By Amandine Péquignot, Maître de conférences du Muséum, MNHN (Paris)
“Bicho” defines in Spanish a small animal, especially insect, but also a person. In Argentina, a “bicho raro” describes a man of alert and insightful intelligence.

19 de octubre de 1900, n°107
Friedrich Wilhelm Karl Berg, better known by the name of Carlos Berg (1843-1902) could be a “bicho raro” by being an entomologist who was out of the ordinary for his way of preparing his collection and a sharp person whose movement between Europe, Argentina and Uruguay we can follow thanks to his collections left and his particular technique of preparation and arrangement of specimens. Berg were among the most important and influential zoologists in Argentina.
Born in Tukums (current-day Latvia), having worked a few years in trade and being librarian, Berg moved in 1865 to Riga where he became curator of the entomological department of the Riga Museum and then teacher in natural history and chemistry at the Technical Preparatory School of the Baltic Polytechnic in Riga.at the Riga Technical University. Around 1872, he was called by Carlos Burmeister, director of the museum of natural history in Buenos Aires (Argentina), who searched for entomologists to fill the new position of inspector at the Public Museum. A few years later, he became a professor of biology at the Faculty of Physical and Natural Sciences of the National College of Buenos Aires. In 1892, Berg succeeded the late Burmeister as director of the Museum. Within this establishment, Berg took part in the expansion of many collections including in entomology.
Between 1875 and 1901, Berg described and named over 21 genera and 122 species of Lepidoptera. One of the most important Lepidoptera publication was “Lepidopteros patagónicos observados en el viaje de 1874” (1875).
In 1906, the entomologist Carlos Bruch (1869-1943), at the time in charge of the zoology section and greatly influenced by Berg, informed about the selling of Berg’s private collection, among others, his entomological collection (Source : MLP archives). The Museo de La Plata bought the collection which represented around the 10 000 specimens and 590 types nowadays.

Museo de La Plata (MLP) © Guadalupe del Rio (MLP)
In answer to the ladybug’s caricature in Caras y Caretas, we took as exemple a Exoplectra fulgurata (Berg, 1874) presented in the MLP’s entomological collection to illustrate Berg’s labelling. He developed a very personal and distinctive practice for organizing and labeling his collection as we observed for ichthyologic specimens preserved in fluid at the MACN (Chiaramonte and Péquignot, 2019) which today allows them to be clearly identified or also recognized when the collection has been revised by him. As well in entomology, Berg wrote himself his label (recognize of the typical “B” of Berg), the type status of the specimens was reported by a tiny label framed in red with “Typus” printed in red, the Latin name was written on a tiny label with red framed when it was a typus specimen, the locality – was typed on a tiny green label -when it is in Argentina.


Uruguay, Berg, 1874. © Guadalupe del Rio (MLP)
A red label with red frame and the red inscription “Cumtypo/comparat”, a white label with red frame with the “Exoplectra fulgurata. 1874. Berg” writing by Berg with Chinese ink, a round blue label with the number “533” in Chinese ink, and a white label with black frame which reads “Uruguay” locality


A green label with the inscription “Buenos Aires” typing, a white label and red frame with the red inscription “Typus,” a white label with red frame with the “Plea maculosa. Berg” writing by Berg, a round blue label with the number “1643” in Chinese ink, and a recent white label with “MUSEO DE LA PLATA, he-10070” printing
Since from 1890 to 1892, Berg was director of the National Museum of natural history in Montevideo (Uruguay), we may follow el “bicho raro” other way too…
To be continued
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Nathalie Richard (October 3, 2022). Carlos Berg, Tracking el “bicho raro” en Argentina. SciCoMove — Scientific Collections on the Move. Retrieved April 28, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/twt6