The Invertebrate
Zoology collection is international in scope with an emphasis on arthropods
from semi-arid and arid lands, especially from North America. The strengths of the collection are the extensive
collections of ants, samples from playas, rivers, 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 cooled to -20 or –80°C. The pinned collection contains
over 3,200 genera and 7,500 identified species. These are not
morpho-species, but labeled, identified species. These counts are way underestimated because they were made over a decade ago and the majority of the collection holdings have not been identified nor catalogued. An additional
number of invertebrates has been identified, but because they
are not yet integrated into the main collection we are unable to
determine if they are different from what we already have. At least three million specimens are retainined as sealed mixed-bulk specimens: dry and in ethanol. These samples are mostly catalogued and are being split and labeled as time permits (motivated by researchers needs).
Estimated
minimal numbers
Recent (non-fossil) invertebrates:
Pinned Insects
about 1 million individuals
Med/Vet Zoology about 75,000 individuals
Arachnids under 50,000 individuals
Miscellaneous groups under 1,000 individuals
Bulk samples of aquatics, UV light trap and ground samples about 2 million individuls
Fossil invertebrates (groups not otherwise represented in collection):
under 100 individuals
Total about 4.6 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 1600, 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.
Acronym TTU-Z
History of Collection
Type Collection Database
Main Collection Database
Loans, Exchanges, and Visits to Collection
Donations and Volunteers
