InsectNet forum

I knew that if I looked around a bit through
the drawers I'd come up with some butterflies
from Spain --- for our members from there to
see.

These are some of the nice lycaenid species
which may be found there in diffrent environs.

Don't know any of the names but, they were all
nicely set and all personally collected in the
early 1990's by W.J.Tennent

Beautiful specimens.
This book is the best identification guide to European butterflies I find . All species are covered.The illustrations by Richard Lewington are superb.

I agree, it is a very useful book and it's cheap on Amazon : https://amzn.to/3u6iovX
I highly recommend it.

Those from Huesca and Burgos are Polyommatus dolus ssp. Ainsae.
From Teruel you have Polyommatus fabressei.
The two Pseudophilotes are panoptes.
The one from Granada I think that is Lysandra dorylas

The one from Canary Island is Cyclirius webbianus

Thank you very much Dave and Olivier for the suggestion of that wonderful book. I will promptly get a copy for myself to use !

Also a big thank you goes out to Miguel for the identifications given for the photographed specimens.

I'm intrigued how you got hold of John Tennant's specimens when you live in the U.S.A. Rumina.

Hello Rumina,
I have had a 26 years long friendship with an insect dealer here. He has purchased numerous collections over these years that became available (for various reasons).
Back 2004 he purchased 20 European storeboxes brimming with all of John Tenants Morocco material (which he wrote a book about) as well as much of his European material (all butterflies).The European material came from just about all over; except (strangely)not Britain.

I do not know the circumstances of how he came into the collection but, (he did) and I spent the next (year and a half) purchasing specimens from it since I had no European or Moroccan material whatsoever !

It was all top notch material with full data. Who could resist ? Funny thing is I believe I'm just about the only one who wanted any of it ! My dealer friend told me that everyone here wanted exotics and that no one cared about the Tenant material.

I wound up purchasing 4 (1/2) insect drawers full of butterflies in a year and a half. After that he was not able to sell off any and eventually did find a buyer who would eventually take on the remainder. What became of them after that I do not know.

I can look to see if I have additional butterflies from Spain from his collection to show or I can just show you 4 of the drawers of material that I was able to acquire. His name is attached to every data label.

Let me know if any drawer pictures interest you.

Nice to know someone is intrigued in these....

Thanks for your reply Trehopre, I know John quite well having met him many times at the London AES insect fairs and through mutual butterfly collecting friends. I suppose I was fascinated by the fact that an English man's European specimens managed to find their way to the U.S.!
I have a number of John's specimens so it was interesting to see your photos of some of his material. Many thanks for answering my query.