News

New Parthenogenetic Cockroach Discovered in U.S. and Austria by researchers at MSU

Published on July 14, 2025
MSU Entomologists identified a new species of cockroach that was previously undescribed. The preserved specimen are now housed in the Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection at MSU.
New Bee Collection at MSU Preserves Vital Data for Future Research

Published on March 12, 2025
Dr. Rufus Isaacs' lab at MSU has contributed nearly 8,000 bee specimens to the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, providing valuable data for future research on bee decline, biodiversity, and climate change.
Gary Parsons’ gift supports research arthropod collection and the Bug House

Published on November 23, 2021
Parsons is sharing an unexpected gift to expand the capacity of the A.J. Cook Collection and bolster outreach at the MSU Bug House.
Remembering professor emeriti Stehr and Hoopingarner

Published on November 22, 2021
MSU Entomology experienced more loss this fall with the deaths of Fred Stehr and Roger Hoopingarner.
Entomology graduate student award results in more butterfly and moth data for global scientists

Published on May 8, 2020
Supported with a Scriber Scholar Award, Erica Fischer has significantly expanded the butterfly and moth database available at MSU for international use.
MSU entomologists lead effort to improve identification of Southeast Asian ambrosia beetles

Published on November 18, 2019
A team of scientists have developed a new online tool that will make it easier to identify these potentially destructive and invasive species.
Skewered caterpillars are examples of 19th century collection methods

Published on April 22, 2019
Curators of MSU Entomology’s arthropod research collection have located fragile specimens preserved by the collection’s founder at the turn of the 19th century.
A taxonomic update of Michigan spiders

Published on February 20, 2018
Richard J. Snider's list of spider species found in Michigan has been updated and is available for download.
Database of Lepidoptera specimens surpasses 50,000 records

Published on November 17, 2017
Database staff in the Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection have spent the past year entering label data from North American butterflies and moths into a multi-organizational database.
AJ Cook Arthropod Research Collection part of $3.2 million effort to digitize Lepidoptera specimens

Published on November 2, 2016
The National Science Foundation is funding a $3.2 million effort to digitize millions of butterfly and moth specimens within the Lepidoptera of the North American Network.
Online holdings of the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection have been updated

Published on February 19, 2016
An updated database of insect specimens in the A.J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection is now live at Symbiota Collection of Arthropods Network.
ARC gets new drawer imaging system

Published on July 28, 2015
The long awaited camera robot recently arrived at the ARC in December 2014.
Mogens Nielsen Lepidoptera Collection

Published on July 28, 2015
Mogen Nielsen's private Lepidoptera collection came to the ARC on April 2, 2014.
New Collembola Collection Room

Published on July 28, 2015
In April and May of 2015, Room 443 in the Natural Science Building was converted and added to the museum space to house the Collembola collections of Dr. Richard Snider and Kenneth Christiansen.
Eric Metzler completes White Sands/Carlsbad Caverns Lepidoptera Surveys

Published on September 23, 2014
In 2012, Eric Metzler, Adjunct Curator in the ARC, completed a volunteer study begun in 2007 that was supported by the National Park Service to sample moths from Carlsbad Caverns National Park and White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.