The Vilnius University Museum of Zoology has received a one of a kind gift – a valuable butterfly collection collected by university alumnus, entomologist Giedrius Švitra. G. Švitra has gifted the museum 147 ethnological boxes with 15 554 individual butterflies, belonging to 941 different species – that is almost every single macro moth species found in Lithuania.
G. Švitra chose to give his collection to the Vilnius University Museum of Zoology because he himself has graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Vilnius University
"The Zoological Museum and its exhibits are headed and directly maintained by Dr. Grita Skujienė, who organized the safe transportation of the sensitive collection from my home in Ukmergė to the museum and is distinguished by her strictness and responsibility in protecting and maintaining the collections in the funds," says the entomologist.
VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, who met with G. Švitra, was pleased with the valuable collection that had been received.
"Each such gift from former students or simply public figures who are not indifferent to VU shows trust and respect for what we do. I want to thank you for this valuable collection, which will complement the collection of the VU Museum of Zoology, which dates back to the times of the famous geographer and botanist Georg Forster," says Prof. R. Petrauskas.