Bohart Museum of Entomology facts for kids
| Established | 1946 |
|---|---|
| Visitors | 12000 |
The Bohart Museum of Entomology is a fascinating museum located at the University of California, Davis. It was started in 1946. This museum is one of the largest insect collections in North America. It holds more than seven million specimens of insects and other small creatures. About 90% of these are insects. The collection includes specimens from all over the world. It has many insects from the Western Hemisphere, Indonesia, and Australasia.
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What the Bohart Museum Does
The Bohart Museum has several important jobs. It helps students and professors with their research. It also helps identify insects and provides educational programs. The museum specializes in certain types of insects. These include the worldwide insect group called Hymenoptera (like bees and wasps). It also studies freshwater creatures that are not insects. The museum focuses on insects found in California too.
History and Leadership
Professor Emeritus of entomology Richard M. Bohart founded the museum. He also contributed many specimens to its collection. In 1986, the museum was named in his honor. The museum works closely with the Entomology Department at UC Davis. It supports research for groups studying insect control and insects that affect health. The museum also has teaching collections. These are used for university courses about insects. Lynn Kimsey has been the director of the museum since 1989.
Collecting and Using Specimens
Each year, the museum adds about 30,000 new specimens to its collection. These come from field studies done by the museum. They also come from university professors and student research projects. Many specimens are also given to the museum by members of the Bohart Museum Society. People from the community also donate insects.
Research and Visitors
About 7,400 specimens from the museum are loaned out each year. These go to researchers in the United States and other countries. Researchers from around the world use the museum's collections. They use them for at least 18 publications every year. The university staff also publishes many research papers. The Bohart Museum welcomes many visitors. About 12,000 people visit the museum each year.
