The entomological collections of the Bishop Museum are a unique national resource for purposes of research, documentation and identification of insects. They are the third largest entomological collections in the U.S., containing more than 13 million specimens and nearly 13,000 primary types. The regional emphasis is on the Pacific Basin, and the collections are unequalled for this area. Prior NSF support to the collections provided significant expansion of storage equipment (cabinets, drawers) and technical assistance and allowed exceptional progress in collections management, organization, curation and processing of the backlogged materials. This project will provide partial support for rehousing of the collections in compactorized storage and modern, air- conditioned quarters. This will result in radical improvements in space utilization, organization and management of the collections, as well as in staff efficiency. Separate facilities will be provided for the general pinned collections, alcohol- preserved material, specimens mounted on slides, and type specimens.
