|
Post by cabintom on May 14, 2014 9:32:53 GMT -8
This forum is the most interaction I've had with others interested in entomology... so, yeah, it's only been a few months, but it's been good learning from you all.
|
|
|
|
Post by nomad on May 14, 2014 9:53:23 GMT -8
I agree it never ceases to amaze me the dedication and enthusiasm of the entomologists that post here. Many remote regions are visited from the rainforests of the Congo and the steaming jungles of Ecuador to the high mountains of the Himalayas and the remote little visited Islands of Papua New Guinea. These are just a few places where intrepid entomologists reach in search of their passion and many of the wonders that are captured are posted here for us all to enjoy.
However I have always been fascinated by the early collectors who did much of the ground breaking work in these far off places and I believe we owe them a great debt of gratitude. Their contribution to our knowledge of entomology is ever great. Many were outstanding field collectors of the highest order. The many taxonomists have created sense out of chaos and without their dedicated work we would be barely be beyond the basics. However in the end apart from our favourite entomologists this thread was really about who inspired us to take up this fascinating and worthwhile hobby - study in the first place.
Peter
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 14, 2014 10:06:36 GMT -8
I have refrained from posting on this thread because I feared my answer may have been different from everyone else's and I was right. Growing up in Northern England in the 1970's there was nobody really to encourage a young boy so most of my early entomological knowledge was self taught. That changed when my brother bought me a copy of Dulcie Gray's book "butterflies on my mind" and I read about a place called Worldwide Butterflies in the far off land of Dorset, 300 miles away but it might as well have been on the moon to me. I read about Robert Gooden's mystical place where thousands of butterflies were sold each year, later when I passed my driving test I made it a goal to holiday in Dorset and visit the butterfly farm myself, I don't think I have ever been more exited before or since as I drove down the small road to Compton House and parked up, ran inside and spent hours there but even better was when I purchased a female stichopthalma godfreyi and nobody knew the price, down came the man who had become an almost hero like person to me to tell me the price and chat with me for 30 minutes, what a day, I must have visited Compton house at least four times a year until it's closure over 10 years ago. This was pre internet days and long before I had even heard of insect fairs so for me WWB was THE place to obtain my first entomological treasures, so my first hero was Robert Gooden who I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the years, the other who deserves a mention is Tony Harman FRES who is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever had the fortune to meet and I am lucky to be able to call him a friend, visits to his farm really are occasions as are the collecting trips by day and night, great host too, so although not the famous names of the past mentioned on this thread the 2 gentlemen get my vote as my inspirations.
|
|
|
Post by nomad on May 14, 2014 11:31:51 GMT -8
Hi Dunc not so very different from me. Thanks to my mum who bought home E.B Ford book butterflies when I was six, I might not have understood properly the contents, but I saw those colour plates of set butterflies and with a very basic home made net explored the wasteland near my home. Visits to Watkins and Doncaster at Welling Kent really got me started. It was through the Catalogues of the Saurman museum that I first saw the name A.S. Meek and Birdwing butterflies. I bought a cheap book - all color book of butterflies by Robert Gooddon ( 1974) and stared in wonder at the back page, which showed colour specimens of paradisea, alexandrae and goliath, I was hooked and never thought on my meagre wage I would actually own any of these, all were so unobtainable and so rare. I can't seem to remember who actually told me about Meek's book - A Naturalist in Cannibal Land, but I got a copy on loan sent to my reference library. NO internet then and NO reprints and so rare was this book, I was not allowed to take it home. I was so surprised that when I first mentioned the book on here, so few people here had heard of it, so I was really lucky to have discovered it early on. I have learn much from being a member of InsectNet. The most knowledgeable Birdwing expert with years of field work I have corresponded with was the late Jan Pasternak who shared his great knowledge freely and although I never met him, I shall never forget him.
|
|
mygos
Full Member
Posts: 230
|
Post by mygos on May 14, 2014 22:33:46 GMT -8
Hi Dunc,
For me too, Robert Gooden is a good souvenir as I did work there as a student in 1973 ! I did learn a lot on breeding butterflies, and taking care of scorpions and bird-eating spiders with a guy there called Paul Embden. If anyone know him, I would be pleased to get his email ? I was able to improve my english as well ...
A+, Michel
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2014 3:32:44 GMT -8
Nomad,
About Jan Pasternak......good comment. I, too, had years of great correspondences with him. He was a nice, well travelled man whose autographed book remains a treasure of mine. I am adding his name to the people who have been a positive part of my insect world. His book also adds to my most enjoyable ento- reads. Thanks for reminding me.
I also have to agree that knowing many 'regular' people in the hobby has been terrific. They may not be famous, but to me they are an integral part/influence.
|
|
|
|
Post by kingha on May 15, 2014 13:19:16 GMT -8
for me it would have to be my mentor, life long collecting buddy and best friend Mogens C. Nielsen who passed away February 25, 2014. He is also the author of "The Butterflies and Skippers of Michigan". I really miss him.
|
|
|
Post by bobw on May 16, 2014 2:36:32 GMT -8
My early experiences weren't so different to Dunc and Peter. I had an older cousin who collected a bit and ecouraged me and showed me techniques when I was starting out, but he soon lost interest. My interest was then pushed much further when I discoverd E B Ford's superb book but I didn't know any other collectors or know about any societies so I had to work everything out for myself. I remember when I was about 8 or 9 on a family holiday in Dorset, we were walking along a street in Lyme Regis and I was walking ahead when I came rushing back to my mother to yell at her that there was a butterfly shop around the corner. Although she didn't believe me at first it turned out to be the satellite shop started by Worldwide Butterflies. Robert Gooden happened to be there that day and spent about half an hour chatting with me and my mother. I walked out with a few new prizes bought out of my pocket money.
Obviously I later established contact with many other entomologists, read up about old collectors and visited several museums. I also made lots of field trips to various places, both mundane and exotic. Although many people have influenced me, the only person I've known personally who had a major effect on my interests was Jan Haugum. I visited him many times at his home in Denmark and he was the one who really encouraged my interest in nomenclature and taxonomy. I guess you could say he changed me from a collector/breeder into a proper entomologist.
Bob
|
|
|
Post by trehopr1 on May 16, 2014 23:57:05 GMT -8
I have long considered myself a "natural" when it comes to this hobby and science. My interest was sparked at the age of five when (as my father says) I began catching bugs in his flower gardens using my grandma's empty pill bottles. In time I acquired my first net at the five and dime store. And soon after that my first insect collection was started. I never had anyone to mentor me. I learned what I could either through reading or by trial and error. By 1973 when I was in 7th grade a very pivotal occurrence happened. On going into the local bookstore with my mom there on a table sat a newly minted "stack" of Paul Smarts International Butterfly Book. You could have knocked me over with a feather! I thought that I was looking at THE holy grail of butterfly books. Never had I seen so much beauty and awesomeness rolled into one book. Through that book I learned about butterfly classification, history, noteworthy lepidopterists, pinning methods and a host of other things as well. A year later in 1974 the very same bookstore near my home had Robert Goodens newly minted "All color book of Butterflies". I was bowled over a second time. What a wonderful book in its own right. Full color plates of regional butterflies which gave me hours of time to think and wonder how I might perhaps own or even collect some of the wonders contained within its pages. And though I have since acquired other nice works by other authors it is THOSE two books which for me will always hold the most meaning!!
|
|
|
Post by beetlehorn on May 18, 2014 0:37:50 GMT -8
Some great stories to say the least! Im' sure it must be an honor when you personally meet one of the great naturalists that you read about, or have a book they authored. I must say that my experience with Paul Smart's book was much the same as trehopr1 put it. When you are still young, it seems those kind of experiences have a greater impact than later in our lives. I think that is why many of us that still collect now started when we were kids. When the interest is sparked early in life, it stays with us. To follow in the footsteps of the great collectors just comes natural in most cases.
|
|
|
Post by smallcopper on May 19, 2014 1:09:53 GMT -8
I was truly blessed growing up in Somerset and Dorset - not only by the plethora of fine species to be found there, but also by the great mentors that Fate allowed me to enjoy and learn from. Some names you'll recognise; others you may not. They are / were all great men.
Robert Goodden singlehandedly nourished my interest in butterflies - I was friends with his children (indeed, still am), and lived a few miles up the road from Compton; so I spent many, many days at Compton House. Robert was incredibly generous, patient and kind and encouraged me no end. He gave me many books on my birthdays, and I still have and use a breeding cage he gave me.
I had three teachers at various points who took my interest in natural history seriously; a great man called John 'Killer' Carnegie, an immensely capable outdoorsman and bee-keeper in particular; Mr Lloyd, who used to drive me and one of Robert Goodden's sons out into the Dorset countryside, drop us off in a promising collecting location, and leave us to our own unsupervised devices for hours on end; and a guy whose name eludes me now (Mr Cribb?) who had been in the British Antarctic Survey and held me spellbound with his tales of birds and sea mammals.
Out in the field in Dorset I bumped into a few more collectors; they seemed old to me then, so I wonder if they're alive now. Mr Cadman (first name, I'm not sure) who I met at Lydlinch Common had a most inspiring and impressive collection. He gave me an ab.minima f.valezina Argynnis paphia that I have to this day. And a lovely old man whose name I never learned - he lived in Sherborne, and I recall an amazing afternoon chatting with him in his walled garden where he bred Lycaena dispar, and indoors had larvae of Apatura iris feeding on wands of sallow in his dining room. He served tea with Battenburg cake as I sat entranced by the A.iris larvae; funny how one's mind recalls the small details. I wonder who he was?
And lastly, I was caught trespassing on his land by Clive Farrell - latterly the founder of Butterfly World near St Albans. He kindly allowed me to keep coming back to see the evolution of his habitat management, restoration and creation - a gem of a place for butterflies and birds. I came within a gnat's whisker of doing a gap year working in Belize for him; but chickened out in the end. I wish I'd gone now.
Those were the personal encounters that inspired me and put me on a course to breed, collect and study butterflies. There were, of course, others whose footsteps echo down the years in the form of their books. I'll share those names in due course.
|
|
|
Post by lepidofrance on May 19, 2014 8:24:46 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by smallcopper on May 20, 2014 4:57:15 GMT -8
And so to the authors who inspired me in my burgeoning interest in all things natural history related, and in particular entomological.
First place goes to Gerald Durrell - my godmother gave me her old paperback copy of "My family and other animals", and this was to prove a pivotal read for me. Consumed with jealousy at Gerald Durrell's childhood surroundings of Corfu, I was nonetheless inspired to get out into the Somerset levels and try to emulate him. Minus donkey, and dog, and boat, and colourful siblings... This book was the moment that I graduated from the (pleasing) fantasy of the animal collecting fiction of Willard Price and realised the real world was full of things I could actually get my hands on, study, appreciate and learn from.
Then comes the aforementioned Robert Goodden, and in particular his "British Butterflies - A Field Guide". This and David Carter's "Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe" were my only butterfly books for those early years, and became well-thumbed. As I got into breeding the British species two further books, similar in scope albeit different in approach, detail and era came into my possession: the incomparable F.W.Frohawk's "Natural History of British Butterflies", and Margaret Brooks' photographic "A Complete Guide to British Butterflies". Both covered the life-cycle of all our British species in some detail, Frohawk's being meticulous and at the time groundbreaking for the British species. Margaret Brooks' book was superb for a young boy, and I devoured it over and over again - to the point that when a contestant chose "British Butterflies" on 'Mastermind' I stunned my parents by answering all the questions correctly, even the ones the contestant passed on or didn't know!
Frohawk's two volume masterpiece was the start of a quiet obsession with the great man. I've collected little bits of Frohawk related ephemera down the years - including two original A3 sized photographic portraits of his daughter Valezina as a young woman, and an original pencil drawing by him of a Snow Leopard.
Last, but not least, L.H.Newman's "Butterfly Farmer" - how I yearned to be there, back in the day, making a living collecting, breeding and selling butterflies!
|
|
|
Post by cabintom on May 20, 2014 11:59:17 GMT -8
Someone mentioned the name "Georges Brossard" in another thread... which (I believe) finally puts a name to the guy that is entirely the reason I'm collecting today.
I remember as a kid visiting Montreal's botanical gardens and the Insectarium. At the Insectarium we sat down to watch a film about this guy collecting leps around the world. I was enthralled. At one point in the film he was standing on the roof of his car swinging wildly at butterflies circling overhead, at another point he was standing next to a broad-leafed plant on which a very large yellow moth was resting... "Je ne peux pas manquer!" (I can't miss!) he said... I don't know exactly why those two scenes have stayed so vividly in my memory, but as a kid the realization that even as an adult I could adventure and have fun and discover and learn all at the same time had me hooked.
Tom
|
|
|
Post by krupten on Jul 26, 2014 1:21:25 GMT -8
Well - this is a door to so many wonderful people - but my favorites are Ray Straatman - personal friend for almost 20 years before he passed, Jan Haugum - another mentor, Rod Eastwood, Jan Pasternak, Harry Borsh, Suguru Igarashi, Satoshi Koiwaya, Gary Sankowsky, Ichwan Toeante, Benie Talisman, Keith Donpon, Analau, and the unbelievable Evelyn Cheesman. Edna Mosher - and the list goes on. there are many special times - or segments that are invested in my memories - but each one gave me the gifts of not only their knowledge but friendship. I would also metion Adam Cotton - who graces these pages religiously - as he is a man of great depth of knowledge and shares it without hesitation. From my beginnings with Tony Thomas, Brian, Ron and the crew at the U of A - to all those I have met on he net or a jungle path - it has been a wondrous journey filled with the gifts each has provided. Good subject!
|
|