Nabokov and His Beloved Blues Butterflies
Author: Naomi MathewsPublished on: Jan 1, 2000
Vladimir Nabokov's deep love of pine forested regions of America and Europe was rooted in cherished moments of his boyhood home near St. Petersburg, Russia. The alpine forests near Montreux, Switzerland, where he lived from 1959 until his death in 1977, were his favorite collecting grounds.
Nabokov, August 1971, collecting above Gstaad, Switzerland. Photo by Dmitri Nabokov courtesy of Estate of Vladimir Nabokov.
Vladimir Nabokov was born one hundred years ago in his parents’ home on April 23, 1899 in St. Petersburg, Russia. His family were Russian aristocrats and possessed significant political influence, wealth, and intellectual distinction. He became independently wealthy at age sixteen, when he inherited Rozhdestveno, his uncle’s estate. However, his life of leisure and phenomenal wealth was short-lived, as he and his family fled from Russia when the Bolsheviks seized power during the 1917 revolution. Not only was Nabokov forced to leave behind his inherited estate, but also his cherished collections of books and butterflies.
His next twenty years were spent in exile in Western Europe in the countries of France, Germany, and England. For Nabokov and his family, those years were filled with poverty and much uncertainty about his future. It was during this tumultuous time that he wrote The Gift, a novel many believe is the most eminent Russian novel of the century.
In 1923 Nabokov met the love of his life, Vera Slonim. Following their marriage in 1925, Vera dedicated her life to her husband’s work. She became not only his constant companion, but served as his entomological assistant, teaching aide, and often his secretary. Dmitri Nabokov, their son, was born in 1934 in Berlin where they had stayed longer than most of their fellow exiles. Although Nabokov received some money from his literary pursuits, it was never a sufficient amount to support his family. To earn extra money he combined his writing with giving language lessons, while seeking academic work abroad.
In 1939, Nabokov received an offer from Stanford University to teach a summer course in Russian literature. At this time, war with Germany had already been declared, and since Vera was a Jew, Nabokov decided to escape from Europe with his family. With the help of friends and HIAS, a New York Jewish rescue organization, the Nabokovs were able to leave France and sail to America in May of 1940. Just three weeks later, German bombs destroyed the apartment building where the Nabokov family had been living.
Miraculously, some of Nabokov’s specimens--including Blue butterflies from Moulinet--were brought with him to America. However, since most of his European collection had been stored in the basement of the apartment building in France, those precious specimens were all destroyed when the Nazis plundered the building. This was now the third collection Nabokov had lost because of political turmoil. After this devastating loss, Nabokov decided to donate most of his specimens to various institutions he was later affiliated with.
Nabokov is most widely recognized as the author of Lolita, a serious novel he wrote while serving as the Cornell University literature professor during the 1950s. Lolita was published in 1958, but this was only a small portion of his literary career. He wrote seventeen novels, poems, plays, film screenplays, and various short stories--some in Russian, some in English.
Nabokov was not only a literary genius and a renown lepidopterist, he was also an adept illustrator of butterflies. He was noted for drawing multi colored butterflies on copies of his books dedicated to his beloved wife, Vera. Some of his fanciful drawings were plausible, some preposterous, but all were exquisite! Two of Nabokov’s striking illustrations are shown below with abbreviated captions as to their identity. These copyrighted illustrations and their captions were graciously provided by Ms. Sara Funke: “Courtesy of the Estate of Vladimir Nabokov.”
Lolita. Translated from English by the author [Pereval S Angliiskogo Avtor] , New York: Phaedra, (1967). The dedication copy, inscribed To my Verochka /October 1967/ Montreux. . . . The dust jacket is labeled Verochka’s in Russian, and he drew for her a spectacular butterfly on the front endpaper: Colias lolita Nab. (female), with the wing shape and pattern of a true female Colias, and lavender shades completely unknown in this group. At most, some northern and high mountain Sulphur butterflies tend to dusky green or grayish, but the idea of a vividly purple and blue Colias is grand indeed” (Johnson).
The Gift. Translated from the Russian by Michael Scammell with the collaboration of the author. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, (1963). First English edition, Juliar A17.3 The later of two dedication copies, inscribed to Vera in Russian on the front endpaper on their 43rd wedding anniversary: Here is the tenderest butterfly worthy of the anniversary. V. including 1925-68, the span of their marriage. With a large, elaborate pencil butterfly, meticulously colored in blue with red, orange, purple, and yellow highlights, named Charaxes verae Nabokov (female) / Montreux, Vaud 15.iv.68.
. . . “In nature,” Johnson comments, “the broad blue basal colors and the yellow marginal colors occur in different groups of Charaxes, not together. Nabokov’s magnificent Charaxes verae apparently illustrates how Nabokov would have imagined these bold colors aligned side by side.”
An excellent web site, ZEMBLA, pays tribute to Vladimir Nabokov on the occasion of his centenary for his outstanding legacy in lepidopterology. Named after the imaginary kingdom of Zembla in Nabokov’s famous novel Pale Fire, the site currently features abridged versions of Chapter 1 and Chapter 10 of Nabokov’s Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius (Kurt Johnson and Steve Coates).
Also featured on the ZEMBLA site is an exceptional article by Dr. Kurt Johnson titled "Nabokov’s Endangered Blues." (Note: Go to "NEWS", items 12/17/99 and 12/9/99) This piece relates the story of the Karner Blue and the endangered Nabokov Blues in South America. Five species have been documented as extirpated from their original localities. Others are known only from the original specimens in old museum collections. The legacy of documenting the fate of Nabokov’s South American blues is ongoing.
This genus, Nabokovia excisicosta, was named in honor of Nabokov by England's famous entomologist, Francis Hemming. By accident, Nabokov used a name for this group that, unbeknownst to him, had already been used by someone else. Therefore, when the CODE of nomenclature was formulated and the group needed a different name, Hemming chose "Nabokovia". As with this species (excisicosta) most Blues of this group are actually brown, and many, (although not this one) have oddly shaped wings. Captured in Argentina by Zsolt Balint. Photograph Copyright © Zsolt Balint
Paralycaeides inconspicua ("Inconspicuous Blue") gets its name because only the freshest specimens show clear under surface wing markings. Butterflies several days old are often worn and patternless, creating confusion for collectors and scientists. The Inconspicuous Blue is the most common and widespread of Nabokov's genus Paralycaeides. When Nabokov first studied this species, he realized it belonged in a unique genus. His name means "like Lycaeides" because these South American Blues reminded him of his favorite North American genus - "Lycaeides." Captured in Argentina by Zsolt Balint. Photograph: Copyright © Zsolt Balint
Some Blues Habitats in South America
Photographs: Copyright © David Kroenlein
Volcano Sarasara -- Habitat of “Nabokovia excisicosta” -- “Madeleinea sigal” -- “Paralycaeides inconspicua” -- and “Itylos titicaca” Blues. On the sides of this volcano in Chile, Israeli lepidopterist Dubi Benyamini discovered a new Blue which he named after his daughter, Sigal. He also found three rare species of Nabokov’s Blues.
Blues are common in the alpine “shrub-steppe” of the high Andes. Here, in northwestern Argentina, Dr. Kurt Johnson and his colleagues often found blues clustered on these yellow flowering bushes. High winds often buffet these highland areas (many far above 10,000 feet in altitude), but butterflies still cling successfully to these bushes and can be located in profusion.
Foot of volcano Sajamo -- a high altitude bog habitat of “Itylos inconspicua”. In Nabokov’s pioneering Harvard publication on Latin American Blues in 1945, a few of his most important specimens hailed from the flanks of this huge volcano on the border of Bolivia and Chile. Because of this, as recorded in Nabokov’s Blues, modern scientists had to revisit the region, an adventure that even in the “summer” in South America got them stuck in ice and snow.
NOTE: To view additional photos and Nabokov illustrations please see the PHOTOGRAPH ADDENDUM PAGE that accompanies this article.
SPECIAL THANKS: To Dr. Kurt Johnson, and also to the many others who so graciously assisted me in coordinating this first in a series of two articles featuring endangered Blues butterflies. Watch for my February 2000 article which will focus on the "Karner Blues!"
CO-FEATURE LINKS: The following excellent sites are featuring vital data in a united effort to inform readers about the endangered status of both Nabokov Blues and Karner Blues. Learn how we can all help save these beautiful butterflies from possible extinction before it's too late by visiting each site.
Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius. This exceptional book is coauthored by Kurt Johnson and Steve Coates. Kurt Johnson is the foremost expert on Nabokov's lepidoptery. Steve Coates is a staff editor at The New York Times. They both live in New York City.
Read outstanding reviews about Nabokov's Blues at Zoland Books. Abridged versions of Chapter 1: "The Most Famous Lepidopterist in the World" and Chapter 10: "Dancing with Fire" are currently featured on this site. Note: See these features via NEWS AND REVIEWS at Zoland Books, which will take you to "samples", "interviews" and "web ring links".
Save the Pine Bush. This excellent, informative site is dedicated to saving the habitats of Karner Blue butterflies in North America.
The Lepidopterists' Society. Read the superb article published on this site, Vladimir Nabokov and The Lepidopterists’ Society: a centenary tribute. (Kurt Johnson).
Electronic Resources on Lepidoptera. This is one of the most comprehensive web sites on lepidoptera on the Internet! It offers a wealth of information about butterflies and moths, providing comprehensive pointers to other sources of electronic data on lepidoptera.
Endangered Butterflies is a new web site dedicated to threatened butterflies (and moths) and their habitats worldwide. Some of its first features are on various Nabokov's Blues.
North American Butterfly Association. The NABA is a membership-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving butterflies in North America. Currently featured on the NABA site is Robert Dirig's fascinating article, Karner Blue, Sing Your Purple Song. Dirig had his first glimpse of a 'Karner' Melissa Blue in 1975 near Karner, NY. See fabulous photos of exquisite Karner Blues in their natural habitat taken by Dirig.
The Karner Blue Butterfly {Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis}. View a striking photo of a Karner Blue Butterfly!
Nabokov's Blues: The Scientific Odyssey of a Literary Genius. Kurt Johnson and Steve Coates (Zoland Books, October 1999). An acclaimed and easily readable account of Nabokov's science, his literature and general biography.
Chasing Monarchs. Robert Michael Pyle (Houghton Mifflin, April 1999). An easy to read and acclaimed account of the Monarch butterfly, its annual migration and its ecological plight.
Nabokov's Butterflies. Unpublished and Uncollected Writings. Edited by Brian Boyd and Robert Michael Pyle (Beacon Press, April 2000). A compendium and commentary containing all the previously unpublished works of Nabokov on butterflies, both literary and scientific.
A World for Butterflies. P. J. Schappert (Key Porter Books, spring 2000). A colorfully illustrated and fascinating account of butterflies, their habitats, and the needs and methods for their preservation.