The Cockayne collection: British and Irish butterflies and moths

This collection was formed in 1970 by the amalgamation of the Rothschild-Cockayne-Kettlewell collection with the many other important British and Irish Lepidoptera collections already at the Natural History Museum, UK.

It comprises approximately half a million specimens, housed in 5000 drawers, and includes Microlepidoptera and Pyralidae as well as macro-moths and butterflies. This is the most important collection of British and Irish Lepidoptera in existence, containing a wealth of material of both scientific and historic importance. The collection is housed in the Department of Entomology and can be viewed by special appointment.

Authorship

Phase 1, butterflies: Carter DJ, Hernandez-Triana L, Vane-Wright RI and Martin G.

Phase 2, larger moths: Martin G, Cassey DJ and Harman K.

Cockayne database: Taxon search

Search the database for scientific or common names. Taxon name can be Suborder, Family, Subfamily, Genus or Species.
Cockayne database: Specimen search

Find a specimen from a particular country, county or locality, or search for a particular collector.
Cockayne database: Typical British moths

Search the Cockayne collection for typical British moths.
Cockayne database: Typical British butterflies

Quick search for thumbnail images of typical butterfly specimens.
Notes on the database

Information on searching the Cockayne collection database and understanding the results.
About the Cockayne collection

More information on the collection, the trustees and the Cockayne Committee.
The Cockayne Trust

Founded in 1951, this fund was set up for the promotion and study of the science of entomology by making improvements to and by furnishing information about the Rothschild-Cockayne-Kettlewell Collection.
The Cockayne Fellowship

The Cockayne Research Fellowship is a charity linked to and supported by The Cockayne Trust, to stimulate new work on Lepidoptera.
The Rothschild Cockayne Kettlewell Collection

Popularly known as the 'RCK', this superb collection was formed in 1947 by the amalgamation of the Rothschild collection with that of Cockayne and Kettlewell.