French Artist Gives Caddisfly Larvae Gold and Jewels to Build Their Protective Cases

Gilded Sculptures
photos by Jean-Luc Fournier via Cabinet Magazine

Generally, the protective silk cases the caddisfly larvae build are decorated with gravel, sand, snail shells, twigs or other common debris but French artist Hubert Duprat gave them shinier materials. He introduced beads, pearls, turquoise, and 18-karat gold pieces into their environment and let them construct tiny gilded sculptures. Duprat has been collaborating with the larvae since the 1980s.