A lifelong advocate for butterflies and moths, whose passion for conservation and education has shaped one of Sweden’s most remarkable private collections of Lepidoptera.
Göran Sjöberg, born in 1947, is a renowned entomologist with a lifelong passion for butterflies and moths. Over more than five decades, he has become a leading figure in Swedish entomology, particularly for his work in the study and conservation of Lepidoptera.
His interest in butterflies began in the early 1960s, with a focus on species in the Baltic Sea region. One of his early notable discoveries was the rediscovery of the Gray Streak (Horisme aemulata) on Gotska Sandön in 1960, a species previously only known in central European mountains. This discovery was made possible through a two-week scholarship he received upon completing his matriculation in 1968, followed by many summers of study on the island, where he identified several new species, including the first Swedish record of Pyralis regalis. These summers also marked the beginning of his long-standing relationship with Ingvar Svensson, Sweden’s foremost butterfly expert, and solidified Göran’s dedication to the study of butterflies both in Sweden and globally.
Throughout his career, Göran has passionately promoted butterfly conservation and education. His initiatives include organizing butterfly-watching events, leading educational programs, and advocating for the preservation of natural habitats. Göran also spearheaded the creation of Fjärilsvägen in 2007, Sweden’s first official butterfly road, a three-kilometer car-free route in Grinduga, southeast of Gävle, where over 50 butterfly species can be observed in their natural habitat.
As chairman of Gästrikland’s Entomological Association, Göran fostered a vibrant community of butterfly enthusiasts in the region. His personal collection, housed at the Museo Avellonia, is one of the most extensive private butterfly collections in Sweden, featuring around 100,000 specimens from across the globe.
In addition to his own efforts, Göran has expanded his collection through numerous contributions from over 100 collectors. His collection includes rare and historic specimens, such as butterflies collected by the Pratt Brothers and Albert Stewart Meek, a famed wildlife collector for Lord Rothschild in New Guinea. Göran also preserved the extensive Gästrikland collection from the 1940s and 1950s, originally amassed by Master Painter Ragnar Östlund.
Göran’s mentor, Yngve Christiernsson, bequeathed his entire tropical butterfly collection to Göran, a gesture reflecting the high regard others had for his meticulous care of such collections. Over the years, Göran also embarked on several trips around the world, not only to collect butterflies but to immerse himself in the environments where these species thrive.
As Göran’s health has declined in recent years, he has bequeathed his entire collection to the Museum of Evolution in Uppsala, where he has been supported in his research and given access to invaluable historical collections, including Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s tropical butterfly collection. This collection, one of the world’s most unique, was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae using his binomial nomenclature system.
Göran has also written extensively about Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s butterfly collection, particularly her influence on the naming of butterflies after figures from Homer’s Iliad. He believes it was the queen herself who inspired these names, given her cultural background and deep interest in antiquity. Göran has thoroughly researched the connections between the butterflies’ appearances and the mythological figures they were named after, a topic he explored in his journal, Insectifera, which he founded in 1993.
Due to declining health and the passing of several key members, Gästrikland’s Entomological Society has been inactive in recent years. The most recent issue of Insectifera, published in 2019, focused on Göran’s 40 years of research on the elusive Colias ponteni, one of the world’s rarest butterflies. This was his final major publication, capping off a remarkable career dedicated to the study and conservation of butterflies.
Göran Sjöberg, born in 1947, is a renowned entomologist with a lifelong passion for butterflies and moths. Over more than five decades, he has become a leading figure in Swedish entomology, particularly for his work in the study and conservation of Lepidoptera.
His interest in butterflies began in the early 1960s, with a focus on species in the Baltic Sea region. One of his early notable discoveries was the rediscovery of the Gray Streak (Horisme aemulata) on Gotska Sandön in 1960, a species previously only known in central European mountains. This discovery was made possible through a two-week scholarship he received upon completing his matriculation in 1968, followed by many summers of study on the island, where he identified several new species, including the first Swedish record of Pyralis regalis. These summers also marked the beginning of his long-standing relationship with Ingvar Svensson, Sweden’s foremost butterfly expert, and solidified Göran’s dedication to the study of butterflies both in Sweden and globally.
Throughout his career, Göran has passionately promoted butterfly conservation and education. His initiatives include organizing butterfly-watching events, leading educational programs, and advocating for the preservation of natural habitats. Göran also spearheaded the creation of Fjärilsvägen in 2007, Sweden’s first official butterfly road, a three-kilometer car-free route in Grinduga, southeast of Gävle, where over 50 butterfly species can be observed in their natural habitat.
As chairman of Gästrikland’s Entomological Association, Göran fostered a vibrant community of butterfly enthusiasts in the region. His personal collection, housed at the Museo Avellonia, is one of the most extensive private butterfly collections in Sweden, featuring around 100,000 specimens from across the globe.
In addition to his own efforts, Göran has expanded his collection through numerous contributions from over 100 collectors. His collection includes rare and historic specimens, such as butterflies collected by the Pratt Brothers and Albert Stewart Meek, a famed wildlife collector for Lord Rothschild in New Guinea. Göran also preserved the extensive Gästrikland collection from the 1940s and 1950s, originally amassed by Master Painter Ragnar Östlund.
Göran’s mentor, Yngve Christiernsson, bequeathed his entire tropical butterfly collection to Göran, a gesture reflecting the high regard others had for his meticulous care of such collections. Over the years, Göran also embarked on several trips around the world, not only to collect butterflies but to immerse himself in the environments where these species thrive.
As Göran’s health has declined in recent years, he has bequeathed his entire collection to the Museum of Evolution in Uppsala, where he has been supported in his research and given access to invaluable historical collections, including Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s tropical butterfly collection. This collection, one of the world’s most unique, was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae using his binomial nomenclature system.
Göran has also written extensively about Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s butterfly collection, particularly her influence on the naming of butterflies after figures from Homer’s Iliad. He believes it was the queen herself who inspired these names, given her cultural background and deep interest in antiquity. Göran has thoroughly researched the connections between the butterflies’ appearances and the mythological figures they were named after, a topic he explored in his journal, Insectifera, which he founded in 1993.
Due to declining health and the passing of several key members, Gästrikland’s Entomological Society has been inactive in recent years. The most recent issue of Insectifera, published in 2019, focused on Göran’s 40 years of research on the elusive Colias ponteni, one of the world’s rarest butterflies. This was his final major publication, capping off a remarkable career dedicated to the study and conservation of butterflies.
