I don't know if the butterflies disappeared due to collecting, or whether they just headed south.
On a related note, I''ve been corresponding with some folks from a collecting forum, to try and understand their reasons for collecting and I do, personally, respect the amount of knowledge that some among them have (and some are UKB members too). The usual justifications for collecting come out - such as collecting helps foster an interest in the younger generation, collecting provides a basis of scientific study etc. etc. Mark Colvin's excellent in the subject article is worth a read in this regard (see
http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=92).
In this particular instance, though, I can see no justification for taking any LTB at all and to take them when it is known that people are looking forward to seeing them is, in my opinion, supremely selfish. In this case, the only justification seems to be "I want them for my collection" which I personally think is no justification at all, but certain collectors think otherwise it would appear. It's also interesting that there's a debate happening regarding the disposal of collections, given that many museums are overwhelmed and only want the more unusual items in any collection. The rest, I assume, go on the scrapheap. The fact that collectors, themselves, are discussing this is clearly a positive thing.
One particular experience sums up the difference in perspective for me. I was on a National Trust reserve watching Chalk Hill Blues, talking with someone that I know collects aberrations. He saw an
ab. fowleri and asked me if I was going to take any photos, since he would then take this individual as a specimen for his collection. Aside from the fact that this was an NT reserve, that difference in mentality sums it up for me. Collectors collect, in many cases, because they simply want to add to their collection, as I said above. There is no science or greater purpose involved. But some collectors seem to have a hard time admitting this, in my experience. All you seem to get is the same old arguments churned out that it doesn't harm the population (and it doesn't), collecting has never been the cause of any extinction (and it hasn't), that the location and date information will be valuable in the future and so on. But those arguments, to me, in this day and age, don't hold water.
And just to provide some balance, I also know that some collectors would agree with me - those that do genuinely collect in order to further scientific study, for example. My other conclusion, therefore, is that you can't talk about collectors in general, only about specific individuals (or organisations) and their actions (such as the examples above). I think this is really important to remember.
Cheers,
- Pete
