Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 100. (Budapest 2008)

Bálint, Zs.: Lepidoptera collections of historical importance in the Hungarian Natural History Museum

was able to make a contract for acting in the "Hoftheater". Although they knew each other well before their Viennese times, they could create tight companion- and friendship only in Vienna, where both became very active in lepidopterology. After the death of OCHSENHEIMER, the book series of Die Schmetterlinge von Europa was taken, continued and finished by TREITSCHKE with a heroic effort (TREITSCHKE 1825-1835). The collection was purchased by the Hungarian National Museum in 1842 from TREITSCHKE'S widow Christina for 3,000 florins based on the recommendation of JOSEPH SADLER custodian and his adjunct EMERICUS FRIVALDSZKY, both working in the naturalia cabinet. Most probably the TREITSCHKE collection was planned to put into action because a detailed catalogue was published about its content (ANONYMUS 1842), and more than a hundred copies of the catalogue became the possession of the museum with the collection itself. In the archive of the HNHM Lepidoptera Collection there is a copy of this catalogue with annotations of LAJOS KOVÁCS dated ("from 21 June 1956"). This copy shows a fully inventoried status of the collection of those days. Discussion - In spite of the fact that OCHSENHEIMER and TREITSCHKE worked on Lepidoptera jointly, from their entomological works they published it is clear that their collections were independently maintained. TREITSCHKE was also corresponding with many people, just to mention JEAN BAPTISE ALPHONSE DESCHAUFFOUR DE BOISDUVAL (1799-1879), CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH FREYER (1794-1885) and IMRE FRIVALDSZKY (see below), all of them honoured TREITSCHKE with a "lepidopterological" patronym. Many species described by these lepidopterists are also present in the TREITSCHKE collection, which suggests there is great probability to find primary type material not only in the case of the species described by TREITSCHKE himself, but also by his fellow entomologists. This is proved at least in the case of FRIVALDSZKY (Fig. 13). Fig. 9. The TREITSCHKE collection in the micromoth hall of the Hungarian Natural History Museum Lepidoptera collection. The original compactor with the drawers are kept in a modern cabinet specially designed for this purpose