Research at the Bohart
The Bohart's insect collections are a valuable resource for research, and the museum's professional staff conduct research that benefits science and the community.
Highlights:
- One of the world's largest collections of parasitic and aculeate Hymenoptera.
- The Buckett and Bauer Noctuidae, 150,000 moths and library.
- H. Tyler swallowtail butterflies, 90% of the world species, 4500 specimens, and library.
- Ferris-McKenzie scale insect collection, 200,000 dried and slide-mounted specimens and library.
- W. Reeves arbovirus research voucher mosquitoes.
- MMJ Lavoipierre collection of ecto- and endo-parasitic arthropods and worms.
- A. Shapiro butterflies, 100,000 research vouchers of Californian and Argentinean species.
- The world's largest collection of tardigrade water bears.
- One of the more important collections of mites in the U.S.A.
- R. Ryckman kissing bug collection
- R.M. Bohart Strepsiptera collection
- M.A. Miller Isopod collection
For some of the resources and services offered by museum, follow the links below.
About Entomology
Diagnostics and Identification
Search our Database: Link coming soon
(Our database is still in progress, currently we have the scale insect collection, insect fluid collection, and part of the bee collection available to view.)
Researchers: To borrow specimens or to visit the collections, please contact the museum at bmuseum[at]ucdavis.edu. Dr. Steve Heydon is the collections manager.
About Entomology
Diagnostics and Identification
Search our Database: Link coming soon
(Our database is still in progress, currently we have the scale insect collection, insect fluid collection, and part of the bee collection available to view.)
Researchers: To borrow specimens or to visit the collections, please contact the museum at bmuseum[at]ucdavis.edu. Dr. Steve Heydon is the collections manager.
Current Research Projects
- LepNet: 2016-2020 NSF grant: Digitization TCN: Collaborative Research: Lepidoptera of North America Network: Documenting Diversity in the Largest Clade of Herbivores; to database Lepidoptera collection; collaboration with major collections and museums across the US.
- Belize BioBlitz: June 2016 at Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (TREES) , Stan Creek, Belize
- Kissing Bug Database: 2016-2017 project to database the Ryckman kissing bug (Triatominae) collection; funded by a grant from the Ryckman family.
- Tardigrades: 2014-2017 NSF grant: Collaborative Research - CBSR: Natural History: RUI: The Preservation, Digitizing, and Data Basing of the Tardigrade Collection at Bohart Museum, UC Davis; to database, image and recurate the tardigrade collection; collaboration with Carl Johansson, Fresno City College.
- Solar Array: 2016-2017 US BLM grant: BLM CA CESU Characterization of Impacts to Desert Pollinators from Utility Scale Renewable Energy Installations; to survey pollinators in proposed solar array sites
- Monvero Dunes: 2014-2016 collaboration with the US BLM in Fresno Co. to inventory the insects
- Mosquitoes of California: revision of the Mosquitoes of California by Bohart and Washino 1978
- Bee Database: 2011-2014 NSF grant: Collaborative Research: Collaborative Databasing of North American Bee Collections within a Global Informatics Network; to database bee collection; collaboration with major bee collections in the U.S.
- CalBug: 2010-2015 NSF grant: Collaborative Research: CalBug, an interactive database using arthropods to examine impacts of climate change and habitat modification; to database California insects; collaboration with California based collections
- Indonesia: 2010-2014 NIH Grant: Biodiversity surveys in Indonesia and discovery of health and energy solutions, survey and bioprospecting of Mekkonga Mt., Sulawesi, Indonesia; collaboration with the Indonesian government, UC Davis and UC Berkeley. Link coming soon
- Biodiversity and Systematics of Bees: In addition to projects on native bees in agriculture and urban gardens, Robbin Thorp is currently focusing on the conservation of Franklin's Bumble Bee. Link coming soon
- Algodones Dunes – 2007-2013 US BLM grant to survey the insects of the dunes. We have collected nearly 2,000 insect species. So far 35 of these are new to science. Amazingly in this hostile environment of heat and little water, a large number of insects not only survive but thrive (2007-2013) See below for list of insect species from this project.
- Delusional Parasitosis/skin parasites – link to this website on the topic.
Algodones Dunes Insect Species List
New link coming soon