Butterfly Collections From Transylvania

 see also Gallery The Lepidoptera Collection from Transylvania and the Dr. Daniel Czekelius Palearctic Lepidoptera Collection The collections contain macro- and microlepidoptera from Transylvania numbering 7,162 specimens, as well as a number of 6,929 palearctic species. These collections were started by Dr. D. Czekelius in 1887. The microlepidoptera in TransylvaniaDr. Daniel Czekelius (1857-1937), born in Transylvania, spends his childhood in Sibiu where he graduates secondary school. He starts medical school at Graz, then continues at Vienna, where he becomes a physician in 1881. In this period he travels a lot from the Alps to the Black Forest Mountains where he collects entomological material. Then he returns to Sibiu where he works as a physician. In 1887 he becomes an active member of the Society – custodian of the entomological collections, especially of the Lepidoptera ones. Dr. Czekelius organizes this collection based on the collection of J. Franzenau, a mine inspector, whose collection contains species from the Sacaramb area. Dr. Daniel Czekelius collects a lot from Sibiu and the surrounding areas and thus, in 1892 he publishes the first work on the macrolepidoptera fauna from Transylvania and particularly from Sibiu and the nearby areas. He receives a lot of material from Silbernagel in Avrig, Sachsenheim and Petri in Sighisoara, and Deubel in Brasov; in one of his travels to the Retezat Mountains he meets the famous lepidopterologist from the Museum in Vienna, who showed interest in the fauna from Transylvania and who took part in several trips in the area. His last papers published between1922-1943 bring new data on the distribution of species like Apollo, which Czekelius researched in detail. The palearctic macrolepidopteraThey exceed 4,000 specimens, the best represented subgroups being Geometridae and Noctuidae, which count over 2,000 specimens. The palearctic microlepidopteraTheir number exceeds 1,500 specimens, the Pyralidae and the Totricidae groups being well represented. The Dr. Eugen Worell Lepidoptera CollectionThe collection of exotic macro and microlepidoptera numbers 10,923 specimens and is part of the entomologic collection of Dr. Eugen Worell, which contains almost 100,000 specimens.The foundations of the collection were laid in 1920, and the items were collected in Romania, in different areas in Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America.Eugen Worell was born on October 15th, 1844, in Risnov. After graduating from the Kosice high school, he enrolls in the Vienna Law School. After a while, he enrolls in the Medical School, continuing his family tradition. In 1919 he comes to Sibiu, where he is assigned director of the Military Hospital. In 1920, he becomes an active member of the Transylvanian Society of Natural Sciences. He is named custodian of the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera collections. He collects material from all over the country, and in Transylvania he collects specimens from Sibiu and especially from around Sibiu.The value of the collection consists not only of the great number of specimens whose collection contributes to the recognition of the distribution of a great number of species, but also in the fact that it contains rare, little known species, as well as new species in the researched area. The Dr. Victor Weindel Transylvanian Lepidoptera CollectionThe collection comprises 4,322 specimens of macro and microlepidoptera, which were collected by the author between 1900-1959 particularly from South Transylvania (Sibiu and the surroundings), but also from other geographic regions of Romania.For the area where it originated, the collection contains bio-geographically rare and interesting species. It numbers approximately 3,500 specimens of macrolepidoptera, the following families being numerically predominant: Geometridae, Noctiudae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae and Satyridae. It also contains 700 specimens of microlepidoptera. The Heinrich Hannenheim CollectionH. Hannenheim collected during 1920-1964 especially in Transylvania, particularly from the following regions: Paltinis, Barcaciu, Poiana Neamtului, Lacul Avrigului, Podragu, Valea Sambetei. The Lepidoptera collection numbers 1,902 specimens. The W. Weber Lepidoptera CollectionThe collection is relatively small, it contains 368 specimens of Lepidoptera, purchased in 1971 by W. Weber, a chemist from Sighisoara. The collection is made up of Lepidoptera from different taxonomic units, exotic and holarctic, exclusively foreign to the fauna of our country.The material was obtained both directly, through exchange arrangements with collectors abroad, as well as through his own activity of growing cultures, from eggs or from nymphs acquired through exchange. Most part of the fresh material was collected in the countries of origin, in recent years.When making up the collection, the author focused on gathering a complex array of representatives from extremely attractive Lepidoptera families, such as Papilionidae, Morphidae and Saturnidae. These families comprise the most spectacular species as far as their shape and color are concerned.The species of Papilionidae from East Asia, Australia, the Indo-Malaysian region and tropical America are very well represented in the collection. Each zoogeographic region has its own series of specific forms and species. The Professor Rolf Weyrauch CollectionThe Lepidoptera collection numbers over 5,500 specimens, the Noctuidae and the Geometridae being best represented. The majority of the items are collected from around Sibiu, but one can find exotic species as well. PromotionThe Lepidoptera collections from the Museum of Natural History patrimony have always drawn the attention of the public. The permanent exhibition was host to a significant part of the butterfly collection, which could thus be admired by everybody. Currently, putting these collections to good use and promoting them is achieved through various temporary exhibitions, such as the "Exotic Butterfly Collection" or "Exotic Species in the Museum Collections". Translated by Ioana Stamatescu 


by Ioan Tăuşan