Cocktails with a Curator: Insect Collecting & Curating

At the Museum | Fleischmann Auditorium

Schlinger Chair of Entomology Alex Harman, Ph.D., has published research on grasshoppers, tiger beetles, and butterflies—but at age three, he was afraid of insects. He credits his grandmother (who taught entomology) with turning his terror into appreciation by giving him woolly bear caterpillars and other harmless insects to hold. A year later, he started building his own insect collection and has stuck with it ever since. Dr. Harman joined the Museum staff in 2025 and is charged with curating and growing the Museum’s insect collection, which contains over 350,000 prepared specimens.

Museum collections are time capsules of biodiversity, enabling discoveries that the original collectors often could not have imagined. Without them, our ability to understand, protect, and appreciate the insect world would be severely limited. Museum Members are invited to bring your curiosity and join us for a special evening of conversation with Harman. Hear more about his journey to becoming an entomologist and his plans for the Museum’s entomology program. Get a glimpse of some of the species that make up the Museum’s unique insect collections.

RSVP required for all attendees by September 14. Free for Naturalist, Explorer, and Leadership Circles of Giving Members. $12 for Voyager and Adventurer-level Members. Reservation includes one drink ticket and a light snack. Additional drinks are available for purchase.

For help with RSVP or to upgrade your membership, please email membership@sbnature2.org or call 805-682-4711 ext. 114. Want to become a Member? September is a great time to join us.

Lichen grasshopper photo by Alex Harman