The Insect Division of the Field Museum of Natural History houses an internationally renowned collection of over nine million insects and related arthropods. The collection continues to grow rapidly and is used heavily for research (over 20,000 specimens loaned annually to over 100 scientists worldwide). This project will provide funds for: 1) recuration and generation of a computer database of especially important and comprehensive units of the collection, especially the beetle families Staphyhlinidae and Histeridae; 2) preparation and labeling of specimens from backlogged and incoming collections; 3) labeling and curation of an exceptional collection of ectoparasites, particularly the batfly families Streblidae and Nycteribiidae; and 4) supporting visiting scientists to upgrade identifications and curation of specific areas in the collection, with special attention to recuration and labeling of the Strecker Collection of moths. Over the five-year life of the award, the Museum expects that nearly one million specimens will become newly or more easily available to the scientific community because of the activities supported by this project.
