David G. Furth & Floyd W. ShockleyDepartment Entomology

DEACTIVATION OF COLLECTIONS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF

NATURAL HISTORY

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION – CASTLE

Private Funds (Trust)

33%

Federal Appropriations

67%

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

~65%

~9% ~25%

COLLECTION STATISTICS

35 million specimens

• 132,354 drawers• 33,000 jars or vials• 23,000 slides

• 5,200 cabinets

27.8% of NMNH25.5% of SI

Nancy Adams (1958-2005)

DEACTIVATION

• No loans• Visits OK, but visitors must pull & take specimens• Primary types will be processed, when possible• Will process returned loans & donations

Orders with Deactivated FamiliesUSNM Collection = 61 Orders

15/18 orders entirely deactivated

Accumulation of Family Deactivations over TimeUSNM Collection = 1435 families

AcarinaTrombiculidae

BlattodeaBlaberidaeBlattidaeBlattellidaePolyphagidae

ColeopteraAcanthocnemidaeAgyrtidaeAnobiidaeAnthicidaeAphodiinaeBrachypsectridaeCantharidaeCaridaeCerophytidaeChaetosomatidaeChelonariidaeClambidaeCneoglossidaeCupedidaeDascillidaeDerodontidaeDiphyllostomatidaeDrilidaeEucinetidaeEulichadidaeGeotrupidaeGlaresidaeHeteroceridaeHisteridaeJacobsoniidaeLampyridaeLeiodidaeLucanidaeLycidaeLymexylidae

MeloidaeMelyridaeMicromalthidaeNiponiidaeNosodendridaeOedemeridaeOmalisidaeOmethidaePassalidaePhengodidaePhloiophilidaePhycosecidaePlastoceridaePleocomidaePrionoceridaeProstomidaePtiliidaePtilodactylidaePyrochroidaeRhinorhipidaeRhipiceridaeScarabaeidaeScarabaeinaeScydmaenidaeSphaeritidaeStaphylinidaeSynteliidaeTelegeusidaeTrogidaeTrogossitidae

DermapteraApachyidaeCarcinophoridaeChelisochidaeForficulidaeLabiduridaeLabiidaePigidicranidae

DipteraChironomidaeLimoniidaeTipulidae

EmbiopteraAnisembiidaeClothodidaeEmbiidaeOligotomidaeTeratembiidae

GrylloblattodeaGrylloblattidae

IsopteraHodotermitidaeKalotermitidaeMastotermitidaeRhinotermitidaeTermitidaeTermopsidae

MantodeaAcanthopidae AmorphoscelidaeAmorphoscelidae Chaeteessidae Empusidae Eremiaphilidae Hymenopodidae Iridopterygidae Liturgusidae Mantidae Mantoididae Sibyllidae Tarachodidae Thespidae Toxoderidae

MantophasmatodeaAustrophasmatidae

OrthopteraAcrididaeCylindrachetidaeEumastacidaeGryllacrididaeGryllidaeGryllotalpidaeLathiceridaeLentulidaeOmmexechidaePamphagidaePauliniidaePneumoridaeProscopiidaePyrgomorphidaeRomaleidaeTanaoceridaeTetrigidaeTettigoniidaeTridactylidaeTristiridae

PhasmatodeaAgathemeridaeAnisacanthidaeAschiphasmatidaeBacillidaeDiapheromeridaeHeteronemiidaeHeteronemiidae HeteropterygidaePhasmatidaePhasmatidae PhylliidaePrisopodidaePseudophasmatidaePseudophasmatidae Timematidae

PhthirapteraAbrocomophagidaeBoopiidaeEchinophthiriidaeEnderleinellidaeGyropidaeHaematomyzidaeHaematopinidaeHamophthiriidaeHeptapsogasteridaeHoplopleuridaeHybophthiridaeLinognathidaeMenoponidaeMicrothoraciidaeNeolinognathidaePecaroecidaePedicinidaePediculidaePhilopteridaePolyplacidaePthiridaeRicinidaeTrichodectidaeTrimenoponidae

PsocopteraAmphientomidaeAmphipsocidaeArchipsocidaeAsiopsocidaeCaeciliusidaeCalopsocidaeDasydemellidaeEctopsocidaeElipsocidaeEpipsocidaeHemipsocidaeLachesillidaeLepidopsocidaeLiposcelididae

MesopsocidaeMyopsocidaePachytroctidaePeripsocidaePhilotarsidaePseudocaeliidaePsocidaePsoquillidaePsyllipsocidaeStenopsocidaeTrichopsocidaeTrogiidae

SiphonapteraAncistropsyllidaeCeratophyllidaeChimaeropsyllidaeCoptopsyllidaeCtenophthalmidaeHystrichopsyllidaeIschnopsyllidaeLeptopsyllidaeMalacopsyllidaePulicidaePygiopsyllidaeRhopalopsyllidaeStephanocircidaeVermipsyllidaeXiphiopsyllidae

StrepsipteraStylopidae

ThysanopteraAdiheterothripidaeAeolothripidaeFauriellidaeHeterothripidaeMacrothripidaeMerothripidaePhlaeothripidaeThripidae

ZorapteraZorotypidae

USNM Deactivated Families List

Total collections transactions (acquisitions, disposals, incoming and outgoing loans) relative to number of staff handling those transactions

Transactions (AVERAGE ANNUAL)

INCOMING: 861 (5,700,000)

Acquisitions: 175 (370,000)

Loan Returns: 387 (114,000)

Loans: 299 (5,200,000)

OUTGOING: 471 (77,000)

Loans: 342 (57,000)

Loan Returns: 129 (19,000)

TOTAL: 1,332 (5,777,000)

Transactions of Deactivated Groups10/1/2005 – 10/29/2013

219 transactions; 181,774 specimens

Staffing Declines – By Position2005 – 2013

Staffing Declines – By Year2005 – 2013

Agency Positions Current Ideal Minimum

SI Research Entomologist

8 18 11

USDA Research Entomologist

15 34 27

WRBU Research Entomologist

0 2 2

Totals 23 54 40

Agency Positions Current Ideal Minimum

SI Support Staff 9 20 16

USDA Support Staff 7 16 13

WRBU Support Staff 1 2 2

Totals 17 38 31

Grand Totals 40 92 71

Staffing Declines – Trends by Position2005 – 2013

CONS

WORST CASE SCENARIOS:

• Rotating deactivations: even other entire orders on annual basis

• No Loans, even primary types• No visits

PROS

• We have arguably the best entomological collections storage system in the world that is very secure

• We are government and thus not subject to some of the disasters of private museums

HOW CAN YOU HELP?Please talk to us and we’ll tell you