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
Academy of Natural
Sciences
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
FMNH arthropod collections
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
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 Florida,
Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and
Biodiversity
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 Museum
Australian National Insect
Collection
British Museum of Natural
History, Entomology Department
Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian National
Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
Deutsche Entomologishes
Institut
Lund University, Museum of
Zoology, Entomological Collections
McGill University, Lyman
Entomological Museum
Museu Goeldi
Museum National
d’Histoire Naturelle
Museum Victoria
Museum Wiesbaden
New South Wales
Agricultural Scientific Collections
New Zealand Arthropod
Collection
Queensland Museum
Siberian Zoological Museum
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 Copenhagen
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
The Department of
Entomology, Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University under
Historical Collections lists some 1986 collection size numbers for the major
North American collections.
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
The Natural History Museum, London: Curatorial Policies and Collections
Management Procedures, 2003, Appendix 2 is for Entomology (pp. 23-24).
California Academy of
Sciences, Department of Entomology: Acquisition and Collection Development
and Maintenance Policy (2000)
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.
