An epitome of the natural history of the insects of China:

Little is known of the early life of Edward Donovan (1768–1837). His interest in natural history started with the collecting of shells and preservation of insects, probably before 1788. He was a prolific author and skilled artist who etched and engraved the plates for all his works. He became a fellow of the Linnean Society.

Donovan's main interest was entomology and his published works included sixteen volumes of British Insects (1792–1813) and the three 'magnificently illustrated' (Dunbar) volumes on The Insects of China, India and New Holland, the last being dedicated to Sir Joseph Banks, and acknowledging use of his collections and library. Donovan's approach was to show species that had not been illustrated before, and many previously undescribed. The illustrations of tropical butterflies, moths, and other insects set against backgrounds of plants and flowers represent a significant advance in compositional style which seem likely to have influenced others in the Victorian era, in particular H. Noel Humphreys.