Insects

2010: International Year of Biodiversity (Design - H Ólafsson)

The UN raised awareness in 2010 with an International Year of Biodiversity, this looks the perfectly balanced ecosystem.  I noticed something important was missing, insects, although it does depends on whether the white cloud on the right is a hot geyser or a cloud of midges.  Iceland has midges and black flies but impressively

1955: Five Year Plan

no pesky mosquitoes.  It also lacks

1999: Europa - National Parks 'Herm, Our Island Jewel' (Design - Colleen Corlett)

butterflies so an Icelander would have to travel to another island to see them. A nice destination would be Herm, a tiny island off the Guernsey coast. The stamp combines a new design with one of Herm's carriage labels on the 50th anniversary of their introduction. The labels paid for the journey from Herm to Guernsey where British stamps were affixed to the letter or package to journey onward (this continued until 1969 when the Guernsey Post office took over control of the post). The stamp shows a Small Heath butterfly while the carriage label shows a Red Admiral and a Painted Lady.  Iceland may have no butterflies but it does have

1974: Butterflies and Moths (Design - Éva Zombory)

lots of moths so hours of fun with a moth trap recording them. This Purple Tiger Moth will not be found unless it has hitched a ride from warmer climes.

1964: Insects

I stay in Eastern Europe with a Turkish Lacewing and a Bush Cricket which according to the story

1959: Fairy Tales (Éva Gabor)

sang away all summer while the ant was storing grain and on the stamp winter is coming.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter I - here for Iceland, India, insects, island and international - investigate See It On A Postcard for more