Bernhard Papp

This week some sad news reached the European breeding community. Bernhard Papp, a well known, very experienced beetle breeder passed away. This German breeder is one the first people in Europe that started breeding beetles on a big scale. For a long time in his breeding carreer he bred more than 100 species.

Bernhard is was a very helpful person, whith whom I sometimes mailed to ask question about substrates, breeding challenges in Cetoniinae, diapause of palearctic species and so on. He always gave helpful advice and motivated to help look for answers by experimenting in breeding.

Bernhard was perhaps the proto-type , the embodiment, of what a European beetle breeder is. Despite breeding all kinds of beetle, his main interest was always on flowerbeetles. He bred both the easy and difficult species with passion, and kept promoting that the degree of difficulty doesn't matter in how a beetle should be appreciated. An example of this is how he kept different species of Cyprolais for over 12 years. Managing to add new blood when needed he kept the population stable for all those years, sometimes having 2 generations per year. In this aspect I think he was (and still is) a prime role model for many in the breeding.

He carried with him also a gentle spirit. He was always ready to give advice were needed and never insulted anyone who had different ideas than him, generally a great person.

Rest in peace Bernhard, it is very sad that we lose you this early. We will try and live up to your name.