Historically, many dedicated faculty and staff have worked to make North Carolina State University a center for excellence in insect systematics. The first was Zeno P. Metcalf, who, between 1912 and 1956, established NC State as a leading institution for research and training in insect systematics, particularly the taxonomy of the Hemiptera.
The Department of Entomology began developing an institutional insect collection during the early 1950s. Metcalf was initially in charge of the departmental collection, which incorporated his extensive private collection of Hemiptera. In 1955, the NC State Insect Collection and the department moved into room 4321 of the newly completed Gardner Hall; Metcalf died in early 1956. Leafhopper specialist David A. Young accepted a faculty position at NC State in 1957 and took on the administration of the collection, which grew in size and importance under his direction. In the late 1970s, David L. Stephan assumed responsibility for the Insect Collection, a task of such magnitude that the need for a full-time collection manager became apparent. In early 1979, Carol S. Parron filled this new staff position, and a Departmental Museum Council was established. In the mid-1980s, Lewis L. Deitz was appointed director of the Insect Collection. Robert L. Blinn replaced Parron as the collection manager in 1987. In 1992, he designed a database application to inventory the holdings and managed accessions and loans. Later, molecular systematist Brian M. Wiegmann initiated the Insect Museum’s Genome Bank.
The rapid growth of the Insect Collection during the 1980s and 1990s made it necessary to expand into two adjoining rooms (4317 Gardner in 1995 and 4317 Gardner in 1996). In December 1980, the Collection’s estimated holdings were approximately 719,178 prepared specimens. In 1997, the National Science Foundation funded a grant to expand the Insect Collection, incorporating recent significant acquisitions.
Changes continue at the NC State Insect Collection as we grow, adapt and develop advances in biodiversity informatics. Thanks to the National Science Foundation (DBI-0847924) and the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, in 2009, we expanded our storage capacity by 20% and our overall footprint by over 30% (with 600 sqft of new research and storage space). We are also extending our inventory efforts to include specimen data and images.
Faculty and Staff Associated with the NC State Insect Museum
Current Directory
Contributors to the Collection
- Charles R. Bartlett University of Delaware, “Homoptera”
- Steve Hall Lepidoptera
- Kye S. Hedlund UNC-Chapel Hill, Formicidae
- Mark J. Rothschild Membracidae
- Charles L. Staines, Jr. Chrysomelidae
- James W. Smith Coleoptera
- Henry Stockwell Coleoptera
- J. Bo Sullivan Lepidoptera
C. S. Brimley | Faculty, North Carolina Insects, 1920-1927 |
B. K. Cassel | Technician in Molecular Systematics, 1996-present |
A.R. Deans | Faculty and Director of Collection, 2007-2012 |
L.L. Deitz | Faculty and Director of Collection: Homoptera, 1980-2006 |
M.H. Farrier | Faculty: Acarina, 1955-1991 |
B.B. Fulton | Faculty: Orthoptera, 1928-1954 |
K.L. Knight | Faculty and Department Head: Culicidae, 1968-1980 |
W.M. Kulash | Faculty: Elateridae, 1943-1960 |
Z.P. Metcalf | Faculty and Department Head: Auchenorrhynchous Homoptera, 1912-1956 |
T.B. Mitchell | Faculty: Apoidea, 1925-1961 |
H.H. Neunzig | Faculty: Lepidoptera and Megaloptera, 1957-1992 |
CS Parron | Collection Manager: Aphididae, 1979-1987 |
P.O. Richter | Faculty: Scarabaeidae, 1950-1951 |
F. Sherman | Faculty, Agricultural Experiment Station Entomologist, 1902-1907 |
C.F. Smith | Faculty and Department Head: Aphididae and Braconidae (Aphidiinae), 1939-1979 |
D.L. Stephan | Faculty and Head Curator of Collection, 1974-present |
H.K. Townes | Faculty: Hymenoptera, 1951 |
B.M. Wiegmann | Faculty: Diptera and Molecular Systematics, 1994-present |
D. A. Young | Faculty and Head Curator of Collection: Cicadellidae, 1957-1980 |