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LEPIDOPTERA (BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS)

by P.T. Dang

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The Lepidoptera collection contains nearly 1.6 million specimens housed in over 8000 drawers and represents one of the best research collections of Lepidoptera in the world. The collection contains mostly pinned adult specimens, but also includes a number of pinned dry larvae and a significant larval alcohol collection. Many of the adult specimens have associated genitalic dissections permanently mounted on microscope slides.

Most specimens are from the Nearctic region with excellent species representation from Arctic Canada. The Palaearctic, Neotropical and Southeast Asia (particularly New Guinea) regions are also well represented.

The CNC Lepidoptera Collection is Currently Housed as Follows:

T A X A NUMBER

MICROLEPIDOPTERA cabinets drawers specimens curated uncurated
Micropterigoidea 1/29 1 100 100 0
Eriocranioidea 1/29 1 45 45 0
Hepialoidea 1/3 10 520 500 20
Nepticuloidea 1/3 10 1,200 1,200 0
Incurvarioidea 1/3 9 1,200 1,200 0
Zeugloptera 1/29 1 200 200 0
Dacnonypha 1/29 1 50 50 0
Exoporia 12/29 12 520 500 20
Monotrysia 2/3 22 2,500 2,000 500
Tineoidea 2/3 20 2,000 1,000 1,000
Gracillarioidea 1 29 5,000 3,500 1,500
Yponomeuroidea 1 29 4,000 3,000 1,000
Gelechioidea 8 230 40,000 25,000 15,000
Pterophoroidea 1 1/3 35 5,000 4,500 500
Pyraloidea 53 1,537 270,000 200,000 70,000
Sesioidea 1 1/5 35 8,850 8,700 150
Cossoidea 1/2 15 850 700 150
Tortricoidea 15 435 75,000 67,000 8,000
Tortricoidea - - 589 589 0
 
MACROLEPIDOPTERA
Zygaenoidea 1/2 15 1,600 1,600 0
Drepanoidea 1 24 5,000 4,700 300
Geometroidea 39 901 266,000 210,000 56,000
Noctuoidea 109 3,100 620,000 400,000 220,000
Sphingoidea 12 348 12,000 7,500 4,500
Bombycoidea 13 375 18,200 3,000 15,200
Papilionoidea 30 870 143,000 110,000 33,000
 
MISCELLANEOUS
Inflated larvae 1 25 500 500 0
Alcohol larvae 12 825 75,000 75,000 0
 
TOTAL 8,090 1,558,924 1,132,084 426,840

- pinned dry larvae associated with adults
- alcohol racks
- preserved in alcohol

Personnel

P.W. Hall       Honorary Research Associate (butterflies)
J.D. Lafontaine       Honorary Research Associate (Rhopalocera, Noctuoidea and other macrolepidoptera)
J.-F. Landry       Scientist (Zeugloptera, Dacnonypha, Exoporia, Monotrysia and other microlepidoptera)
C. Schmidt       Scientist (Noctuoidea)
J. Gill       Volunteer (Retired Technician - Rhopalocera, Noctuoidea and other macrolepidoptera)
C. Jaeger       Technician (Noctuoidea)

Hardcopy Lepidoptera Publications

The Cutworm Moths of Ontario and Quebec

Lepidoptera Links

Assessment of Butterfly and Moth Species Diversity in the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone
Assessment of Moth and Butterfly Species Diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone

This page last updated on 10-Aug-2018

Webmaster:
Dr. J.H. Skevington

Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
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