Entonology is the study of constructed insects—creatures that have never existed, yet could have. It’s where the joy of discovery meets the art of invention, bringing life to species that hover just beyond the edges of the known biological record.

Entonologists record their specimens with the same structure used by naturalists: binomial nomenclature, detailed morphology, habitat notes, and behavior. But here, each record is an opportunity to weave a little poetry into the page—describing not only what an insect might look like, but how it might belong in the world.

Each specimen begins with the same careful attention given to real-world fieldwork: a Latin name, a specimen number, and a complete set of “discovery” notes. From there, observation and imagination join forces—wings compared to sunlight on water, thoraxes patterned like worn fabric, habitats described with the fond precision of a remembered place or person.

The anatomy is always plausible: wing venation follows real patterns, body shapes fit within insect logic, and coloration reflects the rules of camouflage or attraction. This grounding in truth lets each species feel both believable and quietly wondrous.

A Word About the Word

From entomon (Greek: insect) and -logia (study), entonology is closely related to entomology, yet it travels its own path. It borrows the methods of science but keeps its heart in storytelling, offering a parallel taxonomy where invention is treated as a legitimate form of research.

The term entonology first appeared in the margin notes of Dr. Merritt Pettengill (1893–1971), who devoted his career to cataloguing “the unseen fauna of human attention.” In the 1980s, Bertram Bell Soule (encouraged by his wife Flossie) and the Fly Design Archive brought the practice to wider attention, inspiring today’s blend of scientific method and creative invention.

Entonology at Fly Design

For us, entonology is equal parts discipline and delight. Every dragonfly, butterfly, or bee is treated as though it truly lived: discovered on a particular day, in a particular place, by a particular observer. These details are paired with vivid descriptions that celebrate not only form and color, but the imagined life of each species.

These are not mythical creatures. They are believable ones—plausible “misfiled” species, designed and described with the same care given to real insects. Each entry in our archive is an invitation to look closer, wonder more, and step into a natural history that might have been. We do not claim these insects ever lived—but we treat them as if they might have.