[Nhcoll-l] Entomology Inquiry

[Karen Morton]

Dear NHCOLL list members,

This question goes out the entomologists in the group.

We have a long-forgotten collection of butterflies that is finally receiving the attention it deserves.  The specimens were collected in 1944-1945 and have been in their collecting envelopes ever since.  We now have a volunteer who skilled at softening and pinning insects and he is trying to work his magic on this collection.  Needless to say, after all of this time, some specimens are simply falling apart.  He has also been assessing the rest of the entomology collection since the collection hasn't had a curator for at least 20 years.  My question to the group is, are there any specific criteria for helping us determine what physical attributes make a specimen scientifically valuable?  And this goes across the board, not just butterflies.  For example, are there any specific body parts that are used these days for DNA sampling?  Or, is this a species-by-species determination based on how an insect is identified?

We have the data that goes with each specimen, so that is not in question right now.  We are just looking at the specimens that are missing body parts.

Thank you for your assistance and I look forward to any advice that the group can give us.

Sincerely,
KAREN MORTON
Collections Manager
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
P 214.756.5722 | karen.morton at perotmuseum.org<mailto:karen.morton at perotmuseum.org>

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