The collection is a result of the enthusiasm of Jacek Kobiela – an artist, art restorer, and a naturalist by avocation. He began his collection in 1980 by purchasing several old specimens of both local and exotic butterflies. Thanks to contacts with professional entomologists in Poland and abroad, he was able to acquire specimens from different parts of the world. Part of the collection comes from the his own butterfly hunting, acquired during travels in Europe, South America, Central America and Asia Minor. He obtained the butterflies from Africa through the Sisters of Mercy from Bangui in the Central African Republic, who conduct missionary activity in that country and used the money they earned from the butterflies for missionary purposes. The butterflies from the Palearctic realm (Europe) come mainly from the private collection of Jacek Kobiela's friend, Edward Palik (1919–2008), a great butterfly enthusiast. The museum houses butterflies from the collections of various Polish entomologists, including: Jerzy Turzański, Henryk Sudołowicz, Dr. Tomasz Pyrcz, Witold Niesiołoski, Dr. Stanisław Gruszka from Wrocław, Rześniewski from Obertyn, Chrostowskiego from Biecz and Czesław Bieżanko from Kielce.

America – Nearctic realm – zoographic realm comprising the northern part of Mexico, North America and Greenland.

The monarch – Danaus plexippus – is a well-known butterfly due to the fact that populations in North America undertake mass migrations. In autumn, butterflies flying south can cover a distance of up to around 3,000 km.

Europe – Palearctic realm: zoogeographic realm comprising the entire European continent, the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde, Africa above the Tropic of Cancer, the Arabian Peninsula excluding the coastal strip included in the Ethiopian region, the Japanese Islands, Asia Minor and those regions of Asia north of the Himalayas. It is the largest zoogeographic realm by surface area. The gossamer-winged butterflies (Lycaenidae) are a family of around 6,000 species of small, often brightly coloured butterflies, including the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), and the hairstreaks (Theclinae). The caterpillars of many gossamer-winged butterflies are closely associated with ants, which are happy to gorge on their sweet secretions, protecting them from enemies in return. Ants take caterpillars of some gossamer-winged butterflies to their anthills and feed them through the entire larval development period or a part of it. There are also predatory caterpillars of gossamer-winged butterflies, who feed on the larvae of the ants that invited them.

African death's-head hawkmoth – a moth of the Sphingidae family. The yellow-black wings and abdomen resemble the stinging Hymenoptera (e.g., hornets or wasps), which the butterfly uses to scare away predators. The butterfly's agility and speed of flight help it to escape. When alarmed, it makes a squeaking sound by blowing air through its proboscis.