Rising tides and floating boats: Enhancing the U.S. National Insect Collection to leverage research and taxonomic services

Like all entomologists at S.E.L., those in the Lepidoptera unit are charged with the primary responsibilities of research, curation, and urgent pest identifications. Each of these endeavors reinforces the infrastructures of the other two. To illustrate this breadth of these efforts, we summarize three recent exemplar projects involving molecular identification, phylogenomics, and historical data on intercepted pests. The Lepidoptera collection is the most rapidly expanding insect collection unit in Entomology at NMNH, and as such incurs some of the greatest and most immediate curatorial needs in the NIS. The ease with which DNA can be extracted from dried specimens and the anticipated growth in micro-CT scanning have generated the need to refine curatorial procedures to meet research opportunities. Collection acquisition in the moth collection thus focuses on recently collected and data-rich specimens as well as collections that fill taxonomic or geographic gaps. The Prominent Moths (Notodontidae) present an example of the successful intersection of phylogenomics with curation. Meanwhile, the combination of advances in plant classification, as well as in molecular identification tools for pests, provide opportunities to revisit and refine data on intercepted pests from the last 40+ years, and to visualize and better understand trends. To that end, in partnership with APHIS and with ARS sponsorship of data science interns, we are developing bioinformatics tools to explore intercepted pests and the hostplants and commodities on which they appeared. These will allow us to test possible trends in the spread and establishment of potential pests.