The Butterflies of the World Collection created by Joe Selle

Statement from Pana History Museum regarding the Joe Selle Collection of Lepidoptera:

Many of the butterflies and moths in this collection represent species which have suffered greatly from habitat destruction and over-collecting. Our goal at the Pana History Museum in putting this collection on display is to inspire a great appreciation for the immense diversity of these beautiful creatures God has created. We hope it will inspire you as it has us to become better stewards of this earth on which we live. The specimens in this collection were purchased by Mr. Selle throughout much of his life from the 1920’s through the 1990’s. They were kept in cases he built and was well-maintained in cabinets.

A time came when Joe could no longer stay in his house due to health concerns and had to leave his home and collection. Thankfully, a chance meeting with Joe eventually led him to donate his collection to the Pana History Museum with the full confidence it would find a good home here. It is now our pleasure to display it to the delight of all lovers of butterflies and moths.

Joe Selle Biography

Joe Selle is a native of Decatur Illinois. Growing up on a farm outside Decatur, he became fascinated with butterflies and moths “from about the time he could walk,” as he put it. Joe began collecting butterflies from the local countryside in the 1920’s and described the local woods, fields and roadsides as containing “billions” of butterflies.

At the age of seventeen, Joe enlisted in the United States Air Force as a weapons technician. During his tour of duty during the Korean War, from 1950-54, he was stationed for a time at the air force base near Las Vegas, Nevada. One of his great experiences was meeting and becoming good friends with Frank Sinatra at a time when Sinatra was beginning his rise to fame.

After Joe finished his military service, he began a career at Caterpillar in Decatur becoming a crane operator.
It was also at this time when Joe returned to his love of butterflies and moths and befriended many of the renown lepidopterists in the world as he amassed his collection of exotic species. Joe resides in his hometown of Decatur, Illinois where his love for butterflies and moths has not waned.