Essig Museum of Entomology Research

The Essig Museum of Entomology on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley houses an active research collection of over 5,000,000 terrestrial arthropods. From humble beginnings as a teaching collection over a hundred years ago, through exponential growth as the California Insect Survey beginning in 1939, the Essig Museum is now one of the largest and most important university-based research collections of insects in North America. When you visit you’ll be able to do the following:

• Discover and explore the arthropod world
• Learn about insects that are close to home
• Become an expert on what is around you 
• Explore a collection of over 5,000,000 terrestrial arthropods

Primarily a collection of specimens from the Western Hemisphere, regional emphasis is on the eastern Pacific Rim, in particular California, Mexico, and Central America, and the islands of the central Pacific. The mission of the museum is the utilization of the collection to facilitate and document research, teaching, and outreach in arthropod biology. We are committed to making the information contained in our collection as accessible as possible to researchers, students, and the non-academic community, and actively pursue interactions that will foster this development, within the Berkeley Natural History Museums consortium, as well as nationally and globally. What is their mission?

• This museum’s mission is to facilitate and document research in arthropod biology 
• They are committed to making the information contained in their collection accessible for all who want it 
• Their goal is to foster interactions that will encourage collaboration within the Berkeley Natural History Museums consortium and beyond

From humble beginnings as a teaching collection over 100 years ago, through exponential growth as The Essig’s first major project and California Insect Survey beginning in 1939, to its current status as one of the largest university-based entomological collections in North America with more than 50 long term projects focused on insects from around the world. The mission of the Essig Museum is to contribute knowledge and understanding by preserving specimens and displaying them for study. The Essig Museum is committed to excellence in education, both formal and informal while prioritizing research-based entomology topics. You can help this museum by visiting because:

• You can support an institution that helps share information about North American insects and exhibits from around the world
• You can take a closer look at bugs, spiders, scorpions, and more to understand their role in our ecosystem
• You can learn what scientists are working on with 50+ long-term projects in your backyard through free lectures and open houses

If you’re interested in arthropod biology and want to gain access to the Berkeley Natural History Museums’ collection, then this is a place for you! This museum’s goal is to foster interactions that will encourage collaboration. To learn more about their mission or see what they have on display, visit them today!