Lepiforum: Identification of European Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) and their Developmental Stages

This internet portal, founded September 16, 2002, by Walter Schoen [www.schmetterling-raupe.de] as "Forum Schmetterlinge und Raupen bestimmen", is administered since December 23, 2004, by Erwin Rennwald [lepidopterological supervision] and Juergen Rodeland [technical support]. Other members of the editorial staff are [in alphabethical order]: Ingrid Altmann, Jutta Bastian (Calendar of Events), Peter Buchner, Armin Dahl, Mario Finkel, Juergen Hensle, Michel Kettner (parle français), Allan Liosi (nederlandstalig), Jens Philipp, Rainer Roth, Heinrich Vogel, and Karola Winzer. Since 2006, this portal has been running with the financial support of The Lepiforum Society (non-profit).

Forum 1: Identification of butterflies and moths, including their eggs, caterpillars (larvae), chrysalids (pupae), feeding patterns, larval shelters, hostplants, etc.

Forum 2: Discussion of any other topics concerning butterflies and moths.

Three Discussion Board Archives contain 199,689 postings from September 16, 2002 until April, 102010.

Photographic Identification Aid: We currently provide approx. 42,000 images showing 3,403 of the 4,510 Lepidoptera species occurring in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, or 4,246 of all 9,225 European species. Contributions are welcome: post your photos in Forum 2. So far there are diagnostic texts (most in German) on 3.561 species, and 2,065 pages of image sets for comparing species.

Please take the time to read our User's Guidelines, at least the brief version, before posting in one of our Discussion Boards.

Chatroom (for members of The Lepiforum Society)

Bookmark this site

More information in this site [so far only in German]:

Reviews of Literature on European Lepidoptera, and Links to other Lepidoptera websites
A glossary of lepidopterological terms.
How to adapt digital photos for this site. Winners of our photo competition 2006.
What's new here? Visitor's statistics.
Photo puzzles, and essays.
A Calendar of entomological events.
The Lepiforum Society (financial support for this website), and Imprint.

As the Lepiforum website was created by lepidopterists from German-speaking countries, the first language was, of course, German. However, as we are gradually enlarging our image database to include all European species and as we are having visitors from many countries we aim to provide an English language version of the entire site. A French version is also planned.

Please do bear in mind that this website is very much a work-in-progress. Inevitably there are many gaps, and there will be some inaccuracies and probably some occasional errors. Corrections are welcome.