Le Papillon de Nuit

This “butterfly of the night” is also called the “LaFosse Moth.” It is more complicated than other models because it begins from a blintzed square. The “hidden” paper allows for a segmented abdomen.

Papillon de Nuit
spirit of my grandfather
has feathery ears!

This design introduces the blintzed square, segmented abdomen, and also the moth’s antennae.

The Hyalophora cecropia moth was the real world inspiration for this model.
Photo by Tom Peterson. (Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Hyalophora_cecropia1.jpg)

1. Begin with the minor color facing up. Valley-fold the paper in half, edge to edge both ways, unfolding after each. Rotate the paper 45 degrees.

2. Valley-fold each of the four corners to meet in the middle.

3. Turn the paper over. (Enlarged views to follow.)

4. (A) Valley-fold bottom edge to top. Unfold. (B) Bottom edge to center crease, make a pinch mark and unfold. (C) Bottom edge to pinch mark “B,” make a pinch mark and unfold. (D) Top edge to center crease, make a pinch mark and unfold.

5. Top: Valley-fold the top edge to the pinch mark below it. Bottom: Lay the lowest pinch mark upon pinch mark just above it and valley-fold all the way across the paper. Rotate the paper 90 degrees counterclockwise and flip the paper top to bottom.

6. Open out the two triangle flaps.

7. Valley-fold the paper in half, bottom to top.

8. Squash-fold the right section.

9. Valley-fold the top corner to the bottom.

10. Your paper should look like this. Turn over, left to right.

11. Squash-fold the right section.

12. Valley-fold the top corner to the bottom.

13. Valley-fold the bottom corner to the top of the split. Unfold.

14. One at a time, squash-fold the top left and right sections to form the wings.

15. Pull out the hidden flaps in the forewings. Open and squash-fold the pockets in the hindwings. Pull out the triangle flap on the abdomen.

16. Mountain- and valley-fold pleats in the top layer of the abdomen. Fold up a small portion of the top layer above the abdomen.

17. Your paper should look like this. Turn the model over, left to right.

18. Pull open the top layers of the pockets in the forewings. Valley-fold the bottom corner of the center triangle flap up. Valley-fold the outside edges of the abdomen, making them trim.

19. Your paper should look like this. Turn the model over, left to right.

20. Roll the top layers of the forewings downward and crimp the middle area of each wing.

21. Mountain- and valley-fold to separate the wings from the abdomen. Open the wings out to each side of the body.

22. (A) Squash-fold the paper for the head. (B) Mountain-fold the corner behind. Leave the flanking edges visible, to simulate the large, featherlike antennae of the moth. (C) Mountain-fold the edges of the abdomen inside the model.

Le Papillon de Nuit.