The Natural History Museum (uk)'s insect collections

[harryallard]

I dont know if I've told anyone on here this before but I am (sometimes ) a volunteer worker in the beetles section of the museum.

I work behind the scenes, labelling old collections moving specimens etc.

It's got one of, if not the biggest insect collections in the world, and today I got to see the mantis section, its got orchids, ghosts, everything really, (dead of course), but when you just look at them in drawers, you get to see the diversity there is!

I won't be able to get any pics of the mantids, (the woman with the key to the lockers is really grumpy) but i might be able to get some of the beetles, which are equally cool.

I think that the collections will be able to be viewed by the public sometime in the next few years, and when they are, get on the train and check them out. I promise it's worth it :lol:

 

[chun]

were you working with Max Barclay with the flower beetles? I went in to help out last week; the jobs are somewhat dull

 

[mrblue]

i helped out a few years back doing similar stuff in the coleoptera with max barclay and in the hymenoptera with john noyes. i think his main interest (at the time) was parasitic hymenoptera. was the lady in charge of the keys to the mantis drawers blonde and with glasses? it may have been judith marshall, at least it was when we went to have a look at the mantis collection. i agree all the collections are very impressive.

about a month or so back during insect week they said they would be allowing public access to the collections but it was only a handful of drawers of the more impressive wasp, beetle and butterfly specimens which was kind of disappointing. it was nice of them to show a little of the behind-the-scenes stuff to the general public but for anyone with more than just a passing interest in invertebrates it was a little disappointing. having said that, if what you say is true about them opening the collections up to more public access soon then thats great (if a little surprising), although it does worry me a little and i hope it is controlled appropriately (we know what some kids are like! even some adults... <_< )

 

[harryallard]

yeah i do work with max

and yes she did have glasses

i know what you mean about the jobs being dull, but i just like being able to contribute to such a huge collection

and being behind the scenes

:lol: