Metamorphosis on Aland's franking labels

On the four labels, artist Sofia Pusa has illustrated the complex cycle of a butterfly’s life, known as metamorphosis, by showing the transformation from egg to larva, pupa and finally fully formed butterfly.

The four labels feature:

• the large white (Pieris brassicae)
• tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
• silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia)
• and green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)

The four motifs come as a self-adhesive series of four labels, all with the same €3 denomination. The large white likes open landscapes and gardens. In Finland, it overwinters in the pupal stage and flies from May to September, with a break in July.

One of the most common butterflies in Åland is the small tortoiseshell. It flies from July to September and again after hibernation as an adult butterfly when the spring sun arrives in April. The silver-washed fritillary is common on Åland. Thriving in areas dominated by forest and in flowery meadows, it flies from July to September and hibernates as a caterpillar. No bigger than a thumb nail, the green hairstreak prefers to live in pine and mixed forests, where it overwinters as a pupa. It flies in spring and early summer.

Finnish illustrator Sofia Pusa made her debut as a stamp artist with Åland Post’s 2023 peace stamp and took on the new stamp assignment with enthusiasm. She said: ‘I wanted the butterflies to remain recognisable, grounded in reality, while also infusing elements of magic capturing the miracle of metamorphosis. I enjoyed exploring the intricate colour palette and nuanced details in these butterflies.’

Åland Post Stamps sells the Metamorphosis self-adhesive labels in its webshop (www.alandstamps.com), each with a denomination of €3. The labels may also be purchased at the post offices in Mariehamn and Sviby, in which case the customer chooses the value of the labels.