Collections & Archives
Indexes to Collections
International Society of Arachnology (ISA)
Insect and Spider Collections of the World
Iowa State Entomology Index: Collections
U.S. Collections & Museums
American Museum of Natural History, Entomology
B.P. Bishop Museum of Cultural and Natural History, Entomology
Brigham Young University, Monte L. Bean Museum, Arthropod Collection
California Academy of Sciences, Entomology
California State Collection of Arthropods
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Invertebrate Zoology Section
Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, Geier Center
Clemson University Arthropod Collection
Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology
Colorado State University, C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Biodiversity
Cornell University Insect Collection
Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Museum of Entomology
Furman University, Collection of Lepidoptera
Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Entomology
Illinois Natural History Survey Insect Collection
Kansas State University, Museum of Entomological and Prairie Arthropod Research
Louisiana State University, Louisiana State Arthropod Museum
Michigan State University, A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection
Mississippi State University, Mississippi Entomological Museum
Montana State University, Montana Entomology Collection
Natural History Museum of L.A. County
New Mexico State University, Arthropod Collection
North Carolina State University, Insect Collection
Oklahoma State University, K.C. Emerson Entomology Museum
Oregon State University, Oregon State Arthropod Collection
Penn State University, Frost Entomological Museum
Purdue University's Entomological Research Collections (PERC)
Rutgers University Entomological Museum
San Diego Natural History Museum, Entomology
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Invertebrate Zoology: Entomology
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Entomology
South Dakota University, Severin-McDaniel Insect Research Collection
Texas A&M University, Digital Dragonfly Museum
Texas A&M University, Insect Collection
The Ohio State University, C.A. Triplehorn Insect Collection
University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
University of California-Berkeley, Museum of Paleontology, Invertebrate Collection
University of California-Berkeley, Essig Museum of Entomology
University of California-Davis, Bohart Entomology Museum
University of California-Riverside, Entomology Research Museum
University of Central Florida Collection of Arthropods
University of Colorado Museum, Entomology Collection
University of Connecticut Biological Collections, Insects
University of Georgia Collection of Arthropods
University of Kansas, Natural History Museum, Snow Entomology Museum
University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology, Insect Division
University of Minnesota, Insect Collection
University of Missouri, Wilbur R. Enns Entomology Museum
University of Nebraska State Museum, Entomology
University of New Hampshire, Insect and Arachnid Collections
University of New Mexico, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Arthropods
University of Puget Sound, D.R. Paulson Odonata Collection
University of South Carolina, Dominick Moth and Butterfly Collection
University of Washington, M.T. James Entomological Collection
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Insect Research Collection
University of Wyoming Insect Museum
Utah State University Insect Collection
Yale University, Peabody Museum, Entomology
International Collections & Museums
Australian National Insect Collection
British Museum of Natural History, Entomology Department
Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
Deutsche Entomologishes Institut
Lund University, Museum of Zoology, Entomological Collections
McGill University, Lyman Entomological Museum
Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle
New South Wales Agricultural Scientific Collections
New Zealand Arthropod Collection
Slovenian Museum of Natural History
Swedish Museum of Natural History
Universidad de Guadalajara, Colección Entomologica
University of Alberta, E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
University of Amsterdam, Zoological Museum Amsterdam, Entomology
University of Guelph, Insect Collection
University of Manitoba, J.B. Wallis Museum of Entomology
University of Queensland, Insect Collection
University of Sydney, Macleay Museum, Invertebrate Collection
Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Insect Reference Collection
Zoologische Staatssammlung Munchen
Scientific Illustration Archives/Image Galleries
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Insect Illustrations
Iowa State University Index of Image Galleries (by taxon)
Collection Size Rankings
Useful References
1971. The systematic biology collections of the United States: An essential resource. Part 1. The great collections: Their nature, importance condition, and future. A report to the National Science Foundation by the Conference of Directors of Systematic Collections. 33 pp.
Information on Large, Unsorted Holdings Available for Study
DPI, Gainesville, Florida. Contact M.C. Thomas (352-372-3505 x187)
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution: Department of Entomology backlog (contact: David G. Furth, 202-633-0990). Research material of Terry L. Erwin form Ecoador and Peru (Contact: Terry L. Erwin 202-633-1022)
Orphaned Collections
Recent North American Examples of Orphaned Institutional Collections [very incomplete]:
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History (adopting collection): Brown University; Amherst Collection, Indiana University; Dartmouth College
NMNH (adopting collection): Townson Univ (partial); Univ. Massachusetts (types).
California Academy of Sciences (adopting collection): Stanford University
Useful References
Horn, W. and I. Kahle. 1935. Ueber Entomologische Sammlungen, Part 1. Ent. Beihefte aus Berlin-Dahlem 2:1-160. Part 2: ibid. 1936. 3:161-292. Part 3: ibid. 1937. 4:297-536. [Lists destinations of many private and public collections, including sample handwriting of various historical entomologists]
Horn, W., I. Kahle, G. Friese, and R. Gaedike. 1990. Collectiones Entomologicae. Akademie der Landwirtschaftswissenschaften der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, 2 parts, 573pp. [basically a reprint of Horn & Kahle with some embellishments]
Sachtleben, H. 1961. Beitraege zur Entomologie 11(5/6):481-540.Nachtraege zu “Walter Horn & Ilse Kahle: Ueber entomologische Sammlungen”
Sherborn, C. D. 1940. Where is the ___ Collections: An account of the various natural history collections which have come under the notice of the compiler Charles Davies Sherborn between 1880 and 1939. Cambridge University Press, 148pp.
Management, Policies and Techniques
General Collection Management Policies (web sites, books, manuals, sample collection policies, etc.)
Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology’s Collections Management Policy (1998) – http://www.entomology.si.edu(under Other Resources)
American Museum of Natural History: Loan Policy
American Museum of Natural History: Miscellaneous Policies
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: Loan Policy
Collection Management Policies for dry, alcohol, slide, frozen and DNA tissue collections
American Museum of Natural History Frozen Tissue Collection
Smithsonian Institution Collection Management Policy
Smithsonian Institution DNA Collection
Valuation of Collections
(Papers, IRS)
Smithsonian Institution policy on valuation of collections: Institutional staff are forbidden from providing potential donors with a valuation of collections (i.e., conflict of interest). Institutional staff can only acknowledge the receipt of such donations/gifts and may be asked by a donor to complete Part IV (Donee Acknowledgement) section of an IRS Form 8283 indicating the institution’s tax ID number and signature/date. Donations of over $5000 in value must be accompanied by this IRS 8283 Form (Noncash Charitable Contributions) with a professional appraisal. Donations of natural history specimens/objects are generally included as items similar to art objects. The IRS considers the “fair market value” of items to be documented by similar amounts of money exchanged for similar objects, e.g., similar objects sold at an auction or in a commercial catalog.
Techniques for Collection & Preservation
Collecting and Preserving Insects and Mites
Electronic, updated version of Steyskal, G. C., W. L. Murphy and E. M. Hoover (Eds.). 1986. Insects and Mites: Techniques for Collection and Preservation. USDA ARS Misc. Publ. No. 1443, 103 pp.
Specimen Preparation Guidelines (by taxon)
Miscellaneous Collecting/Collection Literature
Duckworth, W.D., H.H. Genoways, C.L. Rose 1993. Preserving natural science collections: Chronicle of our environmental heritage. NSF, National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. 140 pp.
Zycherman, L.A. and J.R. Schrock (Eds.). 1988. A guide to museum pest control. Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artisitic Works and the Association of Systematics Collections. 205 pp.
Gibb, T. and C. OSETO. 2005. Arthropod Collection and Identification: Laboratory and Field Techniques. Academic Press. 336, 400 illus.
Triplehorn, C. A. and N. F. Johnson. 2004. Borror and DeLong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects. Seventh edition. Thomson Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA. 864 pp.
