enjoying collecting

[Kelly Richers]

There have been some interesting posts on the collecting or non collecting of lepidoptera, but I would like to say that unless someone has collected differently than the experienced collectors I see, large or common or repetitive species are not recollected, and it is impossible to identify moths from live specimens, so I leave this discussion to those butterfly collectors and/or observers who can delineate one species from another on the wing or in plastic bags...

>>> "Ron Gatrelle" <gatrelle at tils-ttr.org> 03/20/01 12:12PM >>>
Dear Derrick and all.
    They could not have been more timely posts. First was Derrick's post
about the collection and sale of specimens by and to non professionals
(museums). Very legitimate post on his part. A post which surely echoes the
feelings of many of the new butterfliers that have come over from the
bird watcher ranks in particular. Those who have only watched birds and now
see butterflies the same way.
    Then there was my post in response. My main points were 1) Museums are
dead Lepidoptera collectors too and compete among each other as to which
one has the most (specimens, types, etc.)  2) Those who work in/for/with
museums enjoy the heck out of getting out in the field and collecting
Lepidoptera as much as any amateurs do - Derrick's "self gratification"
factor. 3) Most new taxa are discovered by non professionals - amateurs. 4)
Collecting is not THE problem habitat destruction is.
    Next was the post by Grehan relaying the excitement and enjoyment of
collecting in New Zeeland by professionals and amateurs demonstrating my
point 2.
    Next up was the post by Quinn relaying the competitive stats of the
world's biggest museums and how a multimillion dollar gift would move the
University of Florida right to the top - with four times the space and thus
room for millions more of _dead_ Lepidoptera. My point 1.
    I had written some more stuff here about the collecting (killing) of
Leps but cut and saved it in the drafts file. Probably too cortroversial.
    Ron



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