Scott No: -
Serial number: 2023-15
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: August 23rd, 2023
Denomination: 400 fen
Designer: Yin Huili, Han Lu
Size of stamps: 40 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 184 * 130 mm
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post scheduled the issuance of a set of special stamps themed Insects (II) on August 23, 2023. The set contains 4 stamps, with their design themes named Saturnia pyretorum (Great Silkworm Moth), Ophiogomphus spinicornis (Spiny-horned Clubtail Dragonfly), Eocanthecona furcellata (Fork-horned Stink Bug, Nymph Stage) and Cheirotonus jansoni (Yangcai Armored Chafer). The total face value of the complete stamp set is 4.00 yuan, and the planned circulation is 6.85 million sets.

Insects are among the oldest animals on Earth. The earliest terrestrial insects emerged approximately 400 million years ago during the Devonian Period, and they have since evolved into the most diverse group of animals. There are over 1 million known insect species worldwide, while the number of insect species recorded in China is roughly between 100,000 and 150,000.

Saturnia pyretorum (Great Silkworm Moth) is one of the largest moth species globally, belonging to the family Saturniidae within the order Lepidoptera. The maximum wingspan of female individuals can reach 30 centimeters. In recent years, due to the worsening destruction of their habitats, the population of Saturnia pyretorum has been declining steadily. As a result, this species has become extremely rare and is under protection. Ophiogomphus spinicornis (Spiny-horned Clubtail Dragonfly) is a second-class national protected animal in China. It is a medium-sized dragonfly belonging to the family Gomphidae within the order Odonata, and it appears in mountain forests of North China during late summer and autumn. Eocanthecona furcellata (Fork-horned Stink Bug) is an important predatory natural enemy of agricultural and forestry pests. It belongs to the subfamily Asopinae of the family Pentatomidae within the order Hemiptera. Capable of both "solo combat" and "team assistance", it preys on lepidopteran pests such as the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), the common cutworm (Spodoptera litura) and the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). Cheirotonus jansoni (Yangcai Armored Chafer) belongs to the family Scarabaeidae within the order Coleoptera. It is a second-class national protected animal with a small population, mainly distributed in Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang and other regions in China, and is famous for its unique appearance.

This set of stamps is designed using computer hand-drawing techniques, combined with backgrounds of mountain forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands. The design focuses on depicting the structural features of the insects, emphasizing their vividness and the overall aesthetic of them in their natural environment. Printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Co., Ltd. using five-color offset printing, the stamps also incorporate additional techniques such as 3D embossing, hot stamping, special-shaped perforations and fluorescent coding. These techniques enhance the printing effect of the stamps, endow the insects with an "upward" sense of movement, and make the insects seem to leap off the paper, full of vitality. The designers are Yin Huili and Han Lu.