The animal for the Finnish Europa stamps is the Macroplea pubipennis leaf beetle, which thrives in shallow and sheltered sea bays. The beetle, which is less than a centimeter long, can seldom be found in Finland in the area from Hamina to Oulu and on the Åland Islands.
The gleaming water at the top of stamp emphasizes the fact that the species live underwater. The shape of the upper part of the stamp depicts a wave, and the uneven stamp separation creates an image of air bubbles rising to the surface,” say Susanna Rumpu and Ari Lakaniemi, the stamp’s designers.
