Actias artemis from Far East

Lepidopterans, or butterflies (Lepidoptera) constitute one of the three largest insect orders. There is no less than 250.000 species of these insects, and at least 84 families are known to occur in Russia.
Lepidopteran collection of the Museum is of the World-wide scale, it takes the 2d place in Russia after the Zoological institute in St.-Petersburg. It contains nearly 300.000 identified and pinned specimens which are labeled individually. And no less number of specimens is stored on the cotton. The type collection of butterflies includes several hundreds specimens.
Rhopaloceran and heteroceran butterflies of the former USSR are arranged taxonomically, whereasile those representing exotic species are stored separately. The most attention is paid to maicrolepidopterans, so microlepidopterans are small in number.
Geographically, this collection represents all territories of the former USSR, there are also significant samples from other continents obtained mainly due to acquisition of private collections and exchanges with other museums.

Butterflies from L. K. Albrecht collection

Of great importance are historical specimens, among which are collections of G. Fischer von Waldheim, E. Eversmann, A.P. Fedchenko. Of special significance are specimens obtained from acknowledged European and Russian lepidopterologists, such as K.-M. Naumann (Zygaenidae), A.-B. Kreizberg (Papilionidae), V.P. Solyanikov (Psychidae), M.J. Bastelberg (South American Geometridae), several noctuids identified by I.V. Kozhanchikov, and many others.

 

Butterflies from Fischer von Waldheim collection