Transfer of the Atyeo Collection of Parasitic Mites from the University of Georgia to the University of Michigan and Modernization of Collection Facilities for Ectoparasites

摘要该项目将促进从佐治亚大学向密歇根大学转移收集的鸟类寄生螨类(羽螨)。这些藏品是新大陆同类藏品中最多的，有成为孤儿的危险。该项目还将改善与密歇根大学动物学博物馆(UMMZ)昆虫部门的体外寄生和共生节肢动物收藏有关的收藏储存设施。这个现存的体外寄生虫集合是这个国家最大和最多样化的集合之一，有超过12万个载玻片安装的标本和16,000批寄生虫，主要来自世界各地的哺乳动物、鸟类和昆虫。尤其重要的是，通过与脊椎动物生物学家合作，在马达加斯加和菲律宾等世界上鲜为人知的濒危地区进行动物群调查，获得了大量藏品。该项目还将协助从佐治亚州和UMMZ收藏的大量积压的酒精批次中制备载玻片的标本。由于大多数研究人员要么要求或更愿意收到安装在显微镜载玻片上的寄生虫标本，而不是未经准备的酒精批次标本，因此减少未准备标本的积压对于收集服务于社区至关重要。这些目标的实现将使佐治亚州的收藏品免于潜在的损失，并极大地提高科学界对合并收藏品的可及性。

ABSTRACT This project will facilitate the transfer of the collection of parasitic mites of birds (feather mites) from the University of Georgia to the University of Michigan. The collection, the most extensive of its kind in the New World, is in danger of being orphaned. The project will also provide for the improvement of collection storage facilities associated with the collections of ectoparasitic and commensal arthropods of the Insect Division of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ). This existing collection of ectoparasites is one of the largest and most diverse in the country, with over 120,000 slide mounted specimens and 16,000 lots of parasites, primarily from mammals, birds and insects from around the world. Of particular importance are the large collections obtained through collaborations with vertebrate biologists conducting faunal surveys in poorly known and endangered parts of the world such as Madagascar and the Philippines. The project will additionally assist in the preparation of slide mounted specimens from the large backlog of accumulated alcohol lots in both the Georgia and UMMZ collections. Because most researchers either require or prefer to receive parasite specimens mounted on microscope slides rather than unprepared in alcohol lots, reduction of the backlog of unprepared specimens is essential for the collection to serve the community. Accomplishment of these goals will save the Georgia collection from potential loss and greatly enhance the accessibility of the combined collection to the scientific community.