Entomology collections

Management and curation

The collections of insects and other terrestrial and freshwater arthropods, including spiders, mites and myriapods, comprise an estimated 28 million prepared specimens. They include named representatives of about half of the more than one million described species. The collections are arranged systematically with only two personal collections, those of Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Joseph Banks, kept as separate entities. About 10 per cent of the specimens in the collections are from the British Isles.

Tragocephala nobilis, longhorn beetle

The Museum's insect collections are the most comprehensive in the world. Although a few other institutions hold equally large collections, those of the Natural History Museum are unrivalled in the depth and breadth of their coverage. Developed over more than two centuries, they form a comprehensive database of the known world fauna and their scientific value goes far beyond their primary area of use, taxonomic research. They are an important part of Britain's cultural heritage.

The number of insect species which await description is estimated to be between five and ten million. The collections of insects and other terrestrial and freshwater arthropods, including spiders, mites and myriapods, comprise an estimated 28 million prepared specimens. They include named representatives of about half of the one million and more described species. (The number of insect species that still await description is estimated to be between five and ten million.) The remainder of the collections is sorted to various taxonomic levels and is supplemented by quantities of unprepared material. The collections are arranged systematically; only two personal collections, those of Sir Hans Sloane and Sir Joseph Banks, are kept as separate entities. About 2.9 million specimens in the collections are from the British Isles. The collections comprise only recent material. The Museum's collections of fossil insects and other arthropods are the responsibility of the Department of Palaeontology.

Geographical range

Worldwide coverage is one of the great strengths of the collections. However, some geographical areas are generally better represented (notably much of the Commonwealth and former British Empire) and others less so (notably some parts of the New World and the eastern Palaearctic).

Historical range

The oldest specimens were collected about 1680, but the major part of the material is of 20th century origin. The work, the collections and the type specimens of many eminent entomologists are incorporated into the Museum's collections. They are of great importance because of the continuing, active curation and research reflected in their wide taxonomic coverage and in the high level of identification and taxonomic organisation of the material they contain.

Current priority areas for collecting

Active collecting is concentrated on those groups which are the subject of current research programmes and is pursued mainly through fieldwork. Some of the more significant priority areas, in terms of collection development, are listed here.

The British fauna. To support the initiative on UK biodiversity and to ensure that the Museum's collections are comprehensive at the species level, that immature stages are represented; and that species are represented from their broad geographic range within the British Isles.
Families of Diptera of medical and veterinary importance, particularly Culicidae, Simuliidae, Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae, Oestridae and Phlebotominae.
Termites, particularly from West Africa, Malaysia and tropical America, for systematic studies and to evaluate species richness and elucidate the role of termites in ecosystems.
Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae), with the aim of filling gaps in our already comprehensive collection, and in connection with phylogenetic and biogeographical studies.
Ichneumon wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), particularly from Central America, in connection with systematic and biogeographical studies.
Various groups of mites and ticks (Acarina) important in agriculture and as vectors of disease.
Forest canopy arthropods, notably beetles, in connection with research on richness and composition of faunal assemblages in tree crowns, especially those of tropical rainforests.
Various groups of Homoptera, such as aphids, important in agriculture and horticulture.

Various groups of insects on which there are programmes of worldwide revisionary taxonomic studies:

Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Chalcid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea)
Geometer moths (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Staphylinid beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Weevils (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)

Collection statistics

Estimates of numbers of specimens are based on data gathered in 1992, updated with information on accessions and disposals since that time. A prepared specimen is usually an individual, often adult, mounted on a pin, but it can be a microscope slide preparation (of a part, or a whole, or several individuals), or one or a sample of a species in a vial of alcohol, or the work of an insect (such as a leaf mine, a nest or a wood boring).

The estimates of the numbers of type specimens are of nominal species-group taxa represented by primary types (that is, holotypes, lectotypes, neotypes and syntypes). The numbers for secondary types (paratypes and paralectotypes) are several times the primary type totals given, as are the numbers of cited, figured and other significant voucher specimens.

Collection	Prepared specimens	Types
Apterygote groups	50,000	400
Orthopteroid orders	757,000	5,400
Hemiptera, etc	3,206,000	24,000
Phthiraptera	55,000	1,700
Coleoptera and Strepsiptera	8,580,000	75,000
Diptera	2,352,000	16,000
Siphonaptera	260,000	925
Neuropteroid orders, etc	580,000	4,800
Lepidoptera	8,712,000	125,000
Hymenoptera	3,200,000	21,000
Arachnida, Myriapoda, etc	100,000	5,000
Totals	27,852,000	279,225

Location and storage

All the insect collections are in the six floor Entomology building at the west end of the South Kensington site. The arachnids, myriapods, etc are in the Spirit building. The pinned collections are in about 120,000 glass-lidded drawers, in cabinets and racks of a number of capacities. Seven main sizes of drawer are in use. In addition about 5,500 storeboxes remain in use. Microscope slides are in about 240 purpose-built cabinets of various sizes and designs. Jars of spirit-preserved material are housed on shelves or in drawers in metal units.

Curation

Within the Department of Entomology the Head of Collections, supported by three Collections Managers and their teams of curators, is responsible for the curation of the National Collections of insects and other terrestrial arthropods. Collections management staff also make important contributions to the Department's research programmes and, conversely, research staff contribute to the care and development of the collections.

Acquisitions and disposals

Primary acquisitions, through Museum fieldwork, range from about 1,000 to over 30,000 specimens per year. Secondary acquisitions, through donation, bequest, exchange and purchase, also fluctuate widely year-on-year, ranging from less than 20,000 to over 200,000. The annual average of specimens added to the registered collections is 130,000. Almost all disposals are donations of specimens to other institutions, often in exchange for material given to the Museum. Annual totals range between about 200 and 1,000.

Use of the collections

The collections are used most actively in support of the Department's own biosystematic research, but the Museum's collections are involved in almost all significant taxonomic research worldwide, through collaborative projects, visits, and loans.

The vast database formed by the collections represent is also used in a variety of other ways, for example in the provision of identifications, advice and consultancy.

Collections-based training is another important element in the work of the curatorial staff, and ranges from individual tuition to formal courses, often in conjunction with universities and other institutions.

Collections management and development

Much of the collections management effort is devoted to care and maintenance, and active collection development is often associated with research projects. However, the Collections Management teams have a critical strategic role and have a programme of curatorial projects aimed at long-term enhancement and development of the collections. The staff are also active in developing and improving methods, materials and equipment across the whole field of collections management, from specifications for cabinets to computer indexing.

Access to the collections

On each working day there are usually more than 10 visiting scientists in the Department, studying and using the collections. An appointment is usually necessary and initial contact should be made with the relevant Collections Manager. Visitors are requested, where appropriate, to make provision through their funding bodies for a Facilities Fee. A charge is mandatory if the collections are consulted for commercial purposes. Information on facilities for visitors, levels of Facilities Fees and commercial charges are available from Collections Managers.

Loans

At any one time about 200,000 specimens are out on loan to over 1,000 researchers around the world. Each year between 600 and 700 new loans (24,000-38,000 specimens) are sent to over 300 borrowers in more than 40 countries. The vast majority of specimens sent on loan are for use in taxonomic research projects. Requests for loans should be directed to the appropriate Collections Manager or the specialist on the group concerned.