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Insect Collections
The NHC Insect Collections, managed by Sangmi Lee (collections manager), consists of three primary collections: the Hasbrouck Insect Collection, Charles O'Brien Collection, and Lois O'Brien Collection. The ASU Hasbrouck Collections (ASUHIC) contains approximately 1,000,000 insect specimens, representing more than 15,000 species, with geographic concentrations in the southwestern United States and New World tropics. The Charles O'Brien (ASUCOB) and Lois O'Brien (ASULOB) Collections together house approximately 1,200,000 specimens of weevils and fulgoroids, with a global range and particular emphasis on the New World and Neotropical regions. The collection is managed to maximize engagement with researchers and the general public. Since 2012, efforts have been underway to digitize the collections for open access via Ecdysis, the Symbiota Collections of live-data Arthropods Network.
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Biorepository's invertebrate collections, managed by Isa Betancourt, consist of ground beetle (Carabidae), invertebrate bycatch (from pitfall traps), mosquito, tick, and aquatic macroinvertebrate collections. NEON is a continental-scale observation facility designed to collect long-term open-access ecological data to better understand the complexities of Earth's ecosystems and how they are changing. NEON collects environmental data and archival samples that characterize plant, animals, soil, nutrients, freshwater and atmosphere from 81 field sites strategically located in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems across the U.S., including sites in Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Therefore the invertebrate specimens collected by NEON have a uniquely rich assortment of contextual data attached to them for researchers to utilize. NEON is collecting standardized data across 30 years. Pilot collection started in 2014 and the 30 years officially started in 2019.
Access the ASUHIC, ASUCOB, & ASULOB On-Line Holdings @ Ecdysis
Access the NEON Biorepository Data Portal
Mission
To ensure the continued preservation and augmentation of the remarkable existing entomology collection, to facilitate research on the insects, to serve as a resource for education and training, and to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility in the public to make our world a better place.
Statement of Purpose
The ASU Insect Collections maintains quality natural history collections to promote its mission through exhibition, research, and education.
History of the NHC Insect Collections
The Hasbrouck Insect Collections, part of the NHC Insect Collections, began to flourish in the early 1960s under the curatorship of Dr. Frank F. Hasbrouck, a specialist in the burrowing webworm moth family Acrolophidae (Lepidoptera), who was recruited to Arizona State University in 1962. At that time, the collection operated under the code ASUT for "Tempe" and consisted of approximately 50,000 specimens that had been accumulated gradually since the 1910s, primarily in support of teaching.
Over nearly 25 years of energetic and meticulous leadership, Dr. Hasbrouck expanded the collection to approximately 650,000 specimens. Working alongside colleagues such as Mont A. Cazier, Gordon Bender, Gordon Castle, and Herbert Stahnke - and with the contributions of students including Martin Kolner, William Warner, and Ronald Wielgus - the collection grew to nearly 700,000 specimens within three decades. The emphasis during this period was on documenting the insect fauna of the southwestern United States and Sonoran region. The current collection team proudly serves as stewards of this remarkable legacy.
The collection experienced limited activity between 1990 and 2010. In 2011, Dr. Nico Franz was appointed as the new curator, and in the subsequent year Dr. Sangmi Lee was hired as the collection manager. The official collection code was changed to ASUHIC. With new personnel and resources, the collection has been fully reactivated with a diverse program in research, teaching, and outreach to the public.
In 2018 the O'Brien Insect Collections containing approximately over 1.2 million weevil and planthopper specimens, with a global range and emphasis on New World (and Neotropical) regions, was transferred and reactivated at ASU Insect Collections. This integration significantly broadened the global taxonomic scope and research capacity of the NHC holdings.
Utilize the links below for further information.
Additional Resources:
- Read a full description of our holdings
- Access our on-line ASUHIC holdings via Ecdysis
- Access our on-line ASUCOB holdings via Ecdysis
- Access our on-line ASULOB holdings via Ecdysis
- Provide a gift in kind (specimens, etc.)
- Provide other philanthropic support
Visit the Collection
The collections are open to visitation and use for the purposes of research, teaching, and outreach. Visits must be scheduled in advance. For specimen loan and use inquiries, please complete a specimen use request form as follows. More information for Specimen loan policy: