Improvements to the Texas A&M University Insect Collection

该项目将支持购买设备、用品和旅行，以改善德克萨斯农工大学昆虫收藏（TAMUIC）——一个主要的昆虫研究收藏，大约有155万个经过整理的标本，在美国中南部和西南部以及墨西哥具有区域优势。具体来说，该项目将重新安置和整合孤儿Johnson Bruchid收藏品到TAMUIC Coleoptera收藏品中，并且(2)替换用于容纳TAMUIC固定收藏品部分的非标准/不合标准的橱柜，作为在TAMUIC中安装压实机系统以适应未来增长的长期计划的一部分。约翰逊Bruchid Collection包含大约1000个Bruchid物种的代表。占世界1500种的2/3)，是迄今为止最重要的新大陆种子甲虫收藏之一。这些藏品是由克拉伦斯·D。“丹。前北亚利桑那大学（NAU）生物科学系生物科学教授Johnson说。在过去的35年里，约翰逊博士一直是新世界野胃系统学的两位主要人物之一。该藏品估计包含20万至25万件标本。自1994年约翰逊博士退休以来，这些标本一直是NAU的孤儿，并于1998年6月正式向TAMUIC提供永久保存，在过去的五年中，TAMUIC的155万个标本中有338,500个（21.9%）被添加到收藏中。这一可观的增长速度是一群与收藏相关的教职员工、学生和朋友共同努力的结果，他们致力于TAMUIC作为支持昆虫系统学的中心资源的持续发展。近年来的快速增长没有任何放缓的迹象，这促使藏品策展人制定了一项战略计划，以便在目前分配给藏品的相对静态的空间内适应未来的增长。该计划要求最终在TAMUIC的主要收集室安装一个压缩器系统，并在准备安装时更换某些非标准的收集存储设备，这些设备妨碍了有效的压缩器存储。这些设备中的许多还存在结构缺陷，妨碍其在收集中正常发挥作用。该项目还将支持替换目前用于存储部分TAMUIC固定收藏的非标准和不合格昆虫柜。更换后，TAMUIC中的所有固定材料将被安置在安全、现代化的钢制机柜中，并准备安装在压实机系统上。

This project will support the acquisition of equipment, supplies and travel needed to improve the Texas A&M University Insect Collection (TAMUIC)-a major insect research collection of approximately 1.55 million curated specimens with regional strengths in the south-central and southwestern U.S. and Mexico. Specifically, the project will relocate and incorporate the orphaned Johnson Bruchid Collection into the TAMUIC Coleoptera collection, and (2) replace non-standard/substandard cabinets used to house portions of the TAMUIC pinned collection as part of a long-term plan to install a compactor system in the TAMUIC to accommodate future growth.The Johnson Bruchid Collection contains representatives of approximately 1000 bruchid species(ca.2/3 ofthe 1500 world species of this group) and is one of the most important collections of New World seed beetles ever assembled. The collection was built by Dr. Clarence D. "Dan. "Johnson, former Professor of Biological Sciences of the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University(NAU). Over the past 35 years, Dr. Johnson has been one of the two dominant figures in New World bruchid systematics. The collection contains an estimated 200,000-250,000 specimens. The collection has been orphaned at NAU since Dr. Johnson's retirement in 1994, and was formally offered to the TAMUIC for permanent deposition in June of 1998.338,500 (21.9%) of the TAMUIC's 1.55 million specimens have been added to the collection during the last five years. This substantial rate of growth has been the result of the collective efforts of a dedicated group of collection-associated faculty, staff, students and friends who are committed to the continued development of the TAMUIC as a central resource for the support of entomological systematics. The rapid growth of recent years shows no sign of slowing, and has spurred the development of a strategic plan by collection curators to accommodate future growth within the relatively static space currently allocated to the collection. This plan calls for the eventual installation of a compactor system in the TAMUIC's main collection room, and, in preparation for this installation, the replacement of certain non-standard collection storage equipment that are impediments to efficient compactor storage. Much of this equipment also contains structural defects which impedes its proper functioning in the collection. This project will also support the replacement of non-standard and substandard insect cabinets currently used to store portions of the TAMUIC pinned collection. Following this replacement, all pinned materials in the TAMUIC will be housed in secure, modern, steel cabinets and will be ready for installation on a compactor system.