Scientists finally acknowledged the contribution of
famous writer Vladimir Nabokov to entomology.
Author
of “Lolita” was keen on butterflies since childhood. Fame didn’t
distract him from these insects – money from one of his novels was
spent on an expedition to Pyrenees. After moving to America, Nabokov
headed butterfly department of a museum of comparative zoology of
Harvard University.
His favourite objects were butterflies Polyommatus blues.
The writer suggested a new classification system for this genus, based
upon structure of genitalia. Nabokov’s hypothesis was that these
butterflies arrived to North America, and then to Andes, from Asia via
Bering Strait during several waves of migration. No one believed the
writer at that time.
However, recent DNA studies
have confirmed Nabokov’s hypothesis. Ten million years ago, when
Earth’s climate was warmer, these butterflies left Asia for the New
World, flying through Bering Strait in five migration waves.