Anthony Valletta

Anthony Valletta (21 December 1908 – 8 December 1988 in Birkirkara, Malta) was a well known teacher, lepidopterist and naturalist. He was a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. He wrote several books on nature in the Maltese Islands, such as Know the Trees and Know the Birds. He also discovered a sub-species of moth which has been named after him - Pterolonche vallettae.^[citation needed] His collection of butterflies and insects was the largest in Malta.[1] He was one of the first people in Malta to start a public consciousness to protect the island's environmental heritage.

He was a headteacher at three state schools, in Luqa, Għaxaq and Birkirkara and later an inspector of government schools[2] for the Department of Education. Birkirkara Primary School was named after him.

Published books

• Know the birds (1954)
• Know the wild flowers (1955)
• Know the trees (1959)
• The butterflies of the Maltese Islands (1971)
• The moths of the Maltese Islands (1972)
• Mit-tfulija man-natura (Since childhood with nature) - an autobiography (1983)

References

1. Paul M Samutt (29 June 1983). "History of Maltese butterfly collecting". The Times of Malta. p. 6 – via Docdroid.
2. "Teacher Education Programme". The Times of Malta. 10 March 1960. p. 9 – via Docdroid.