Insects that build homes from gold and gemstones

These miniature jewelled tubes are protective cases built by caddisfly larvae. Usually, the larvae assemble cases from nearby materials such as sand, tiny stones or plant fragments. Artist Hubert Duprat supplied gold, pearls and gemstones instead, and the larvae used them. They bind the pieces with silk and line the inside with more silk. The striking result comes from the insects’ ordinary home-building behaviour.

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