All
The Titian Peale Butterfly and Moth Collection here at the
Academy of Natural Sciences collection has specimens from the
late 1820's and includes a butterfly type described by Say in
1828. Since Peale illustrated this specimen for Say's
American Entomology we have to assume the specimen was
collected sometime before 1828. All of these specimens and
data are viewable and searchable online, so feel free to use
this resource for students.
The illustration of this specimen is available here:
We are just finishing a species inventory of the Academy's
entomology collection. We are now exceeding 106,000 species,
about 10% of the described insects. At once a magnificent
collection – 106,000 species!, and at the same time certainly
not enough with only 10% of described insect species
referenced. This species inventory database can be searched
through the link below. It also links with the Peale
Collection and our Type Collection databases.
Yes – we have not been at this endeavor very long trying to
understand our nation's insect biodiversity.
Best wishes
Jon Gelhaus
