Butterflies
The section's research work is collection-related and covers the areas of taxonomy, systematics, zoogeography and phylogeny. In addition to the curator herself, scientists from all over the world use the existing collections for their own research. They either borrow material or work directly on the collection during shorter or longer research visits.
In addition to the large butterfly collection, the Lepidoptera section also curates material from the closely related order Trichoptera (caddisflies). The latter are rather small in number, but also contain valuable type material.
The Lepidoptera collection currently comprises more than 3 million specimens, 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).
Projects
The influence of mutualistic and parasitic life forms on the diversification of butterflies
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
Molecular phylogeny, biogeography and colour pattern evolution of the subfamily Chalcosiinae
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
Evolutionary relationships and biogeography of the enigmatic West Indian butterfly genus Calisto
Management: Dr. Rayner Nunez
Comparative and experimental wing pattern genomics in Lepidoptera
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
The Caribbean cube moth
Management: Dr. Rayner Nunez
Publications
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2025/5
Type genomics: a Framework for integrating Genomic Data into Biodiversity and Taxonomic research
Systematic Biology
2025/3
Taxonomic notes on the genus Himantopterus Wesmael (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Himantopteridae) with descriptions of three new taxa
Zootaxa, 2, 5601
2025/3
Evolutionary history of Neotropical butterflies of the infratribe Neosatyriti based on target enrichment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini, Pronophilina)
Invertebrate Systematics, 4, 39
2024/10
Resurrection of the genus Eremothyris Walsingham (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Lacturidae)
Zootaxa, 3, 5519
2024/10
A new species of Choranthus Scudder (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Heperiinae) from northeastern Cuba
Tropical lepidoptera research, 2, 34
2024/10
Species delimitation under allopatry: genomic insights within and across continents in Lepidoptera
Insect systematics and diversity, 5, 8
2024/10
A snow-dwelling tropical butterfly? An unprecedented discovery of a new genus of the Pedaliodes clade in an extreme, high-altitude Andean environment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 2, 202
2024/9
Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)
Zootaxa, 2, 5512
2024/9
Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)
Zootaxa, 2, 5512
2024/8
Exkursion in den Kaukasus: Der CaBOL BioBlitz 2022 in Armenien und Georgien
2024/7
Phylogenomics recovers multiple origins of portable case making in caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera), nature’s underwater architects
Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological sciences/Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences, 2026, 291
2024/7
The riodinid taxa described by Rudolf Emil Mell (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae), with notes on related ones
Zootaxa, 5, 5481
2024/7
The riodinid taxa described by Rudolf Emil Mell (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae), with notes on related ones
Zootaxa, 5, 5481
2024/5
Viridiflavoritia koxiae (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae), a new genus and a new species from China
Zootaxa, 3, 5446
2024/5
Bedazzled: a new, striking species of Corades from the outskirts of Quito questions our knowledge of Andean cloud forest butterflies (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae …
Zootaxa, 2, 5453
2024/4
Comprehensive phylogeny of Pieridae butterflies reveals strong correlation between diversification and temperature
iScience, 4, 27
2024/4
Standardized nuclear markers improve and homogenize species delimitation in Metazoa (vol 14, pg 543, 2023)
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 4, 15
2024/1
Patterns of speciation in a parapatric pair of Saturnia moths as revealed by target capture
Molecular ecology, 1, 33
2024/0
Protecting stable biological nomenclatural systems enables universal communication: A collective international appeal
2023/11
Diversity and relationships between Andean shrubland puna butterflies in the genus Punargentus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)
European Journal of Entomology, 120
2023/11
Metabarcoding dietary analysis in the insectivorous bat Nyctalus leisleri and implications for conservation
Biodiversity Data Journal, 11
2023/9
Phylogeny and systematics of the “Pronophila clade,” with 2 new genera to resolve the formerly polyphyletic genus Pseudomaniola (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)
Insect systematics and diversity, 5, 7
2023/5
A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins
Nature ecology & evolution, 6, 7
2023/5
Rapid radiation of ant parasitic butterflies during the Miocene aridification of Africa
Ecology and Evolution, 5, 13
2023/5
Four species in one: taxonomic revision of the Eirmocides helenita (Semper, 1879) complex (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from Australia and New Guinea
Austral Entomology, 2, 62
2023/5
A review of the genus Agalope Walker (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae) with taxonomic notes and descriptions of three new genera and three new species.
Zootaxa, 2, 5284
2023/4
Combining target enrichment and Sanger sequencing data to clarify the systematics of the diverse Neotropical butterfly subtribe Euptychiina (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)
Systematic entomology, 4, 48
2023/4
A new species of the genus Eterusia Hope from western China (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae).
Zootaxa, 1, 5270
2023/2
Standardized nuclear markers improve and homogenize species delimitation in Metazoa
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 14
2023/1
Phylogeny of the Poritiinae (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), butterflies with ant associations and unusual lichenivorous diets
Systematic entomology, 3, 48
2025
2024
2023
Employees
MSc Svenja Ahlborn
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: s.ahlborn@leibniz-lib.deDr. Marianne Espeland
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera ScientistPhone: +49 228 9122 220
E-mail: m.espeland@leibniz-lib.deDipl. Biol. Katharina Geiger
ztm Lepidoptera & TrichopteraPhone: +49 228 9122 411
E-mail: k.geiger@leibniz-lib.deMSc Siyao Huang
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: s.huang@leibniz-lib.deUlrike Kleikamp
ztm Lepidoptera & TrichopteraPhone: +49 228 9122 223
E-mail: u.kleikamp@leibniz-lib.deMSc Carmen Ludreschl
zbm Applied & Experimental Ecology Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: c.ludreschl@leibniz-lib.deDr. Rayner Nunez
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Postdoctoral researcherPhone: +49 228 9122 220
E-mail: r.nunez@leibniz-lib.de