Koča Microlepidoptera collection
This natural history collection is a closed collection. It consists of dry-preserved specimens of butterflies collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The majority of the material was collected in Croatia. The collection is housed in five appropriately sized entomological drawers (45 × 50 cm), stored in a single cabinet within the entomological repository of the Zoological Department.
The collection was assembled through the collecting activities of the renowned Croatian naturalist Gjuro Koča. Part of the original collection (approximately 1,200 specimens of Rhopalocera and Macroheterocera) was incorporated into the Central Butterfly Collection, while the remaining material, consisting of so-called Microlepidoptera, was retained as a separate collection.
The collection reflects the state of the fauna of its time and is of considerable scientific value, as it enables comparisons with present-day faunal conditions. This is particularly important because it focuses on Microlepidoptera, a group that includes numerous pest species. Today, the collection also serves as a valuable reference resource for the identification of pest species.
Collection Curator: Martina Šašić Kljajo
