Entomology Collection
Approximately 350,000 specimens, primarily from the northeastern United States and collected beginning in the early 1900s, are a highly important record of the invertebrate biodiversity of our region. A subset of our holdings is global in coverage and includes tropical beetles, butterflies, and other insects.
Interested in visiting the collection, obtaining more information on our holdings or making a loan request? Contact the Collections Manager of Invertebrate Zoology.
Mantodea
The collection of Mantodea (praying mantises) is comprised of three collection areas including Svenson’s research collection and tissue repository and the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution collection. The Smithsonian collection is under curatorial direction of Svenson and will be located at the Museum for at least 10 years for ongoing research. The collection houses approximately 13,500 specimens, which is the largest collection in the Western Hemisphere and rivals collections in Paris and Berlin. As one of the largest praying mantis collections in the world, the Department of Invertebrate Zoology has become a center for Mantodea research and student training. In addition, the Department is home to a research project on praying mantis systematics and evolution (see
Project Mantodea website) funded by the US National Science Foundation.
General Holdings
Zahrobsky Collection
A large number of specimens came from the acquisition of this collection with a worldwide representation, but especially strong in material from Pennsylvania. Included some 70,000 beetles. Specimens collected between approximately 1902 and 1930.
Teraguchi Collection
Curator at the Museum from 1975-1999, Dr. Sonja Teraguchi's work provided many Homoptera and Lepidoptera, including a strong effort to catalog species richness of moths over 10 years in northeastern Ohio. Also added to collection of Nearctic Homoptera.
Foote Collection
Large numbers of Nearctic acalyptrate Diptera have been donated since 2000; donations are ongoing by Dr. Ben Foote, Professor Emeritus of Kent State University.
Keiper Collection
Especially strong in Diptera, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from the Nearctic. Some Neotropical (Belize) and Afrotropical (Kenya) material as well.
Deonier Collection
A large collection of southeastern United States shore flies (Diptera: Ephydridae) was donated by Dr. Dick Deonier in 2001.
Chapman Collection
Eric Chapman, a graduate student at Kent State University has donated various insect specimens, most notably North American Odonata and Lepidoptera. Current research includes systematics of the snailkilling fly genus
Tetanocera (Diptera: Sciomyzidae).
Hutchison Collection
Former summer intern Leigh Hutchison conducted a water quality project using benthic macroinvertebrates as indicator organisms in the Geauga Park District. She donated the nearly 10,000 specimens to the Museum's aquatics collection in 2004.
Smith Collection
David Smith, a collector of Lepidoptera from central Ohio, donated nearly 3,000 specimens to the Museum in February 2005. Most are micro-Lepidoptera, and represent difficult-to-identify moths with wing spans of less than 2 cm. Mr. Smith IDed many specimens, whereas others were sent to experts for confirmation.
Rings Collection
The larval collection of Dr. Roy Rings, a prominent collector of Lepidoptera who put out many publications on Ohio species, is in two cabinets. The collection is represented by many instars from various species of butterfly and moth, and includes some dipteran and hymenopteran parasites and parasitoids.
Facilities
Entomology: The entomological section supports 22 rows of eight steel cabinets mounted on a manual compactor system, which accommodates 4,224 USNM format drawers. Unit trays are installed within drawers for specimen sorting and management. The alcohol entomology collection is housed in a number of offset cabinets with internal shelving and unit trays for organization. Alcohol maintained material is held within individual glass vials. An eight meter work bench is positioned adjacent to the compactors accommodates for multiple computer terminals, stereomicroscopes and general work areas. In addition, a number of general work tables are present for normal curatorial work within both the pinned and alcohol collections. Supply cabinets and shelving are also present.
Microscopy: The Department of Invertebrate Zoology maintains multiple stereomicroscopes for dedicated use including a Wild M5 scope with camera lucida, American Optics dissection scopes, one Leica dissecting scope, one Leica compound microscope, a Leica M165C fitted with an HD camera for live morphometric analysis, and a Leica M80 fitted with camera lucida for illustration. In addition, the department houses the Museum microscope facility that includes a Zeiss Discovery v12 with a motorized z-stepper and 13 megapixel camera for image stacking and a Zeiss Discovery v8 for standard use. In addition, the department also has acquired a Visionary Digital Passport Storm imaging system using a Canon 5D 21 megapixel digital SLR fitted with 50 mm, 100 mm, and an MP-E 65 mm lenses for deep-field imaging of specimens using stacking software.