The Invertebrate
Zoology collection is international in scope with emphasis on arthropods
from semi-arid and arid lands, especially from the southwestern
USA. The strength of the collection is the extensive
collections of ants, samples from playas and grasslands. TTU-Z is probably the third largest
of the 12 prominent collections in the state of Texas.
The collection
consists primarily of insects and crustacea, medical/veterinary specimens
(endo- and ecto-parasites), and arachnids. Collections are stored
dry, in ethanol, in buffered formalin, on microscopic slides,
on SEM stubs, and frozen to -20 to –80°C. The pinned collection contains
over 3,200 genera and 7,500 identified species. These are not
morpho-species, but labeled, identified species. An additional
volume of invertebrates has been identified, but because they
are not yet integrated into the collection we are unable to
determine if they are different from what we already have. Estimated
minimal numbers of Recent (non-fossil) invertebrates:
Insects
700,000 individuals
Med/Vet Zoology 75,000 individuals
Arachnids 25,000 individuals
miscellaneous groups and aquatics 1.4 million individulas
Total about 2.2 million specimens
Examples of fossil
and sub-fossil invertebrates are stored in this collection,
additional material is handled by the Anthropology and Paleontology Divisions
of the Museum. Although the oldest (Recent) specimens in the collection
are from 1913, the majority of the material was collected
in the last 40 years. There are currently slightly more than
800 type specimens (mostly paratypes) in the collection. The collection is actively
interacting with other research institutions. About 72,000
specimens are currently on loan to other scientific institutions.
To access the Invertebrate Zoology Type Collection Database Click Here.
