Mission Possible? The Modern Role of Insect Collections in Land Grant UniversitiesJASON J. DOMBROSKIE, JAMES K. LIEBHERR

CORNELL UNIVERSITY INSECT COLLECTION, DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY

Outline

CUIC basics

importance of collections in land grant universities

outreach

funding

CUIC projects

Cornell University Insect Collection (CUIC)

started in 1871

~7 million specimens

~200 000 species

7400 types (2700 primary)

global in coverage

Early days

Started by John Henry Comstock

Local specimens

Focus on agricultural pests

Extensive trading and donations (Venez. beetles, European microleps, etc.)

Contributions from intl students (esp. China)

Later collecting expeditions across the US, Brazil, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

Trend towards taxonomy

The modern CUIC

Incorporation of the Cornell Insect Diagnostic Lab

Physical expansion by 40% supported by the Entomology Department

Curator (Liebherr), Associate Curators (Danforth, Reed), Collection Manager (Dombroskie)

12 undergraduate students

Website, facebook

Importance

Train students

Deposition of research vouchers / careers (Bradley, Dietrich, Evans, Forbes, Franclemont, Needham, Pechuman, Wood, etc.)

Archival role needs to be emphasized to administrators & faculty poorly prepared / documented material

expectation on us to clean up

not following through

Basis for research and accountability

Outside researchers

Outreach Support a strong diagnostic lab used by general

public & government (CAPS, invasives, etc.)

Provide training for extension agents, master gardeners, etc.

Sacrifice – split position (dominant IDL in summer)

Not just NY State also the US & the world

web presence, easy way to pay

NY

other US

international

Funding

modern funding programs have focused on documenting biodiversity changes over time through digitization

digitization of useful images

must not lose sight of our original missions

continue to build collection (new mat. & cur. old)

become more efficient with current levels of funding while addressing our growing taxonomic impediment

Efficient and useful uses of funding

Should produce something useful for society

Data should be of high quality

Multi-institutional grants are efficient

Need to try to incorporate student training, esp. undergrad, HS

Produce something that administrators can proudly point to (discover strengths, emphasize and build them)

Focus databasing efforts on expertly curated groups

Reduced chance of bad data

Optimally determined, taxonomy updated

Larger multi-institutional collaborations

Aphididae, Cicadidae, Apoidea

future: Aculeata, lep gen images

Create taxon lists as first step

Students get curational & taxonomic experience, ownership so good job, community

Useful for diagnostic purposes

Ready for databasing

Lets researchers know what we have

No pointless data-grabbing

Taxon Lists

PREVIOUS YEAR: Cicadoidea, Membracidae, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera, Neuroptera, Trichoptera (alcohol), Mimallonidae, Saturniidae, Mecoptera, Strepsiptera, Rhinophoridae, Tachinidae, Oestridae

IN PROGRESS: Acari, Mantodea, Aphididae, Cicadellidae, Coreidae, Miridae, microhymenoptera, Formicidae, Trichoptera (pinned), microlepidoptera, Lepidoptera (alcohol), Sphingidae, Muscidae

3362 species curated & listed last year

Franclemont larval slide collection

Recently rediscovered

>1000 Kodachromes of macrolepidopteran larvae scanned

Online through the CUIC website

Used by many lepidopterists

Contains several species previously unknown as larvae

Kodachromes available for loan

FUTURE: 8800+ genitalia slides

Conclusions

Our original missions can be maintained through student engagement and active outreach IDs for agriculture / public

archival preservation of biodiversity

vouchering research materials

Combine student training with curation and quality data gathering