Viljo Lauro and the Butterfly Collections

  • Viljo Eemil Lauro (known as Lönngren until 1927) was born on June 30, 1899, in Huittinen, into a merchant family. He attended secondary school at Pori Lyceum, graduating in 1919. Lauro likely developed his interest in butterflies from Elias Suomalainen, who was a natural science teacher at the lyceum at that time.

    Lauro continued his butterfly collecting hobby during his years as a priest in Tyrvää from 1934 to 1948. Most of his collection was gathered in Reposaari, where he served as the vicar from 1948 until his retirement in 1966. Besides his duties as a vicar, he also taught religion in both Tyrvää and Reposaari.

    During his more than 25 years in Reposaari, Lauro conducted pioneering work in documenting the island’s butterfly species. His collection is a significant representation of the local butterfly fauna from the 1950s to the 1970s. During these decades, the capture of moths improved significantly, especially with the introduction of light traps. Lauro was exceptionally enthusiastic about light trapping, as evidenced by his extensive collection of geometer and owlet moths.

    Lauro’s collection is exceptionally valuable as a comprehensive local collection gathered over a long period. It also includes species found outside Satakunta: during his vacations, Vicar Lauro enjoyed collecting trips to places like Åland and Kilpisjärvi in the Arm of Lapland. Lauro’s collection comprises 715 species and over 4,000 specimens. Such a collection was a significant aid in species identification before the internet. Even today, comparing a specimen to a sample is often more effective than identifying it from a picture. Because butterfly colors fade quickly in light, the butterfly room is kept dark most of the time.

  • Elias Suomalainen was a natural science teacher at Pori Lyceum in the early 20th century. He had an extraordinarily strong influence on students’ interest in natural sciences. Even after their school years, many students sent various animal and plant samples to their former school. From their distant travels, students also sent Suomalainen tropical butterflies, which accumulated into a significant collection at the lyceum.

    Unfortunately, over time, many small pests that eat butterflies infiltrated the collection. By the early 2000s, a significant portion of the magnificent tropical butterfly collection had been destroyed. It was then decided to move the collection to the Ark Nature Centre, where proper preservation could be ensured. Most of the collection is now stored in the basement storage rooms of the Ark Nature Centre.

  • Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)

    In Viljo Lauro’s collection, besides the Apollo or Mountain Apollo (Parnassius apollo), which has disappeared from Satakunta, there is also the Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) (Day Butterflies Display). The Clouded Apollo is endangered and protected throughout Finland.

    The reason for the Clouded Apollo becoming endangered is environmental change, mainly due to changes in agriculture and the decline of grazing. Typically, the habitats of the Clouded Apollo are lush meadows that need mowing or grazing to stay open. The Clouded Apollo caterpillar has only one food plant: the Solid-tubered Corydalis (Corydalis solida). Therefore, the species is quite demanding regarding its habitat. In Satakunta, there is a viable population of the Clouded Apollo in Eurajoki.

     

    False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina)

    In Viljo Lauro’s collection, there is a False Heath Fritillary (Melitaea diamina) collected from Reposaari, Pori in the 1950s (Day Butterflies Display). The False Heath Fritillary is a species of wet meadows, which is very endangered and protected in Finland. The caterpillars’ only food plant is Valeriana excelsa, which is quite common in moist, semi-open environments in Southern Finland.

    The False Heath Fritillary used to be found in large areas, including Satakunta, but has significantly declined over the past decades. Changes in agriculture and other land use, such as the afforestation of meadows and the reduction of cattle grazing, have led to the disappearance of suitable wet meadow habitats for the species.

    The habitats of the False Heath Fritillary can be managed by light soil disturbance, clearing, mowing, and grazing. Protecting the species also requires improving the living conditions of caterpillar’s food plant. The presence of the False Heath Fritillary has been surveyed in Satakunta. As a result of these studies, new habitats have been found, which are extremely important for conservation on a national scale.

     

    Frigga’s Fritillary (Boloria frigga)

    A Frigga’s Fritillary (Boloria frigga) collected from Loppi in 1966 is displayed in Viljo Lauro’s collection (Day Butterflies Display). The species’ habitats are bogs, especially fens. Frigga’s Fritillary occurs very locally, with its distribution now mainly in Northern Lapland. In natural fens where cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) grows, the species can still be abundant. The caterpillar of Frigga’s Fritillary feeds on cloudberry.

    Frigga’s Fritillary has declined in Southern Finland, mainly due to peatland management activities such as drainage and peat extraction. The butterfly’s natural habitats have become rare due to the drainage of bogs. The species is not endangered but is considered near-threatened because the number of individuals has significantly decreased: for example, in Satakunta, only seven observations have been recorded in the 2000s according to the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility database.

  • Starting a butterfly hobby is best done by visiting the website of the Finnish Lepidopterological Society and joining the association. The association’s website provides guidelines for those interested in collecting butterflies and especially for beginners. The instructions cover the basics of butterfly watching, collecting, identifying, handling, and creating a collection.