Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey are asking people to mail in deceased butterflies, moths and skippers to establish a research collection.
The Lepidoptera Research Collection will help USGS scientists identify contaminants and environmental factors contributing to the decline of insect populations.
"There are some questions that can't effectively be answered without help from a lot of people. It's what makes citizen science so special and valuable," said Julie Dietze, USGS scientist-in-charge of the effort. "Collections like this one are important because they have the potential to provide scientists now, and 20 years from now, access to specimens. Without the specimens, it will be far more difficult to answer questions related to contaminants and environmental health."
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Butterflies, moths and skippers from the following states are needed: Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, though specimens that are protected under the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Endangered Species Act or listed as threatened or endangered under state law cannot be accepted. To see a listing of protected species in Texas, click here.
This is the first project of its kind where the USGS is asking people to directly mail specimens, Dietze said. If this pilot project is successful, she hopes that the collection can expand to other states and insects.
"If we can get hundreds and thousands of butterflies and moths, then I think we'd be able to expand," Dietze said. "I think that all of them are going to have a unique story...I'd like for it to be a collection that can be used 20-50 years from now."
So far, the USGS has received just under 100 butterflies. A few have been from Texas cities like Georgetown and Flower Mound.
The USGS is uploading specimens they receive in an online database found here. The collection is housed in the Kansas Water Science Center, but it will also be made available to any scientists within the USGS.
The deadline to mail the specimens is Nov. 1. Collection and shipping instructions can be found in the document embedded below:
