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Post by obiwankenobi55555 on Feb 1, 2015 16:21:48 GMT
I don't know is this right group to post but this concerns me.
I know most of well known entomologysts and insect collectors in the world that latest years or months quit insect collecting (lepidoptera and coleoptera) for no reason. Simply they give up from all their life work and usually selling their collections (rarely give their collections to museums). But I know they don't need money so hard and necessary to selling their collections immediately. They just give up! But why, what is happening? Here is plenty of questions I want to hear answer but its hard to find answer obviously:
Why they give up from all their life work and knowledge? Are risky to have rare and protected insects in collections and they fear of law? They need to be quiet about all their rarities and most people don't like that, and in that reason they give up? They fear of pests/dermestidaes to destroy their entire insects and collections and ruin all their work? They have money but they selling their collections and do not want to be in touch with insects anymore? They are tired of traveling around and collecting? Insect collecting and knowledge is not worth anymore and not worth to invest, is that true? Are they tired from everything and don't have energy anymore?
I simply don't know why is this happening. Of course nature is stronger than us, but I must say as a butterfly collector that my morale is dropping slowly when I hear and saw what is happening. I must say this clearly, when I see what's happening, I have wish sometimes to sold my vast collection too... Are money worth more than your collections and your love?!. Insect collecting is one of rarest collectibles in the world, of course when you look car collecting, oldtimers, coins and numismatics, philately and collector's stamps, etc etc. Insect collecting you can only find in entomological laboratories and museums in capitals or largest cities in your and other countries. But we private collectors and entomology lovers are dying and dying slowely. Reluctant to say.
I am sorry for depressed thread but this is the present I know that.
Regards
Marko
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Post by wollastoni on Feb 1, 2015 16:29:08 GMT
Indeed a bit depressing Marko. I rather disagree with you, come in big insect fairs in Europe and you will see plenty of young collectors. On this forum too, there are plenty of collectors between 20 and 35 year old (including me). On facebook too. Of course some people are leaving entomology and I think the reasons you say are good. Personnaly I think the "entomo community" is stronger than 10 years ago, thanks to internet.
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Post by timmsyrj on Feb 1, 2015 17:41:43 GMT
Indeed a bit depressing Marko. I rather disagree with you, come in big insect fairs in Europe and you will see plenty of young collectors. On this forum too, there are plenty of collectors between 20 and 35 year old (including me). On facebook too. Of course some people are leaving entomology and I think the reasons you say are good. Personnaly I think the "entomo community" is stronger than 10 years ago, thanks to internet. Just spotted an error in here Olivier, I'm sure you meant between 20 and 50 right, ? I think a lot has to do with the environmental pressures around now, destruction of habit, different farming techniques all leading to a reduction in suitable habitat so the numbers are in decline, collectors are seen as an easy scapegoat to blame rather than looking at there own effects on the wildlife, I work for a coffee factory and most people there have no idea what effect coffee growing has on forests, homerus is nearly extinct because people like blue mountain coffee and the habitat is almost gone but we are the criminals if we own homerus, I've not collected in the UK for over 15 years because people will take offence, they have no problem if I want to plough up a field to grow bio fuels though. Rich
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 1, 2015 18:39:13 GMT
"Just spotted an error in here Olivier, I'm sure you meant between 20 and 50 right, ?" Does that exclude me too, then? I'll be 56 soon. Adam.
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Post by timmsyrj on Feb 1, 2015 21:50:57 GMT
as I see it, your still young if you can remember how old you are!!!
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Post by Adam Cotton on Feb 2, 2015 8:19:13 GMT
That's a relief then, Rich.
Adam.
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Post by obiwankenobi55555 on Feb 2, 2015 13:37:05 GMT
Indeed a bit depressing Marko. I rather disagree with you, come in big insect fairs in Europe and you will see plenty of young collectors. On this forum too, there are plenty of collectors between 20 and 35 year old (including me). On facebook too. Of course some people are leaving entomology and I think the reasons you say are good. Personnaly I think the "entomo community" is stronger than 10 years ago, thanks to internet. Right, I wroted that text in some kind of affect. And now with "cold head" I admit that is little bit depressing I am sorry hehe I was on insect fair few times in Europe (Juvisy and Prague) and of course I agree with your things that there are lots of young collectors and now all have internet, communication is much stronger, this forum is proof and all others. I must say that I belong in this group between 20 and 35 years old. But I am sad because experienced collectors over 50 years old (I exclude Adam ) leaving and giving up, this all point is about that people. Maybe they are just tired of everything and want to remairing life live in other way. About Rich post. I'm fully agree with everything you wrote.
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Post by trehopr1 on Feb 3, 2015 4:17:12 GMT
I agree with Wollastoni's comments on the health of this hobby. Insects still capture the fascination of people on different levels. Some only photograph, others breed things, and still others collect and admire them as specimens. The thrill of the hunt also factors into collecting them. I've known several dedicated collectors over the years and I can tell you NONE of them gave up the passion until they were too old or sickly to continue working with their collections. It was only when they felt that the "Care and Admiration" they had accorded their collections was slipping --- that they decided to start selling material or they searched for a place to donate what they had. I know the hobby is not necessarily cheap anymore. Specimens can get pricey real fast once the more common material is gotten. And of coarse proper housing of said specimens can even outpace the specimens cost ( if you like filling drawer after drawer). In my opinion, I think TIME or the lack of it in ones life is the real reason why folks give up doing this. Sometimes our jobs erode away at more of our free time, sometimes family responsibilities or commitments etc. Pinning takes time, money gets tighter, field time becomes non- existent. Whatever the reasons may be, I think it's best that the material is re-absorbed back into the hobby (via other collectors) who can go on appreciating it for many years to come OR that it find some adoring institution that can properly house and care for it.
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entity
New Aurelian
Posts: 16
Country: USA
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Post by entity on Feb 18, 2015 21:22:52 GMT
If it makes u feel any better...I am REALLY new to the hobby. I have always loved bugs but just started collecting 3 weeks ago. Hope that's a ray of sunshine.
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lv73
New Aurelian
Posts: 17
Country: France
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Post by lv73 on Feb 24, 2015 21:13:23 GMT
I think there will always be young people loving insects. But it is true that collecting is less and less accepted by other people, even if destruction of a a few specimen is quite negligible, compared too the destruction of habitats. So I understand a guilty feeling that could affect collectors. Personally I have ben collecting butterflies for about 20 years (since I was 5 years old!), then I stopped for 15 years, and then started making photos. Recently I gave all my collection to a small museum. Now my only objective is to see and get pictures of a family (I choosed Papilionidae in Europe and mediterranean basin, that means about 20 species, and many sub species). Collecting pleasure still exists: there are rare pictures to create. LV
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Post by nomad on Feb 24, 2015 21:17:06 GMT
I think there will always be young people loving insects. But it is true that collecting is less and less accepted by other people, even if destruction of a a few specimen is quite negligible, compared too the destruction of habitats. So I understand a guilty feeling that could affect collectors. Personally I have ben collecting butterflies for about 20 years (since I was 5 years old!), then I stopped for 15 years, and then started making photos. Recently I gave all my collection to a small museum. Now my only objective is to see and get pictures of a family (I choosed Papilionidae in Europe and mediterranean basin, that means about 20 species, and many sub species). Collecting pleasure still exists: there are rare pictures to create. LV I hope we will see some of your images of the Papilio's of Europe. Have you photographed Papilio hospiton yet.
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lv73
New Aurelian
Posts: 17
Country: France
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Post by lv73 on Feb 24, 2015 22:38:13 GMT
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jensb
Junior Aurelian
Posts: 50
Country: Netherlands
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Post by jensb on Feb 24, 2015 22:42:26 GMT
I myself have sometimes the same problem as Rich describes but another one comes on top of it. At the moment everywhere where there are more then a few acers of trees in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany or wild graslands. It is protected area. It isn't possible to catch or collect anything exiting legally. that's a big problem I ran in to and like rich described all peoples look weird at you when you only walk with a butterfly net. But if you tell them that if they drive 300 km they kill on average more insects then can be found in the biggest insect collection they say. But that isn't on purpose so it is less cruel and thus it is allowed and no problem. Even some students who study applied sience to which I try to explain the matter have a problem on seeing why it isn't bad to collect. And last of all depending on where you live there isn't a lot of biodiversity anymore. For example there are 12 butterfly species in the Netherlands which only can be found in one area and in 90 procent of the places you will always find the same species again and almost never anything new.
Greets Jens
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Post by nomad on Feb 25, 2015 6:01:31 GMT
Ah, I have seen those images before, very nice . As I shall be in Corsica in July, I was thinking of visiting the Col de Sorba myself. Hopefully hospiton will still be on the wing? I would love to get some photographs
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Post by Paul K on Feb 25, 2015 7:11:20 GMT
I agree Jens. Collecting in Europe not give you to much choice. And as you said people look at us as serial killers and poachers . That is about the same in Canada where I stay for the summer . Most of the species you can collect thru out a few seasons and rare once are in protected areas.
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