Fig. 79.—A view of the main insect collection room of the Illinois Natural History Survey. In the steel cabinets and hardwood trays shown here are arranged pinned insect specimens. Similar cabinets contain material in liquid preservative. Adjoining this collection room are offices and laboratories of the Section of Faunistic Surveys and Insect Identification, where records of insect distribution and habits are kept on file.
The most important use of the collection is for identification of insects known to damage crops, stored grains, and household articles, or to threaten human health. Important also is its use as a storehouse of information regarding the ecology, host relationships, and distribution of Illinois insects.
So large is the field of insect classification that many important gaps exist in our knowledge of the Illinois fauna. For maximum usefulness, the collection should contain a complete representation of the Illinois insect fauna, supplemented with as much additional North American material as can be obtained. This additional comparison material is frequently necessary to evaluate correctly the species occurring in the state. It is estimated that there are about 20,000 different species of insects in Illinois and 150,000 in North America. The collection contains representatives of over 15,000 Illinois species, and a great many other North American species useful as comparison material in the identification of Illinois forms.
Gifts to the collection of well-prepared material are greatly appreciated. Many of those already received have made vital contributions to the collection and added valuable records to the Natural History Survey files of insect distribution.
REPORTS ON ILLINOIS INSECTS
As a result of the accumulation of material and information in the faunistic collection, the Illinois Natural History Survey has published a number of reports dealing with various groups of insects and other animals in Illinois; other reports in this series are being prepared or planned. These reports are designed primarily for use of the advanced student in zoology and entomology. They contain information regarding the characteristics, habits, and distribution of the various species in the state, keys for their identification, and illustrations to assist in diagnosis of the structures used in identification. Because of their great abundance in both species and numbers, and their importance as pests, insects have been studied extensively and much has been written about them.
The following reports of Illinois insects and their relatives have been published by the Illinois Natural History Survey. Those marked “out of print” are unavailable at the Survey, but may be consulted at libraries or obtained from book dealers. Interested persons may obtain publications by writing to the Chief, Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
The Oribatoidea of Illinois [Mites], by Henry E. Ewing. Out of print. The Chironomidae, or Midges, of Illinois, by J. R. Malloch. Out of print. A Preliminary Classification of Diptera, by J. R. Malloch. Out of print. The North American Species of the Genus Tiphia [Wasps], by J. R. Malloch. Out of print. The Pentatomoidea of Illinois [Stink Bugs], by Charles Arthur Hart. Out of print. Forest Insects in Illinois: I. The Subfamily Ochthiphilinae (Diptera, Family Agromyzidae), by J. R. Malloch. Out of print. Fall and Winter Stoneflies, or Plecoptera, of Illinois, by Theodore H. Frison. Out of print. The Plant Lice, or Aphiidae, of Illinois, by Frederick C. Hottes and Theodore H. Frison. Out of print. The Dermaptera and Orthoptera of Illinois, by Morgan Hebard. The Stoneflies, or Plecoptera, of Illinois, by T. H. Frison. Nearctic Alder Flies of the Genus Sialis (Megaloptera, Sialidae), by H. H. Ross. Out of print. The Plant Bugs, or Miridae, of Illinois, by Harry H. Knight. Studies of North American Plecoptera, With Special Reference to the Fauna of Illinois, by T. H. Frison. The Caddis Flies, or Trichoptera, of Illinois, by Herbert H. Ross. Out of print. The Leafhoppers, or Cicadellidae, of Illinois, by D. M. DeLong. The Pseudoscorpions of Illinois, by C. Clayton Hoff. The Mayflies, or Ephemeroptera, of Illinois, by B. D. Burks. A Synopsis of the Mosquitoes of Illinois (Diptera, Culicidae), by Herbert H. Ross and William R. Horsfall.
USEFUL BOOKS
A considerable number of books can be of great help to the beginner in naming his specimens. The following are perhaps the most easily used. Others are being published from time to time.