Vladimir Nabokov was not only a celebrated novelist but also an impassioned and dedicated lepidopterist. His scientific contributions were not always recognized during his lifetime, but recent efforts have proven many of his classifications and insights to be valid. In particular, Nabokov's theory of the evolution and movements of Polyommatus Blue butterflies illustrates his true scientific prowess.

In conjunction with the opening celebration of our new exhibit, From Nabokov's Net, please join us for a special talk with guest speaker Naomi E Pierce, Hessel Professor of Biology & Curator of Lepidoptera in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, as she discusses the exciting decade-long effort she and her team engaged in to ultimately prove the validity of Nabokov's scientific theories of the migration and evolution of the Blues  

Their analysis of the evolutionary history, biogeography and paleoecology of the Blues shows that climatic conditions across the Bering Straits served as a filter that determined which taxa were able to migrate to the New World from Asia, with cooling conditions during the mid-Miocene leading to only increasingly cold-adapted species being able to migrate across. Remarkably the findings were completely in-line with Nabokov's theories, which he had developed without access to high-tech scientific tools some sixty years earlier.

Naomi E. Pierce studies species interactions, particularly symbioses between ants and other organisms. The author of almost 200 papers and an edited book, Pierce is a member the National Academy of Sciences and has received honors such as a MacArthur Fellowship and the International Prize for Biology. Since 1991, she has been Hessel Professor of Biology and Curator of Lepidoptera at the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) at Harvard, the very place where Vladimir Nabokov was Assistant Curator of Lepidoptera during the 1940’s.

Dr. Pierce's talk is being presented in conjunction with two new exhibits at Mann Library:  From Nabokov's Net: Nabokov's Contributions to Butterfly Science & the Cornell University Insection Collection (Mann Gallery) and No Mere Curios: Finding Nabokov's Lepidopterist Inspiration in the Rare Books of Entomology (Mann Lobby).

Immediately following the presentation, an exhibit opening reception will take place in the Mann Gallery from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. All are welcome. 

This program is co-hosted by Mann Library and the Cornell University Insect Collection with the support of the Elizabeth (Betty) E. Rowley Fund for Mann Library.