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

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

of the HNHM Lepidoptera collection. Because of the large number of the specimens probably KOVÁCS could not reconstruct the collection as he intended, as was in the case of OCHSENHEIMER material. This work has been started after the first special publication on the FRIVALDSZKY'S Lepidoptera material (BÁLINT & OLIVIER 2001). Discussion - IMRE FRIVALDSZKY was a pioneer in the exploration of the Carpathian Basin and the Balkan fauna. He proposed 192 names for animals, including 47 Lepidoptera (BÁLINT & ABADJIEV 2006). Specimens of many taxa what he found to be new were sent to identification or exchange under the name he proposed to his corresponding entomologists, notably to FREYER, PAUL BERNHARD GERHARD (1824-1893?), GOTTLIEB AUGUST WILHELM HERRICH-SCHÄFFER (1799-1874), GEORG ADOLF KEFERSTEIN (1793-1884), and TREITSCHKE (see above). Hence many species recognized first by FRIVALDSZKY became described under the very same name by different authors almost in the same time (see OLIVIER 1999,2000, BÁLINT & OLIVIER 2001). FRIVALDSZKY formally described 18 Lepidopteran taxa from the Carpathian Basin, and from the territory of the Balkans and Western Anatolia. The material on which these taxa were established should have been deposited in his collection but many of them disappeared because former curators did not pay special attention to them. For example non of the eight Plebejus sephirus (FRIVALDSZKY, 1835) specimens indicated by his collection catalogue (FRIVALDSZKY 1864) could not be located, but there are two authentic FRIVALDSZKY specimens in the possession of the HNHM: one is the already mentioned KOY specimen and another male in the TREITSCHKE collection. Figs 14—15. 14= The cabinet and the drawers of the FRIVALDSZKY collection in the main hall of the Hungarian Natural History Museum Lepidoptera collection; the drawer containing exotic butterflies is pulled out, 15 = The holotype of Heliothis treitschkii FRIVALDSZKY, 1835 and its labels from the FRIVALDSZKY collection