Natural world
The collection consists of about 700,000 specimens. The historic F Chevrier (1801 - 1885) collection of European beetles is of international importance and other notable non-British material includes the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine collection of medically important arthropods and C A Collingwood's collection of palaearctic ants. In addition, there are biological records, archives and an extensive, fully catalogued library with excellent coverage of the British and Palaearctic taxonomic works.
A proactive acquisition policy has been adopted since 1988 and this has transformed the quality and size of the entomology collection, in creating a nationally significant resource. On average c30,000 specimens have been added annually since National Museums Liverpool's formation in 1986.
Jewel beetle
The 50,000 British micro-lepidoptera is scientifically the most important part of National Museums Liverpool's Lepidoptera holdings. The British macro-Lepidopteran collection contains 120,000 specimens. The museum also houses and curates the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society collection. The 23,000 foreign specimens provide good generic cover for butterflies and include 3,000 South African lycaenidae. A palaearctic collection of lepidoptera, currently numbering c 40,000 specimens, is being assembled. This includes type material.
There is 87% species coverage of the British fauna with a total holding of c103,000 specimens. The historic F Chevrier (1801 - 1885) collection of European beetles is of international importance and is a source of lectotypes.
Recent acquisitions from M Edwards, G H L Dicker and extensive regional fieldwork by C. Clee have transformed the British aculeate collection, which provides 83% species coverage. Palaearctic representation has also dramatically increased. A major recent acquisition was the C A Collingwood ant collection of 61,000 specimens, comprising 1,610 species (c. 70 - 80% of the palaearctic fauna) with type material of some 60 species. This compliments extensive C Clee aculeate material. The British sawfly collection, which includes T Green modern regional material, requires further development at 46% species coverage. The representation of parasitic wasps at 6% is poor.
The collection comprises of around 50,000 British specimens with 2,454 species present. Representation is particularly high for tipulidae (craneflies), mycetophilidae (fungus gnats) syrphidae (hoverflies), tabanidae (horseflies) and larger brachycera (short-horned fly families). Foreign diptera is dominated by the 35,000 specimens of medically important flies in the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine collection. An increasingly extensive collection of asilidae (robberflies) and bombyliidae (beeflies) is being assembled from the Greek island of Chios.
There is excellent coverage of British true bugs (93%) and hoppers (96%), which contrasts with a virtual absence of other groups such as aphids. The extensive W J Le Quesne collection is complemented by S Judd's adult and extensive immature material, particularly palaearctic lygaeidae (seed bugs).
There is excellent coverage for British aquatic groups, especially adult and larval British trichoptera (caddis flies). Developing collections include palaearctic neuroptera (lacewings and allied groups) and S G Butler's world odonata(dragonfly) larvae. There is also a collection of exotic world orthoptera.