Butterflies | Moths

In 2025, when I began a self-guided study of Lepidoptera to develop a new line of enamel pins, prints, and stickers, choosing a short list of creatures to highlight was an immense task. I was completely amazed by the wide array of fascinating species. I began sketching based on unique characteristics, from life span to diet to size. Using the smallest butterfly (Western Pygmy Blue, 0.5 -0.8 inches) and the largest known moth species (White Witch, 10-12 inches across), I built a chart scaling each creature from a 1-to-1 ratio of their natural size of 0.75 inches to a maximum pin width of 3 inches, designed to correspond to the massive moths. And yet, there are still 150,000 to 180,000 described species of Lepidoptera to choose from. Nearly 10% of all documented living organisms on Earth are Lepidoptera. Flipping through field guides and pamphlets produced shallow results based on my own definition of beauty, and the emerging collection felt disconnected. I went to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County for research and came upon their poster of Griffith Park butterflies. Finally, a way to narrow my focus. California alone is home to about 170 species of butterflies and approximately 4,500 species of moths. I decided there will be several sets, and I’ll begin in the Golden State I call home, then work my way around North America, before branching out. The lepidoptera I depict range from common butterflies with unique features to imperiled and severely endangered species found only in select areas of Northern and Southern California. The extinct Xerces blue (Glaucopsyche xerces) was originally included, but I chose to raise awareness and focus on the butterflies we can preserve today. Art creation notes: The Seaside Heliotrope with Western Pygmy Blue Butterflies drawing was created with Bézier Buddy Vector Inking Brushes by True Grit Texture Supply. European Peacock Butterfly, Mourning Cloak, Palos Verdes Blue, and Quino Checkerspot were sketched with Prismacolor pencil and Copic Markers. The Buck Moth graphic was hand-drawn and designed in Photoshop.