Insects Prints (107)
Insects and small creatures in Japanese woodblock prints. Dragonflies, butterflies, crickets, and fireflies appear frequently in kacho-e compositions, each carrying seasonal associations — fireflies for summer evenings, crickets for autumn.
Artists Known for Insects
The Wasp's Nest, Ponape (Le Nid de Guêpes, Ponapé)
1938
Color woodblock print
Hotaru Gari- Firefly Hunting
Not set
Woodblock print
Chrysanthemums and Bee, from an untitled series of Large Flowers
Woodblock print
Butterfly and Blue Flower
Woodblock print
Ancient Sea, Spider Conch (27/45)
Woodblock print
King and Dragonfly
Woodblock print
Hydrangeas and Butterfly
Woodblock print
White Butterfly — 白い蝶
Woodblock print
Bijin and Dragonfly (1)
Woodblock print
Two Peonies and Butterfly
Woodblock print
Butterfly
c.1920
Firefly
June 1934
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Butterfly
1964
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Firefly - 蛍
1920
Woodblock print
Poem No. 8: Butterfly
抒情 No.8 蝶
1948
Color woodblock print
Unknown, child and butterfly
Woodblock print
Butterfly Kimono
Woodblock print
Insect with flowers
Woodblock print
Morning Glories and Wasp on Trellis
Woodblock print
Butterfly and Hydrangeas
1936
Woodblock print
Butterfly
Woodblock print
Chapter 38 - A Singing Insect - 鈴虫
Woodblock print
Wind and Butterfly
1959
Color on paper
Crimson Butterfly
1981–90
Color mezzotint
Leaf and Butterfly, Shôwa period, dated 1972
Woodblock print
Butterfly
Woodblock print
Chapter 38 - A Singing Insect - 鈴虫
Woodblock print
Mitate No.27 - Dragonfly (Kagerou)
2000
Mitate No.89 Spider Web (Kumo no su)
2011
Firefly Catching
July 1931
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Bee Next to Flowering Wisteria
1920s
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Dragonfly and Lotus
1920s
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Monkey Catching a Bee
c. 1928–1930
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Swallows and Bee
c. 1900–1945
Woodblock print
Woman with a Firefly Cage
designed: 1920 (Taishō 9), July, printed: c. 1950 (Shōwa 25)
Woodblock print; ink on paper
Woman with fan and cricket cage
1920
Woodblock print
Tsuchigumo - Earth Spider
Not set
Woodblock print
Grasshopper and Butterfly
ca. 1920s
Orchids, butterfly and ladybird.
1888-1934
Poéme No. 8: Season of Butterfly
1948
Woodblock and object print
A man and a cicada
Woodblock print
Cicada
Woodblock print
Flying insect
Woodblock print
White Moth (Shiroga)
1959
Color woodblock print; edition 2/30
Cho no Hentai (Butterfly Transformation)
Woodblock print
Minamoto Yorimitsu (Raikō) and His Retainers Attacking the Earth Spider (Tsuchigumo)
early 1860s
Preparatory drawing for a print, ink and color on paper
Dragonfly and chickens, 1880
Woodblock print
Bijin and Spider
Woodblock print
Bijin and Beetle Stall (1)
Woodblock print
Lilies with bees
Woodblock print
Butterflies ( c )
Woodblock print
Shells and Butterflies
Woodblock print
Crickets and Flowers
Woodblock print
Butterflies—Swarming
1977
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Mitate No.34 - Snail (Katatsumuri)
2000
Dragonflies and flowers
Woodblock print
Mitate No.32 - Butterflies (Cho-cho)
2000
Butterflies at Dawn
1978
Woodblock print, ink and color on paper
Mitate No.13 - Solitude (Hitori-mushi)
1999
Mitate No.33 - Fly (Hae)
2000
Related Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
Insects and small creatures in Japanese woodblock prints. Dragonflies, butterflies, crickets, and fireflies appear frequently in kacho-e compositions, each carrying seasonal associations — fireflies for summer evenings, crickets for autumn.
Nana Shiomi, Chizuko Yoshida, and April Vollmer are among the artists most associated with insects in our collection. Browse the full list of artists who explored this subject above.
Hanga currently catalogues 107 prints tagged with insects, spanning ukiyo-e, shin-hanga, and sōsaku-hanga traditions where applicable.