Support of ANSP Entomological Collections: 1988-1993

费城自然科学学院(ANSP)的昆虫学收藏包含了来自世界各地的300多万个昆虫标本。它是直翅目动物(蝗虫、蟋蟀及其近亲)系统研究的世界中心。该藏品包含10,000多个模式标本，包括一些最早描述和最常见的昆虫物种。按照目前的增长速度，所有存储空间很快就会被填满。目前，压实机占据了现有建筑面积的约2/3，该项目将允许对剩余的收藏品进行压实，从而使存储容量增加25%。ANSP收藏了保存在酒精和幻灯片上的较大昆虫收藏之一。这个收藏的大部分是水生昆虫，特别是摇蚊科的成员。这些苍蝇以及其他水生种群构成了淡水动物区系的重要组成部分，被用作水质的可靠指标。与藏品的其他部分相比，该藏品的管理工作相对滞后，其中很大一部分必须重新安置和妥善管理。这个项目将提供一名策展助理，在塞尔文·罗巴克博士的指导下完成这项任务，塞尔文·罗巴克博士收集了大部分藏品，即将退休。此外，还将提供一名兼职策展助理，负责制作蜘蛛、螨虫和蜈蚣的大量酒精收藏，以及单独保存的具有科学、艺术和历史价值的蝴蝶和飞蛾收藏。

The entomological collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) contain over three million insect specimens from around the world. It is a world center for systematic research on orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets and their relatives). The collection contains over 10,000 type specimens, including some of the earliest-described and commonest species of insects. At the current rate of growth, all storage space will soon be filled. Presently, compactors occupy about 2/3 of the existing floor space, and this project will allow compactorization of the remaining collection, thus allowing a 25% increase in storage capacity. The ANSP houses one of the larger collections of insects preserved in alcohol and on slides. The greater part of this collection consists of aquatic insects, especially members of the family Chironomidae (midges). These flies, as well as the other aquatic groups, constitute an important element of the freshwater fauna and have been used as reliable indicators of water quality. Curation of this collection has lagged relative to to other portions of the collection and a large part of it must be rehoused and properly curated. This project will provide a curatorial assistant to accomplish this task under the guidance of Dr. Selwyn Roback, who assembled most of the collection and will be retiring soon. In addition, a half-time curatorial assistant will be provided to work on the large alcoholic collection of spiders, mites and centipedes and on the Peale Collection, a separately maintained collection of butterflies and moths that has scientific, artistic and historical value.