The author of this web site was born in 1958. His interest for Lepidoptera started at age 13.

Today Tony's collection contains three main parts; Scandinavian butterflies, Birdwing Butterflies and Papilionidae of the World (the latter still being stored in boxes as papered specimens. The birdwings occupy too much space!).

Although Tony's main interest is butterflies, also travelling takes up much of his free time (and funds...). More than 60 countries have been visited so far, making this guy feeling very privileged. (The secret behind all that travelling? Tony is an airline employee...).

At a time when Daddy was a biker and his 1950 model Tempo with a 125cc Sachs engine was more interesting than butterflies (Home, 1959).

First visit to Africa also gave the first Swallowtail in the collection - a Papilio demodocus - plus a number of other butterflies (Cape St. Mary, The Gambia, DEC 1975).

At ice in a beautiful mountain range. Kia hoahai! (Fox Glacier, Southern Alps, South Island, New Zealand, NOV 1979).

Where driving is a serious health hazard! (Manila, Philippines, NOV 1979).

Stuck in the soft sand. This is the home of many scorpions and snakes. But even here, in the middle of Sahara, several days of travel from the nearest oasis, the author found Lepidoptera; a nice specimen of Sphingidae and several Microlepidoptera (Somewhere between Tamanrasset, Algeria and Arlit, Niger, FEB 1981).

With friends at work (Canchungo, Guinea-Bissau, APR 1981).

With the net in the Cyclades (Míkonos, Greece, AUG 1982).

A history of pain and human sacrifice; at Avenue of the Dead. This was the centre of the capital of the Teotihuacán culture. The avenue runs from north to south with a 17^o deviation - precisely like in other Indian cities. During the height of the Classic period (AD 150-600), more than 250,000 people lived in this city. In the background is seen Pyramid of the Moon (Teotihuacán, Mexico, FEB 1985).

With few butterflies around; at a paradise for relaxation and recharging of your batteries (Little Hura, Northern Male' Atoll, Maldives, JAN 1986).

Water galore; Iguazu Falls on the Argentine-Brazilian border drops 1,750 m³ of water per second (Cataratas del Iguazú, Argentina, OCT 1986).

Abundance of Danaids (Lake Moogerah, Queensland, Australia, SEP 1987).

In the homeland of the birdwings - without a net (Markham River, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, OCT 1987).

In unspoilt surroundings in a Caribbean forest. The island houses such species as Danaus plexippus megalippe, Phoebis agarithe antilla, Eurema venuste emanona, Dione vanillae vanillae, Junonia evarete michlaesi, Anartia jatrophae jatrophae, Anartia amathea amathea, Hemiargus hanno watsoni, Chiomara asychis grenada, Pyrgus oileus orcus, Hylephila phylaeus phylaeus, Nyctelius nyctelius agari and Chiodes vintra vintra (Argyle, Grenada, JAN 1991).

The friendliest people on earth? This is where king Taufa'ahau Tupou IV rules the last kingdom of the Pacific rim: Siu was dressed in black during one year to pay respect to her late mother (Ha'amonga'a Maui Trilithon, Niutoua, Tongatapu Island, Kingdom of Tonga, Polynesia, MAR 1994).

At 69^o47' North; among Pyrgus andromedae, Pyrgus centaureae, Leptidea sinapis, Colias hecla sulitelma, Colias palaeno lapponica, Anthocaris cardamines, Pieris adalwinda, Lycaena phlaeas polaris, Celastrina argiolus, Plebeius idas lapponicus, Plebeius optilete cyparissus, Polyommatus icarus septentrionalis, Euphydryas iduna, Boloria aquilonaris scandinavica, Boloria chariclea chariclea, Boloria eunomia montana, Boloria euphrosyne lapponica, Boloria freija, Boloria frigga frigga, Boloria napaea lapponica, Boloria polaris, Boloria selene ?hyperborea, Boloria thore borealis, Pararge petropolitana ominata, Erebia disa, Erebia polaris, Erebia pandrose, Oeneis bore and Oeneis norna (Finnmarksvidda, Norway, JUN 1995).

Above the Artic circle: Surrounded by mosquitoes and the more friendly Colias hecla hecla and Boloria chariclea arctica. Climate at Greenland's 67^o N is remarkably much more artic than at, say, 70^oN in Norway (Sisimiut/Holsteinsborg, Greenland/Kalaallit Nunaat/Grønland, JUL 1996).

In a country without a single butterfly species (Gullfoss, Iceland, MAY 1997).

Where Henrik Ibsen's Peer Gynt played with the creatures of the underworld (but did he notice all those lovely Albulina orbitulus???) (Jotunheimen, Norway, AUG 2000).

 

The mountains above the Artic circle will always be a favourite (Indre Troms, Norway, JUL 2001).

  The Caucasus on the European-Asian border offers some of the world's finest mountains. Here, in the Armenian highland, the fauna and flora of the European, Asian, Turkish and Iranian regions meet. Armenia is a relatively small country - smaller than Belgium or 1/5 of Florida state - but still hosts some 270 species of butterflies (Amberd Fortress, Aragatsotn marz, elevation 2175 m, Armenia, JUN 2004).
 

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© Tony Nagypal, 2000-2005