Virginia Tech Insect Collection

Description

The Virginia Tech Insect Collection, founded in 1888, is the oldest and largest entomological collection in the Commonwealth. Its nearly half-million specimens represent the rich insect diversity of the eastern United States with emphasis on the Appalachian region. This collection is an exceptional repository of pollinators, endangered insects, and many native species, once common but now disappearing from habitat loss. Museum specimens provide a critical baseline for comprehending biological change through time, tracking the spread of insect disease vectors and agriculturally destructive invasive species that threaten our ecosystems, agriculture and public health. This collection is a frontier for the discovery and description of biodiversity, representing hundreds of undescribed new species.

Contacts

POINT_OF_CONTACT
Paul Marek
Telephone: 15402318896
email: pmarek@vt.edu

Virginia Tech Insect Collection
Virginia Tech, Department of Entomology (MC0319), Price Hall, Rm 216A, 170 Drillfield Dr.
Blacksburg
24061
Virginia
US
email: pmarek@vt.edu