Insects
Nearly 5 million specimens
Entomology is the study of insects.
The University of Minnesota Insect Collection (UMSP), now part of the scientific collections of the Bell Museum, is one of the largest university-affiliated insect collections in North America. With over 4.2 million specimens, the collection is an irreplaceable resource for the international scientific community, students, researchers, state agencies, and members of the public. The collection represents more than 2,100 primary types (individual name-bearing specimens), 46,000 secondary types, and over 53,000 described species of insects and related arthropods.
Contributions to the collection began in 1879 with specimens of insects and spiders from the North Shore of Lake Superior. Since then, the Insect Collection has been stewarded by entomologists affiliated with the University of Minnesota. The history of the Entomology Department itself is complex and has experienced various name changes and shifts to different University divisions and colleges over time. In 1888, the Division of Entomology and Botany was first established as part of the University College of Agriculture; this coincided with the passage of the Hatch Act by Congress and the establishment of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. Since 2006, the Entomology Department and its Insect Collection has been part of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences (CFANS). In July 2025, the Insect Collection became part of the Bell Museum’s official scientific collections. This transfer supports the long-term stewardship, sustainable growth, accessibility, and continuous operations of the Insect Collection. Learn more here.
The Insects of Cedar Creek
John Haarstad (1946-2008) was an amazing field biologist, prolific collector, and valuable contributor to the University of Minnesota Insect Collection. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at the U of M for his studies on the ecological relationships among dragonflies and resource competition among burying beetles at UMN’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) in East Bethel, MN. Following the completion of his degrees, he stayed on at CCESR for the next 30 years as the resident naturalist. In this position, he developed and curated an extensive insect collection from the grasslands, forests, and wetlands of the site.
His checklist is the only detailed documented survey of the entire insect fauna of a region in Minnesota. As such, it provides unique insight into what we might expect to find in the rest of the state. This website of insect images and his physical specimens curated in the University of Minnesota Insect Collection are among his many contributions to current and future generations of naturalists.
Click here to learn more
Written in 2024 by Elizabeth Borer (Professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Department, UMN) and Ralph Holzenthal (Professor Emeritus, Entomology Department, UMN), with acknowledgements to two 2008 Star Tribune articles by Ben Cohen.
Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas
The Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas is a searchable, public database of animal, plant, and fungal specimens collected from all 87 Minnesota counties. With more than two million records and 500,000 images, this publicly available resource continues to grow. Since 2023, data from UMSP, including insect specimen records and images, have been added to the Atlas.
Minnesota is home to the convergence of the three largest ecosystems in North America: broadleaf forest, prairie, and boreal forest. More than 9,000 different species reside here and records dating from the 19th century up to the present are hosted in the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas.
Funding for the Atlas is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
How to request a loan
Entomology Collection loan requests will be evaluated based on merit, potential for specimen damage, and availability and condition of specimens.
Email your request to Collection Manager Dr. Robin Thomson (thom1514@umn.edu).
Loan recipients agree to the following conditions:
- Researchers are encouraged to return all material borrowed as soon as possible; all loans are subject to recall. Student loans ordinarily will be made to the sponsoring professor, who will be expected to accept full responsibility for the loan(s). No part of this loan may be sent to another party without prior permission of the collection manager.
- Credit the collections as: Bell Museum (University of Minnesota Insect Collection, UMSP)
- Store specimens in a secure location with proper environmental controls. Notify the collection manager of specimen damage, misidentifications, and other concerns.
- Unless otherwise stated, specimens may be dissected for study. Dissected parts must be mounted or stored in a manner that best prevents loss or dissociation. Any destructive sampling requires prior approval from the collection manager.
- Individual determination labels must be placed on each pin or slide or inside each vial.
- Types designated from the University of Minnesota Insect Collection material must be deposited in that collection, unless prior arrangements are made with the curator.
- Provide to the collection manager the DOI for each published article or product resulting from use of these specimens, and accession numbers or links to specimen data deposited in databases (GenBank, MorphoSource, Dryad, etc.).
- Return specimens in the original condition and with the same or comparable packaging. Tissue and other consumptive loans (if destructive sampling was originally approved) do not need to be returned.