Zoological Museum > Collections > Entomology > Collections > Lepidoptera

The Lepidoptera Collection

The taxonomic coverage of Northern/Northern Central Europe is very good, particularly with respect to micro-moths. The Palaeartic moth collections moreover include significant holdings of, e.g., Iberian micro-moths (coll. E. Traugott-Olsen), while the Palaearctic butterfly holdings are particularly noteworthy for the Georg Christensen collection with its rich representation of Erebia. The collection of Madeiran Lepidoptera (all families) is exceptional (coll. N.L.Wolff and O.Karsholt).

The Afrotropical region is particularly well represented by collections of T. Larsen (W. African butterflies) and S. J. R. Birket-Smith (butterflies and moths from Cameroun, Nigeria and Ethiopia).

In the South American collection two components are particularly noteworthy: The collection of C.S.Larsen includes a rich material of Hesperiidae, Pieridae and most subfamilies of Nymphalidae (Charaxinae in particular). The truly comprehensive (i.e., also rich in micro-moths) material from austral South America collected by E. S. Nielsen, O.Karsholt et al. ranks among the most important in the World for the region. The representation of the family Palaephatidae is outstanding, that of the Heterobathmiidae unique.

The representation of all families of primitive (non-ditrysian) Lepidoptera is extensive; collections of fixed material, suited for anatomical work, are being developed.

Curator: Niels Peder Kristensen