- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Bohart Museum of Entomology recently hosted an evening open house to engage and inform UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology biologists on how to streamline their efforts at all stages of their research, from collecting insects and arachnids to using the Bohart specimens.
More than two dozen scientists, including UC Davis undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, researchers, associates and faculty, attended. They gathered information on:
- Making wet, dry or cryo collections
- Donating, borrowing or sampling museum specimens from the Bohart or from collections around the world
- Prepare specimens and formatting labels
- Field collecting (equipment, permits, storing, regionally and internationally)
- Identifications services
- Language for grants, and budget development
- Science communication: public outreach, and broader impacts
UC Davis distinguished professor Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum, led the event. Entomologist Jeff Smith, who curates the lepidoptera collection, offered a pinning demonstration. (See one of his previous videos.) Others assisting were other Bohart staff and associates, including the laboratory of arachnologist Jason Bond, the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The Bohart Museum has an online playlist of 11 short videos on "How to Make an Insect Collection." It was the brainchild of UC Davis distinguished professor James R. Carey, who led a class of entomology students 13 years ago to create tightly scripted clips, with an emphasis on brevity, simplicity and low cost.
The entire series can be viewed in less than 10 minutes. The clips range in length from 32 seconds to 77 seconds. UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey provided the introductory narration for each clip. See Bohart web page for more information on insect collecting and links to the videos.
- Hand Collecting
- Using an Aspirator
- Ground Collecting
- Aquatic Collecting
- Using Nets
- How to Kill Insects
- Pinning
- How to Point Mount
- Labeling
- Spreading
- Storage and Display
The Bohart Museum, founded in 1946, houses a global collection of eight million insect specimens. The insect museum is open to the public Mondays through Thursdays, from 8 a.m. to noon, and from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information contact bmuseum@ucdavis.edu or telephone (530) 752-0493.
