. What makes it extra special is that it was the first book about Australia to have pictures that were drawn and carved right there in Australia! The full title of the first book was Prodromus Entomology. Natural History of Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales, collected, engraved and faithfully painted after nature. This means it was about moths and butterflies (called Lepidoptera) found in a part of Australia called New South Wales.

Prodromus Entomology: A Look at Australia's Insects

John Lewin's Australian Adventure

The person who wrote and drew the pictures for this book was John William Lewin. He traveled from England to a new British settlement in New South Wales in 1799. He arrived in January 1800 and became the first professional artist in the colony.

A rich amateur insect expert named Dru Drury helped pay for Lewin's trip. In return, Lewin was supposed to send him new insect samples. Even with some delays, Lewin started studying the natural world around Sydney. He eventually created illustrated books about moths and birds. The Prodromus was his very first book.

The First Edition of the Book

The Prodromus was first published in London in 1805. This first version has 18 colorful pictures of moths found near Sydney. It also includes text that describes these insects and their scientific names.

Lewin got a lot of help from another insect expert, Alexander Macleay, to identify and classify the moths. The pictures accurately show the moths with the plants their young (larvae) eat. Lewin raised these insects himself to draw them.

Lewin carved the copper plates for the illustrations in Australia. Then, he sent them to his brother Thomas in London to be printed. The book was offered for sale by subscription. People could pay different prices for different qualities of colored pictures. It came in various sizes, too.

In the book's introduction, Lewin's brother, Thomas, explained why the book was important. He said that John Lewin had spent almost eight years in Australia and Otaheite studying nature. He had made hundreds of original paintings of birds and insects. The book was meant to help John earn money to return home to England.

Thomas also mentioned that the insects shown were new to science. Some had very unusual life stories. For example, Lewin discovered moths that destroyed strong trees. This was a new finding at the time. It was also special because Lewin drew and carved the pictures right there in Australia, not from dried samples or notes.

Later Versions of the Book

John Lewin passed away in Sydney in 1819. After his wife returned to England, a second edition of the book was released. This version included one extra picture at the beginning. Its full title was shorter: Natural History of the Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales, painted after nature.

The title page of this second edition says 1822. However, many copies were printed later, some as late as 1827.

A third edition was published in 2007 by Gaston Renard in Melbourne. This was a special "facsimile" edition, meaning it was an exact copy of the original. Only 212 copies were made. Besides the original text and pictures, it included notes about the book's history and publication. It also listed the current scientific names of the moths. There was even a table showing where known copies of the older editions could be found.

Why This Book is Rare

The Prodromus, both its first and second editions, is very hard to find. It is considered a "bibliographic rarity." This means there are not many copies left in the world.

Julien Renard, who studied the book's history, found that only a few copies of the 1805 edition have appeared in auctions since 1896. He estimated that there might be a maximum of 34 copies of the first edition known today. For the 1822 edition, he found records of about 50 copies.

He believes there are likely more copies in private collections or libraries that haven't been identified yet. But his research shows just how rare and special this book truly is.