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The R. M. Bohart Museum of Entomology is a world class institution, dedicated to teaching, research and public service. The Museum contains the ninth largest insect collection in North America, and is the third largest university collection of insects. The Museum is located in a state-of-the-art facility in the Academic Surge Building, on the Davis campus of the University of California.
History
The collections in the Bohart Museum were originally developed as teaching and research collections for the Department of Entomology, at the University of California Farm, in Davis in 1946. The collections began as the contents of two Schmitt boxes. In 1966 the decision was made to maintain a type collection, which now contains more than 1500 primary types. As of 1969 the collection consisted of 100,000 specimens. In 1983 the Research Collection was officially given museum status by the Regents of the University of California, and was named after professor emeritus Richard M. Bohart. By 1995 the collection holdings had grown to 6 million curated specimens from all over the world, and had moved into a new National Science Foundation and University funded facility.
Services
The Bohart Museum houses one of the largest systematic entomology resources in the United States, providing specimens and library materials to scientists and students worldwide through loans and visits. More than 40,000 specimens are loaned out for research per year.
Highly trained staff and students provide information and identification services to the public, university associates, governmental agencies and businesses.
The museum has an informal science education program consisting of permanent and traveling exhibits, and lectures and tours about insects for schools and other community groups.
Collections
The Bohart Museum collections have grown through active California-based field research programs, donations by faculty, students, and members of the community, as well as by acquisitions of private collections. Museum associates and members of the Department of Entomology have collected for the Bohart Museum in many far flung corners of the globe, including Central and South America, Africa including Madagascar, Australia, and the Middle East. Some of our most important collections include:
- One of the world's largest collections of parasitic and aculeate Hymenoptera.
- The Bucket and Bauer Noctuidae, 150,000 moths and library.
- H. Tyler swallowtail butterflies, 90% of the world species, 4500 specimens, and library.
- Ferris-McKenzie scale insect collection, 200,000 dried and slide-mounted specimens and library.
- W. Reeves arbovirus research voucher mosquitoes.
- MMJ Lavoipierre collection of ecto- and endo-parasitic arthropods and worms.
- A. Shapiro butterflies, 100,000 research vouchers of Californian and Argentinean species.
- The world's largest collection of tardigrade water bears.
- One of the more important collections of mites in the U.S.A.
Bohart Museum Society
Join the Bohart Museum Society! The Society provides support for a variety of special projects in the Museum, including:
- Visiting Scientists Program - Each year two or three short term fellowships are awarded to taxonomists in order to come and study the museum collections.
- High School Student Internships - Every summer the society funds internships for two high school students to learn about insects, curation, collecting and other aspects of Entomology.
- Annual Society Meeting - Every spring the Museum hosts a meeting for Society members, with special tours, lectures and exhibitions.
- Associates Program - This program is designed to give special recognition to society members who donate their time and expertise to the Museum.
- Collections Access - Society members have ready access to the collections and free information and identification services.
Staff
Director: Lynn Kimsey
Collections Manager: Steve Heydon
Curators: Arthur Shapiro, Robbin W. Thorp, and Philip S. Ward.For more information about services and membership, contact the Museum at:
| Bohart Museum of Entomology University of California 1124 Academic Surge Davis. CA 95616 |
Phone: (530) 752-0493 Fax: (530) 752-9464 Email: bmuseum@ucdavis.edu Website: http://bohart.ucdavis.edu |
Department of Entomology and Nematology Main Office, UC Davis Briggs Hall, Room 367, Davis, CA 95616-5270 Phone: (530) 752-0492 Fax: (530) 752-1537
Website questions or updates? Contact Brian Mendonca
Do you have an insect question? Ask It Here! or call (530) 752-0493. For Bee related questions, Ask them here or call (530) 500-2747.