Complete lot of 25 pieces of very rare exotic day butterflies

This is an exceptional and museum-worthy estate - 25 exotic day-flying butterflies from the renowned Vestergaard collection, mounted in an original wooden museum tray 40 x 30 cm. Origin is largely Afrotropical - West and Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo, Uganda, Ivory Coast), with a few species from the Neotropical and Indian regions. This is the classic composition of Vestergaard, who specialized in African Nymphalidae in the 1960s-80s. A complete, original tray with so many color varieties is hardly ever on the market again. All specimens are professionally prepared, with excellent color preservation. The tray itself is original with white entomological lining. Why this estate is extremely rare: 1. Vestergaard collection: a closed, old private collection. Not commercially bred, but historical fieldwork. 2. 25 different species in one tray: no duplicates, a huge diversity of genera: Charaxes, Euphaedra, Bebearia, Danaus, Nessaea, Doxocopa. 3. Top pieces with metallic blue and structural colors: species such as Euphaedra edwardsii, Doxocopa laurentia and Nessaea hewitsoni are impossible to replicate due to their iridescent scales and are highly sought after. 4. Original museum tray 40x30 cm: not a modern foam box, but an authentic wooden tray as used in natural history museums. Inventory - 25 specimens - numbered from top left to bottom right: Row 1: 1. Charaxes anticlea / etheocles - Nymphalidae - West Africa. Dark brown with double tails, very large. Forest dweller. 2. Arhopala / Anthene larydas - Lycaenidae - Central Africa. Intense royal blue, rare small lycaenid of this quality. 3. Tirumala petiverana - Blue Tiger - Nymphalidae, Danainae - East Africa. Iconic orange-brown with large white markings. 4. Euphaedra eupalus - Western Orange Forester - Nymphalidae - Cameroon/Congo. Orange band with deep royal blue hindwing. 5. Hypolimnas anthedon / Papilio dardanus form - Nymphalidae - Africa. Large, black with ivory-white bands, rare form. Row 2: 6. Anteos clorinde / Phoebis sennae - Pieridae - South America / Africa. Citrus-yellow butterfly with orange spots, exceptionally large. 7. Euphaedra zampa / themis - Nymphalidae - West Africa. Broad orange band on velvety black, classic Forester. 8. Euploea sp. / Bebearia mardania - Nymphalidae - Congo. Jet black with subtle blue sheen, forest species. 9. Cacyreus / Leptotes sp. - Lycaenidae - Africa. Miniature purple-blue butterfly, perfectly prepared. 10. Danaus chrysippus - Plain Tiger / African Monarch - Nymphalidae - All of Africa. Bright orange with black edging and white spots, top specimen. Row 3: 11. Euphaedra medon - Widespread Forester - Nymphalidae - West Africa. Black with ochre-yellow patches and green-blue haze. 12. Neptis / Bebearia sophus - Soprano Forester - Nymphalidae - Central Africa. Black with white band and blue iridescence - very rare. 13. Neptis melicerta / Euphaedra melicerta - Nymphalidae - Cameroon. Brown with white block spots. 14. Aporia crataegi - Black-veined White - Pieridae - Eurasia. Transparent white with black venation, the only Palearctic species in the tray. 15. Nessaea hewitsoni / obrinus - Nymphalidae - Amazon/Central Africa. Legendary turquoise-blue gloss, absolute highlight of the tray. Row 4: 16. Pentila / Mimacraea sp. - Lycaenidae - West Africa. Small with blue mirror spots and white dots. 17. Euphaedra cyparissa - True Blue Forester - Nymphalidae - Ghana/Ivory Coast. Jet black with electric blue hindwings, highly sought after. 18. Delias / Nepheronia argia - Large Vagrant - Pieridae - Africa. Black with white rays and lemon-yellow hindwing edge. 19. Appias / Belenois sp. - Pieridae - East Africa. Chic brown-white contrast. 20. Batesia hypochlora / Callicore cynosura - Nymphalidae - Amazon region. Bright magenta-red on black - the only vivid red species, huge eye-catcher. Row 5: 21. Cymothoe sangaris - Blood-red Glider - Nymphalidae - Congo/Cameroon. Deep blood red, female form with forked tail. 22. Bebearia sophus / mardania - Nymphalidae - West Africa. Gray camouflage with ivory-white dot lines, large species. 23. Euphaedra edwardsii / preussi - Edwards' Forester - Nymphalidae - Cameroon. Velvet-black with broad metallic-green band, museum-quality. 24. Adelpha / Euphaedra francina - Gold-banded Forester - Nymphalidae - West Africa. Orange-yellow with white band, characteristic jagged edge. 25. Doxocopa laurentia / Bebearia laurentia - Turquoise Emperor - Nymphalidae - South America / Africa. Dark brown with neon turquoise-blue mirrors, absolute top for collectors. Condition: Very good to excellent given the age. Colors vibrant, no feeding damage. Some minor aging on wing edges at numbers 5 and 22, which actually confirms the authenticity of the historic collection. Antennae 90% intact. Details: • Number: 25 pieces, all different • Tray: Original wood, 40 x 30 cm, white base • Origin: Vestergaard collection • Period: c. 1960-1985 - field work • CITES: None of these species are CITES-listed, freely tradeable within the EU for collections from before 1990. A lot for the serious collector of African Nymphalidae. Complete trays from the Vestergaard collection are not assembled anymore. As a whole, this is a collection that belongs in a natural history museum. A lifetime of collecting and hand-prepared. We have received 100 new Vestergaard museum trays!!! Again a very large complete scientific insect collection. Provenance Vestergaard / Gyulai and several other national and international entomologists. We will auction this collection again without minimum prices on Catawiki, so keep an eye on my offers. Pickup is preferred due to the fragility. If you buy multiple crates we can arrange potential personal delivery. When shipping, we will package the crates with care and excellent protection. Although all insects are securely mounted on pins, there is always a small risk of damage. Therefore shipping is also at the buyer’s risk. We have shipped over 80 crates so far and all have arrived well, with only a single specimen falling from its pin. Carefully wrapped and insured shipment.

Estimación:€200

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