Field Museum of Natural History (Zoology) Insect, Arachnid and Myriapod Collection

The Division of Insects’ holdings of worldwide Arthropoda (excluding Crustacea) rank fifth in overall size among North American collections and are of worldwide importance for many groups. The collection presently includes roughly 4.1 million pinned insects plus 8.3 million specimens or lots in alcohol or on microscope slides. In addition, there are over 17,000 partly-sorted “bulk samples” from traps or leaf-litter extractions. The collection receives heavy use by US and international research visitors and borrowers as well as extensive educational use.