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BugGuide.Net

An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

Insect Zoo

The Insect Zoo in Iowa State University's Department of Entomology is an outreach program developed to foster an appreciation of insects found in Iowa and throughout the world. Participants can view and interact with live insects and other arthropods. We emphasize the diversity, ecology and behavior of arthropods while the students are exposed to many basic concepts of biology. Participants will learn about interrelationships among diverse insect groups and their important role in life on Earth.

Indicators

  • Loans to/from other institutions: usually 20-40 I year, including California Academy of Sciences, Carnegie Museum, Cornell University, Brigham Young University, Field Museum (Chicago), Illinois Natural History Survey, Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard), Purdue University, and United States National Museum I Smithsonian Institution (USA), Canadian National Museum and Royal British Columbia Museum
    - (Canada), Australian National  Insect Collection and Australian National Museum
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Invertnet - Home

Invertnet - Home
Invertnet contains images of insect drawers from the ISU Insect Collection. Resolution of images is high enough that you can zoom in on individual specimens.

Highlights

  • Only major entomological collection in state of Iowa.
  • Primary source of historical specimens from prairie habitats of Iowa & upper Midwest
  • Significant collections by H.H. Knight, J.A. Slater, and H.M Harris (Hemiptera), J.L. Laffoon and W.A. Rowley (Diptera), and G.W. Courtney (Dipteraandaquatic insects)
  • Significant international collections from Asia (especially India, Nepal, and Thailand), Central America (especially Costa Rica), South America (especially Chile) and Australia
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About

The Iowa State Insect Collection (ISIC), which is housed in the Department of Entomology, Iowa State University, is the only major entomological collection in the state of Iowa.

The collection maintains global holdings for taxa of prior and current research  focus (e.g., Miridae,  Siphonaptera, Blephariceridae,  and Mycetophilidae). ISIC is of national and international importance because it is a primary source of insect specimens from prairie habitats of Iowa, and because of significant collections by H.H. Knight, J.A. Slater, and H.M Harris (Hemiptera), J.L. Laffoon and W.A. Rowley (Diptera), R.L. Lewis (Siphonaptera), and G W. Courtney (Diptera and aquatic insects).

Although the majority of specimens are from Iowa and the upper Midwest, the collection houses abundant representation from other North American  localities. Significant international collections include specimens from Asia (especially India, Nepal, and Thailand), Central America (especially Costa Rica), South America (especially Patagonia), and Australasia. Read more about About