Historic butterfly collection returns to public view in Newton Abbot next week

A nationally significant collection of butterflies and insects dating back more than a century is set to go on display at Newton Abbot Museum.

The Dr Henry Mapleton Collection, which includes around 3,000 specimens, was gathered between the 1890s and the 1930s, with many collected in and around the Newton Abbot area.

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The exhibition, opening next Tuesday (17 March), will give visitors the opportunity to see many of the insects catalogued by Dr Henry Mapleton.

Some of the species that were familiar during the Victorian and Edwardian eras are now extinct in the UK or have had to be reintroduced.

The collection is considered so important that it became the first from a small museum in Britain to take part in a digitisation project with the Natural History Museum.

As part of the project, specimens are being photographed and shared with researchers around the world. 

Scientists believe the historic collection could help provide insights into environmental and climate changes over time.

Curator Joanna Eccles said the exhibition will also help highlight the importance of protecting habitats locally.

“This collection of butterflies, moths and other insects is nationally significant and very fragile,” she said.

“To protect it during the construction of our new store, made possible by a £818,653 award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other grants, we have brought the two cabinets into the museum for visitors to explore and enjoy.”

The new museum store is expected to provide improved storage for artefacts and create new volunteering opportunities once it is completed.

Ms Eccles said the exhibition also highlights environmental work taking place locally.

“The exhibit also highlights how Newton Abbot Town Council, a pesticide-free authority, is working to improve and protect local habitats by means such as creating wildlife-friendly roadside verges,” she said.

“Over the years, this collection has encountered one of the most common challenges faced by museums, pest damage.

“Although the infestation has been fully treated, you may notice traces of the pests’ past activity within the drawers.

“The specimens are now receiving careful conservation. Any loose fragments are being collected and placed into clear capsules so that their scientific information is preserved for future study.”

Newton Abbot Museum, which is free to enter, is open from 9.30am to 4.30pm Tuesday to Friday and from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays.