National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
8 cu. ft. (8 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Digital versatile discs
Black-and-white photographs
Color photographs
Color transparencies
Videotapes
Date:
1924, 1952-2017, and undated
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of correspondence created or maintained by Donald R. Davis, Curator, 1961- , and Chair, Department of Entomology, 1976-1981. Topics covered
include Lepidoptera (moths, butterflies) research, specimen identification and loans, and professional activities. Some materials predate 1963, when the department was the
Division of Insects. Materials include correspondence, transparencies, proposals, photographs, notes, memoranda, postcards, videotapes, DVDs, and other related materials.
Some materials are in electronic format.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
13 cu. ft. (13 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Pamphlets
Field notes
Maps
Scientific illustrations
Black-and-white photographs
Black-and-white negatives
Date:
1949-1998
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence regarding entomology focusing on the study of mosquitoes. Topics covered include the Southeast Asia
Mosquito Project, specimen collection, distribution or loan of specimens from the Museum, requests for determination of specimens by other international and domestic entomologists
and the public, and general research questions from the public. Some correspondence concerns research, identification collecting trips, applications for research grants, and
requests for publications and collaboration. Some materials predate 1963, when the department was the Division of Insects. Materials include correspondence, notes, memoranda,
pamphlets, field notes, illustrations, postcards, graphs, maps, agreements, negatives, photographs and other related materials.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
3 cu. ft. (3 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Field notes
Date:
1959-1996
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of curatorial records created by Margaret Collins, Research Associate in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology from
the late 1970s through 1996. Collins primarily studied termites of the Caribbean. She was also a professor of zoology at Howard University, Florida A&M, and Federal City
College in Washington.
Materials include correspondence, field notes, maps, collection inventories and annotations, exhibition records, grants, and manuscripts.
This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Descriptive Entry:
These papers consist of professional correspondence between Busck and his colleagues and other collectors on entomological subjects. Correspondence with Edward Meyrick
and Lord Walsingham (Thomas deGrey) may be of special interest. Related material is in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology: August Busck's Copy
of Meyrick's Microlepidoptera, includes extensive marginalia and interleaved correspondence; and August Busck's Rearing Notebooks.
Historical Note:
August Busck (1870-1944) was born and educated in Denmark. In 1893, he came to the United States and settled in West Virginia, where he became an American citizen.
After an interval as a florist, Busck began work for the United States Department of Agriculture in 1896, where he remained until his retirement in 1940. A friend and colleague
of both Lord Walsingham and Edward Meyrick, Busck was himself a microlepidopterist of real distinction. He made numerous field trips on expeditions into various regions of
the western hemisphere, as well as conducting field studies in the United States. While his knowledge of the Lepidoptera was extensive, Busck chose to restrict his main efforts
to American fauna, especially the groups formerly known as the Tineira and Torticina.
Dyar, Harrison G. (Harrison Gray), 1866-1929 Search this
Extent:
1 cu. ft. (2 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Field notes
Date:
1882-1927
Introduction:
This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Descriptive Entry:
This record unit includes papers relating to entomology, especially the taxonomy of the larvae of lepidoptera; correspondence, 1887-1927, between Dyar and others regarding
identification and exchange of specimens, comments on published papers, and other professional concerns; Dyar's "Manuscript Notes on Lepidoptera," "Notes On Bombycidae of
the United States," and materials relating to his List of North American Lepidoptera, rearing records, and one diary of field trips, 1905-1908; and Dyar's Catalog of
Lepidoptera, a list of specimens which he placed in the national collection. The correspondence is located in the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Other materials are housed
in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Entomology; and the National Agriculture Library in Beltsville, Maryland. Consult the Smithsonian Institution Archives
for further information.
Historical Note:
Harrison Gray Dyar (1866-1929) was honorary Custodian of the National Museum's collection of lepidoptera for more than thirty years; he served largely as an unpaid
curator, although he was briefly on the payroll of the Department of Agriculture. A graduate of Columbia University (Ph.D. 1895), he worked on lepidoptera, especially their
larvae; larvae of saw flies, larvae of mosquitoes, and bacteria. Around the turn of the century, interest in mosquito-borne diseases attracted his attention; he and Frederick
Knab were responsible for the taxonomic portions of the work on mosquitoes of North and Central America and the West Indies for the volumes published by the Carnegie Institution
between 1912 and 1917. He collected and reared insects in New York, Colorado, Florida, British Columbia, Panama, and elsewhere. He was proprietor and editor of Insecutor
Inscitiae Menstruus, 1913-1927, as well as editor of other publications.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
0.25 cu. ft. (1 half document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographs
Manuscripts
Date:
undated
Descriptive Entry:
This collection of photographs of noted lepidopterists active primarily from the 1840s through the 1950s was assembled over a period of years by staff of the Department
of Entomology. Many of the lepidopterists pictured worked for either the United States National Museum or the United States Department of Agriculture. Included are photographs
of August Busck, Carl Heinrich, William Schaus, and John Bernhard Smith. The majority of the images are not original prints; they were cut out of professional journals and
books. Also included is one copper daguerreotype plate.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
2 cu. ft. (2 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographs
Clippings
Manuscripts
Date:
circa 1850-1982
Descriptive Entry:
This collection consists mostly of biographical sketches, memorials, newspaper obituaries, and articles on domestic and foreign entomologists. Also included are a few
articles on the history of entomology. For additional biographical information on entomologists see Record Unit 7323.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Manuscripts
Date:
circa 1934-1964 and undated
Descriptive Entry:
This collection contains clippings of newspaper articles about entomology and entomologists. The clippings come from newspapers all over the United States, and the
majority date from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
20 cu. ft. (20 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Clippings
Picture postcards
Newsletters
Floppy disks
Floor plans
Scientific illustrations
Plates (illustrations)
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white transparencies
Black-and-white photographs
Color negatives
Color photographs
Color transparencies
Date:
1903-2003
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of records created and maintained by Paul J. Spangler, curator at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). These records include correspondence,
grants, loans, administrative records, research materials, manuscripts, specimen information, reference information, and materials related to his work with professional societies.
Some material predates his association with NMNH. Materials include news clippings, newsletters, postcards, floor plans, scientific illustrations, photographs, slides, negatives,
and transparencies. Some materials are in electronic format.
Historical Note:
Paul J. Spangler (1924-2011) received his B.A. from Lebanon Valley College in 1949, his M.S. from Ohio University in 1951, and his Ph.D. in entomology from the University
of Missouri in 1960. From 1951 to 1953, he worked as Museum Assistant in Entomology at the University of Kansas. Spangler then accepted a position at the University of Missouri,
where he worked as an Instructor in Entomology from 1953 to 1957. In 1957 he was stationed in Juneau, Alaska, as a Fishery Research Biologist with the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, a position he held until 1958. In 1958, Spangler joined the staff of the Entomology Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), located in the United States National Museum (USNM). He was a Systematic Entomologist with the USDA until 1962, when he took a job as an Associate Curator
in the Division of Insects, USNM. When the Division of Coleoptera was created in 1963, Spangler became an Associate Curator with that division.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
15 cu. ft. (15 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Clippings
Electronic records
Compact discs
Floppy disks
Floor plans
Black-and-white photographs
Color photographs
Date:
1962-2002
Descriptive Entry:
This collection consists of the central files maintained by the Department of Entomology primarily during the tenures of Chairmen Wayne N. Mathis (1981-1987), Ronald
J. McGinley (1987-1992), Jonathan A. Coddington (1992-1997), and Robert K. Robbins (1997-2000). Materials include correspondence, memoranda, news clippings, reports, photographs,
and floor plans. Some records are in electronic format.
Rights:
Restricted for 15 years, until Jan-01-2018; Transferring office; 11/21/2011 memorandum, Yowell to Hall; Contact reference staff for details.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
16 cu. ft. (16 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Field notes
Black-and-white photographs
Color photographs
Audiotapes
Date:
1932-2000
Descriptive Entry:
These records document the activities of Karl V. Krombein (1912- ), Chairman of the Department, 1965-1971; and Senior Entomologist, 1971-2000. The records encompass
the scope of his career, from Cornell University, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to the U.S. Air Force Malaria Control Unit, to his tenure at the Smithsonian. Materials
include correspondence, memoranda, photographs, audiotapes, and field notes.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
4 cu. ft. (4 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Picture postcards
Clippings
Newsletters
Newspapers
Floor plans
Illustrations
Drawings
Black-and-white photographs
Black-and-white transparencies
Color photographs
Audiotapes
Date:
1972-2010
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of curatorial records created and maintained by Terry L. Erwin, Curator of Coleoptera. Projects covered include Biological Diversity of Tropical
Latin America (BIOLAT), All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), and the Encyclopedia of Life. Materials include correspondence, notes, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, drawings,
newsletters, and photographs.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white photographs
Color negatives
Color photographs
Color transparencies
Date:
circa 1955-1988
Descriptive Entry:
These records document the activities of Karl V. Krombein (1912-2005), Chairman of the Department, 1965-1971; and Senior Entomologist, 1971-2000. Materials include
correspondence, memoranda, photographs, slides, negatives, manuscripts, and related information.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
2 cu. ft. (2 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Black-and-white photographs
Date:
1955-1996
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence created and maintained by Oliver S. Flint, Scientist in the Department of Entomology. The correspondence
pertains primarily to insect identifications and loans of specimens. Materials also include a group photograph of the first national Odonata meeting, 1963.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
2 cu. ft. (4 document boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
1963-1967
Descriptive Entry:
A great majority of the records concern donation of other receipt of specimens in the National Museum; distribution or loan of specimens from the Museum; requests for
determination of specimens by other entomologists and the general public (a considerable proportion of the determinations were made for state departments of entomology); and
general research questions from the public. The Department corresponded with institutions all over the world, including most major United States and Canadian natural history
institutions, state entomology departments, and institutions in Latin America, Great Britain, Continental Europe, Australia, and India.
Less prevalent is correspondence between entomologists concerning their research; correspondence concerning manuscripts submitted for publication in the National Museum
series or submitted by Department staff to other journals; applications for research grants, mostly by Departmental staff to outside agencies, occasional copies of itineraries
for research trips; and a few manuscripts of articles. The most useful correspondence is between the chairmen Clarke and Krombein, and other entomologists regarding their
research and collecting expeditions. In the folder list below the more substantial correspondence is indicated by an asterisk.
Historical Note:
The Department of Entomology was organized in the United States National Museum, now the National Museum of Natural History, in July 1963. In 1963 John Frederick Gates
Clarke was chairman, and he was succeeded by Karl Krombein in 1966.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
1.5 cu. ft. (1 record storage box) (1 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Brochures
Manuscripts
Place:
Malaysia
Date:
1958-1993
Descriptive Entry:
These records document the activities of the Office of the Chairman, Department of Entomology, 1958-1993. Chairmen who served during this time period include: J.F.
Gates Clarke (Curator, Division of Insects, Department of Zoology, 1958-1964; and Chair, Department of Entomology, 1964-1966); Karl V. Krombein (1966-1970); Paul David Hurd
(1970-1976); Donald R. Davis (1976-1981); Richard C. Froeschner (Acting Chair, 1981); Wayne N. Mathis (1982-1987); Ronald J. McGinley (1987-1992); and Jonathan A. Coddington
(1992-present).
Materials consist primarily of internal correspondence; inter-departmental and inter-museum policy memoranda; budget, planning and status reports; and membership records
with various scientific associations. Of note are large amounts of documents concerning collection and space management, the Insect Zoo exhibit, and the Sabah, Malaysia, collection
expedition.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
circa 1946-1995
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of professional correspondence documenting Paul J. Spangler's work as a Curator in the Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural
History, his research on aquatic beetles, and professional activities. Materials also include Spangler's annual reports and career data.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
4 cu. ft. (4 record storage boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Manuscripts
Black-and-white photographs
Date:
circa 1935-1980
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence maintained by Curator William DeWitt Field concerning loans of specimens and other information pertaining
to Lepidoptera collections and research.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
1972-1980
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of files, mostly on fiscal matters, concerning the research projects of Terry L. Erwin, Curator, Department of Entomology, National Museum of
Natural History.
National Museum of Natural History. Department of Entomology Search this
Extent:
18.5 cu. ft. (18 record storage boxes) (1 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
circa 1963-1988, with related records from 1934
Descriptive Entry:
These records consist of administrative subject files and professional correspondence documenting the administration and activities of the Department of Entomology.
Most of the records were created during the tenures of Chairmen Paul D. Hurd, Jr., 1971-1976; Donald R. Davis, 1976-1981; and Wayne N. Mathis, 1981-1987. A smaller portion
of the records was created by earlier chairmen John Frederick Gates Clarke, 1963-1965, and Karl V. Krombein, 1965-1971, as well as by recent Chairman Ronald J. McGinley, 1987-
.
These records provide information about specimen collections; specimen acquisition, loan, and distribution; budgets; personnel; publications; professional meetings and
societies; and research projects. Also included are a few early documents dating from before the 1963 establishment of the Department of Entomology. These early records come
from either the Department's predecessor, the Division of Insects, or from United States Department of Agriculture entomologists working in the United States National Museum.
