Insect Collection

Today, the number of discovered insects is over one million, and scientists estimate there to be over eight million total insects on earth. They are found on every continent and in nearly every ecological niche, but their unique flight capabilities among arthropods and diminutive size have allowed them to dominate among animals on land. Even before the human race, insects were uniquely important to our ecosystems as herbivores, carnivores, parasites, and parasitoids. Since humankind evolved, insects have become so much more than animals that play a role in our ecosystem. They are a part of our livelihood. They pollinate our crops, provide us with silk for our clothing, serve as a major food source for some people and delicacy dishes for others, and they provide us with interesting topics for poetry and art. The UWSP Museum of Natural History houses several different insect collections, including research collections, teaching collections, exotic collections, and specialty collections donated by patrons. Here you will witness just a fraction of the insects and insect diversity from these global collections found at UWSP.

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