Slovenia’s landscapes are famously diverse, but from the Adriatic coast to the Pannonian plain, they tend to have one sight in common: an abundance of flowery meadows. They serve as an ideal habitat for butterflies, which have attracted the attention of several leading researchers. It was the work of Ivan Hafner, however, that made lepidopterology a respected science in Slovenia.

Hafner was born in Slovenia’s Lower Carniola region in 1867. His father was a groundskeeper at a local castle, but the young Hafner was fascinated by butterflies, which he enjoyed collecting. However, he didn’t have enough funds for his university studies, and instead found employment in the postal service.

He was determined not to let his lack of a formal education stop him, and remained passionately dedicated to butterflies. He became a prolific writer on the subject and published several studies about Slovenian butterflies in prestigious journals. His articles for the journal Carniola prompted the first efforts to protect endangered butterfly species in the Slovenian Lands.

Due to Slovenia’s varied climatic zones, the local landscapes contain numerous species of butterflies, and Hafner went on to discover several new species and subspecies. Some were, like coleophora hafneri, were even named in his honor.

Over the years, he not only grew his own collection of butterflies, but also gave constant encouragement to other butterfly collectors. In the process, his work transformed Slovenian lepidopterology from a hobby into a respectable scientific pursuit. He also helped to set up some of the first butterfly collections at the Museum of Natural History in Ljubljana.

Hafner died in 1947, but he left a lasting impact on our understanding of the beautiful but often overlooked residents of Slovenia’s forests, meadows, and fields.