GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A gift of more than 2 million butterfly and moth specimens to the University of Florida contains hundreds and possibly more than 1,000 new unnamed species, and will help researchers better understand biodiversity and environmental changes.
The gift to the Florida Museum of Natural History from Dr. William and Nadine McGuire of Wayzata, Minn., is valued at more than $41 million, and also includes funding for curation of the Lepidoptera collection, ongoing taxonomic and biodiversity related research, training of scientists and publication of books and relevant papers. The gift brings the number of specimens in UF’s collection to more than 9 million, one of the world’s largest.
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They are the Auschwitz of the Lepidoptera world, and Bill McGuire is their Joseph Mengele. They should stand trial for their crimes against butterflies and moths.
Rumor has it, before the moths were ‘collected’, he forced them to wear tiny little signs with their registration numbers, and they were denied the same public rights that most of the butterflies received.
$41 million? Really? Is that the value of death and destruction these days? Some would say that each body would be priceless to his/her family. Outrageous…..put them on trial! WE WANT JUSTICE!
My 4 yr old LOVES the collection. Am I a co-conspirator then? All joking aside the Natural History Museum in G’ville is a MUCH cooler place to go visit than when we were in school.