Natural Science Museum East Circle Drive
517-353-8739
A.J. Cook, professor of entomology, established the collection of insects at Michigan State University about 1860. During the 1860s and 1870s, the collection consisted mainly of locally-collected specimens used primarily for classroom demonstration and also for comparison and as an aid in species identification. About 1900, U.S. Senator McMillan donated his collection of some 12,000 moths and 40,000 beetles to the MSU insect collection, which raised the stature of the collection well beyond teaching. Both of McMillan's collections were rich in type material--the specimens to which species names are tied--thus greatly enhancing the collection's research functions. Between 1900 and 1959, the growth of the collection was continuous but routine. A 1950 survey determined that the collection contained more than 100,000 specimens representing some 15,000 species. When the construction of the Natural Science Building was completed in 1948, space was allocated for the collection. Built in cabinets for storage and workspace made expansion possible. In 1952, a curator was appointed and substantial growth of the Entomology Museum began.
The Entomology Museum contains adult and immature insects, spiders, ticks, mites, and other arthropods. It emphasizes Michigan and the Great Lakes region, but holds many specimens from other parts of the world. Most specimens are pinned or preserved in vials of alcohol. Today, the major portion of the collection consists of more than 2 million pinned adults, approximately 1,000 vials of immature insects, and 10,000 vials of spiders. Major strengths are the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Hymenoptera (native bees and wasps), spiders, and Collembola (springtails).
As an essential resource in the department and university missions of teaching, researching, research, and public service, the Entomology Museum serves five key functions:
The Entomology Museum is open by appointment to all interested researchers, societies, and the public. Display presentation is limited. Public eduction about insects is being developed through live examples and other exhibits in the Butterfly House and Insect Zoo. (See Department of Botany and Plant Pathology Live Plant Collection, page 6.)
The Entomology Museum is currently housed on the fourth floor of the Natural Science Building in Collection Rooms 401, 401A, 454, and nearby offices.
New specimens are added primarily through the collecting efforts of faculty and students. Other additions are made by donation, exchange, and purchase. To date, the largest donation has been the gift of nearly 250,000 specimens by Robert Dreisbach, a former chemist with Dow Chemical and an avid collector of insects and plants.
Efforts continue in the area of equipment and facilities update. Because the immature stages of many insects are unknown or not associated with the adults, the rearintg and association of immature stages with adults is a major emphasis of the collection. The MSU Entomology Museum is a member of the Entomology Collection Network. Eventually through this network the MSU Entomology Museum will provide on-line mutually accessible type specimen data, and certain kinds of specimen data for selected groups to other member institutions.
The Michigan State University Entomology Museum is one of the top ten university collections of its type.