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 Invertebrate Collections: • Cnidaria • Molluscs • Insects • Insect Collection • Insect Research • California Beetle Project • Coal Oil Point insects • Entomology Home • Invertebrate Zoology Home | Invertebrate Zoology: Entomology Collection The Entomology Collection at the Museum contains around 80,000 specimens, including both insects and arachnids. The collections focus primarily on the Santa Barbara region, including significant holdings from the California Channel Islands. Apart from the Islands’ material the collection is strong in beetles (Coleoptera), butterflies (Lepidoptera), and parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera). The collection is housed in modern metal cabinets, in Cornell-style drawers, and is mostly sorted to the family level. No primary insect types are housed here at present, although the facilities are sufficient for their security, and it will be expected that studies of SBMNH material resulting in the description of new species will deposit type material here. Recent collection growth includes a large collection of insects of all orders from the UC Coal Oil Point Reserve, from an inventory recently completed there (see Coal Oil Point survey pages for more information). Additionally, many thousands of specimens resulting from year-round Malaise trapping in several local habitats (by R.L. Doutt). Additionally, beetle-focused collections (for the California Beetle Project) have resulted in a large amount of non-beetle trap residue, especially from Malaise traps and flight interception traps. We have recently established a frozen specimen collection. The material being stored in this collection will be available for DNA-based and other molecular studies. For the most part this collection is focusing on beetles peculiar to California, but donations of other material will be considered. An Excel spreadsheet detailing the entomology freezer inventory (as of July, 2005) can be downloaded here:  Entomology Freezer InventoryCalifornia Beetle Project Michael Caterino, Ph.D., Curator of Entomology, ext. 151 mcaterino@sbnature2.org |
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