CCSA

Curle Collection South Africa

Callioratis curlei

Contact:

Alf Curle alf@curlecollection.org.za

Neville Curle neville@curlecollection.org.za

Postnet Suite 076

Private Bag X153

Bryanston

2021

Republic of South Africa

The Curle Collection has its origins in the mid 1950’s when two brothers, Alf and Neville Curle, began showing interest in Lepidoptera, as school children, in Zimbabwe. The interest grew over many years as the family moved firstly to Zambia and then to South Africa. Specimens were obtained from many countries in Africa and while the collection contains many species from the continent in later years the concentration was on Southern Africa species. In Lepidoptera the Mimicry amongst the butterflies (Rhopalocera) became a focus in the collection and this interest then extended into the moths (Heterocera) where some genera in some families used similar colours and patterns and flew by day. Another order of insects that caught the imagination of the brother were the Neuroptera. This collection is small but has some very interesting specimens, a few of which remain unnamed. Another interest that grew over the years was certain groups of the Order Coleoptera. These include the Cerambycidae, the Buprestoidae and Scarabaeoidea (Lucanidae and Cetoniinae). The collection is available as a source of information to any researcher working on any African group of insects where it can be of value. The collection also works on its own projects, the most current one being in the Satyridae with an emphasis on the Pseudonympha.

Contact can be made on the addresses given above.