Maria sibylla merriam biography for kids

Maria Sibylla Merian (April 2, 1647 – January 13, 1717) was a naturalist and scientific illustrator who studied plants and insects and painted them in great detail.  Her careful observations and documentation of the metamorphosis of the butterfly make her an important contributor to the scientific study of insects.

"In my youth, I spent my time investigating insects.  At the beginning, I started with silk worms in my home town of Frankfurt, [Germany].  I realised that other caterpillars produced beautiful butterflies or moths, and that silk worms did the same.  This led me to collect all the caterpillars I could find in order to see how they changed"

More information about Maria Merian:

At first, Merian was a botanic artist - someone who drew realistic and detailed pictures of plants.  Afterward she studied insects, keeping her