Overview
Moths and butterflies, collectively called Lepidoptera (from Greek lepidos - scale, and pteron - wing), are most people's favourite insects.
Their beauty and variety have attracted the attention of many professional and amateur collectors over many years, whose collecting endeavours have greatly enriched entomological collections all over the world. Te Papa's Lepidoptera Collection is no exception. It contains many thousands of moths and butterflies from a great number of places, especially from New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia.
The New Zealand Lepidoptera fauna comprises over 1800 named species, with a very high proportion of endemic species (90 per cent) and an even higher proportion of moths over butterflies, with only about thirty species (1.7 per cent) of butterflies (Dugdale, 1988). Te Papa's collection includes most of the New Zealand species of moths and all of the butterflies. It contains several private collections of great historical and scientific value (for example, the Hudson Collection), which were bequeathed to the Museum.
Many other specimens were obtained by collecting expeditions to remote areas of New Zealand, especially organised by former museum entomologists to collect insects and other invertebrates. Over 150 primary types of moths and butterflies are included.
Te Papa's Lepidoptera Collection has been and still is intensively used by New Zealand and overseas researchers to study the composition, distribution, and ecology of the fauna. Also, it is an invaluable resource for educational and entertainment purposes, both as a school teaching aid and to display specimens in Te Papa's popular exhibitions.
Reference
Dugdale, J S. 1988. 'Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa.' Fauna of New Zealand 14. pp1-262.