This grant will support the improvement of insect collections at the Bohart Museum of Entomology (BME). In conjunction with the transfer of holdings to a new, climate- controlled building, mobile compactor system for the pinned collection will be installed, and parts of the collection will be rehoused in new cabinets and trays. The BME boasts the 3rd largest university-held insect collections in the US, with more than 6 million specimens and 1500 primary types. Geographic representation is worldwide, with particular holdings from Australia and the Western Hemisphere. Its taxonomic strength is in Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Homoptera, Coleoptera, Strepsiptera, Acarina and Tardigrada. Collection improvement now is timely, given the move to new quarters, and is especially appropriate for long-term conservation given the collection's substandard housing. The collection is used broadly in systematic research and teaching, and this project will increase access to and use of the collection by the research community and in training students in environmental biology.
