Museum Provides National Resource
by Wesley Watson

Sometimes, you do not know what you have until it is gone. Not so for Oklahoma State University’s Arthropod Museum, but the 80-year-old resource is in danger of extinction.

Established in 1924, the OSU Arthropod Museum has been a staple of the entomology department for research and extension.

“The museum is an invaluable resource for students, faculty and the public,” said Andrine Morrison, entomology graduate student.

The Arthropod Museum began in its own illuminated apiary; the building’s perforated sides allowed the capture of nocturnal insects.

The museum’s collections were relocated to Life Sciences East in 1964 and were moved to Life Sciences West in 1972. Since 1990, the museum has been in the Noble Research Center.

“The Noble Research Center is regarded as the cutting edge of science,” said Richard Berberet, professor of entomology. “However, the collections are not appreciated as part of this.”

What makes the arthropod museum important? The answer involves the actual collections and Arthropod Museum curator, Don Arnold.

OSU’s collection is one of the top 10 collegiate insect collections in the United States.

“Reference specimens from the museum are loaned to graduate students and researchers from across the United States,” Berberet said. “New specimens are identified frequently, even within the collections.”

The museum includes 250,000 to 300,000 different species of arthropods and countless specimens.

“The louse collection is the world’s third largest lice collection,” Arnold said. “We have 50,000 lice in the collection, and they represent 85 percent of all known lice species.”

Another notable international insect collection includes 100,000 specimens and was given to OSU by alumnus K.C. Emerson.

Well known in his field, Emerson published more than 140 books and articles about medical veterinary entomology, parasitology and ecology.

“Numerous specimens in this collection are over 100 years old and are irreplaceable,” Morrison said.

The K.C. Emerson collection is relevant because of these unique specimens and is valued between $100,000 to $200,000, Arnold said.

As the only Arthropod Museum curator, Arnold monitors the museum and fulfills all of its inherent obligations. He is the heart and soul of the OSU Arthropod Museum. Arnold has been immersed in entomology at OSU for more than 30 years and has served as curator for 15 years.

In addition to his curator duties, Arnold ranks as one of the top three taxonomists in Oklahoma. He receives specimens for identification purposes from across the country.

“The guaranteed way to get Don Arnold to smile is to show him a unique arthropod,” Berberet said. “His dedication and love for entomology is that strong.”

Despite the benefits the Arthropod Museum offers, it may disappear because of the irreplaceable nature of faculty like Arnold.

“Taxonomy has been in decline for 35 years,” Berberet said. “This discipline enables natural history museums, like ours, to continue.”

Taxonomy, the field of science that classifies life, is studied and practiced differently than it was 200 years ago.

Scientists use natural concepts and Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus’ system to classify specimens. Advances in knowledge of morphology, evolution and genetics have modified modern taxonomic classification, but few students focus in taxonomy.

“We will still offer a class in insect taxonomy, ENTO 4464 Systematic Entomology, in the fall,” Berberet said. “This will be the last time I teach the course, and we are hoping to hire a new faculty member who is interested in teaching this course and some other basic entomology courses.”

“We have no replacement for Don,” Berberet said. “His tenure and experience make him indispensable. Taxonomy is needed as a basic resource for entomology as a whole.

“Since we have few students studying taxonomy, who would replace him? Without Don, the museum would not exist. It is happenstance that it remains.”

The Arthropod Museum is worth saving for numerous reasons, Berberet said. The vast numbers of insects on the planet, coupled with their inherent and undiscovered uses, necessitate the Arthropod Museum’s existence, although the number of visitors has declined in recent years.

“Five years ago, we had 200 to 300 visitors annually,” Arnold said. “Now, we are lucky to have 100. Although I still have consistent clients, too few people know about the existence of our museum. Even on campus, many people still do not know it is here.”