Lepidoptera Collection ZFMK

Our collection

The Lepidoptera collection currently comprises over 2 million specimens from all families (geographical focus: Palaearctic and South-East Asia), making it one of the largest research collections of this insect order in Germany. Particularly noteworthy is the large proportion of Chinese butterflies (approx. 600,000 specimens).

The collection contains over 2,000 primary types (holo-, lecto-, neotypes), many other species are represented by syntypes and paratypes.

Partial collections

• Hermann Höne: approx. 500,000 specimens of all families from China
• René Oberthür: approx. 160,000 specimens of many families (duplicates from the Charles Oberthür collection, about half of them also from China).
• Eugen Wehrli: approx. 150,000 Geometridae (also containing parts of the Höne collection and the collections of Ch. Oberthür, Guenée and Boisduval and many types)
• Clas M. Naumann: ca. 100,000 Zygaenidae, most important and most complete collection of the genus Zygaena, with many types. more
• Sigbert Wagener: approx. 90,000 specimens of day and night butterflies from Europe, North Africa and Turkey. Contains all specimens of the three-volume work "Die Tagfalter der Türkei" and many other publications.
• Klaus Rose, Mainz: valuable collection of Palaearctic butterflies, with many types. This collection is still with Prof Rose for further processing.
• Willy Biesenbaum, Velbert: collection of small butterflies from Europe, over 40,000 specimens and thousands of genital specimens. On permanent loan from the NRW Foundation.
• Willibald Schmitz, Bergisch Gladbach: Collection of small butterflies from Europe and Asia, over 40,000 specimens.
• Peter Kuhna, Wipperfürth: approx. 60,000 specimens, collected in Europe, N. Africa and Turkey, with a focus on the family Noctuidae (about half of the material) and on Turkey as a geographical focus. Contains a number of types based on own descriptions and about 800 genital specimens.
• Melchior Pass: over 200 boxes with tropical butterflies, hawkmoths (Sphingidae) and eye spiders (Saturniidae) more
• Cologne Zoo insect collection and Matthias Forst collection: an estimated 90,000 specimens from all families. Was at home in the "Insectarium" of Cologne Zoo for many years.
• Butterfly collection of the "Fuhlrott-Museum" Wuppertal: approx. 30,000 specimens from many families
• Rheinische Landessammlung: approx. 60,000 specimens from Bonn and the surrounding area, contains more than 1,000 species
• Trichoptera (caddisflies): Over 2800 specimens (pinned or preserved in ethanol). The collection contains valuable type material, mainly from China.