About MSEF

The Major Systematic Entomology Facilities (MSEF) group was founded in 1991 to bring together large institutions with major research and collections activities in the field of systematic entomology.

Over the years MSEF has expanded from an original membership of only 4 institutions to 12 of the largest entomological facilities in the world. We continue to invite new partners from around the world who share common goals.

Each year representatives of member institutions meet to exchange information, evaluate progress, tour facilities, and plan future initiatives. Each facility is represented by a Department Chair or other member of the leadership. Our most recent meetings have been held in Paris, Berlin, and Washington, D.C.

MSEF Resources

Major Systematic Entomology Facilities group includes collections which are among the world's largest and most important repositories of biological specimens. Together, these institutions contain approximately 200 million specimens and represent a majority of the total described species of arthropods.
The combined staff include over 100 research scientists and many more support personnel.
As information resources, the collections and associated libraries and databases are unparalleled.
MSEF institutions cover the entire spectrum of systematic research and service and their products form the cornerstone for research across all the major biological science disciplines.

MSEF Special Projects

The MSEF membership has agreed to support the following Special Projects aimed at making research and collections data available worldwide. Additional projects are under consideration and we expect this list to grow.

BEFRI - Biodiversity and evolution of Fulgoromorpha
GloBIS: Global Butterfly Information System
Biosystematic Database of the World Diptera
World Catalog of Heteroptera:
- Miridae

Member Institutions

American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, USA
Biosystematics Division, ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute, South Africa
Canadian National Collection of Insects and Arachnids, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA
Systematic Entomology Lab., USDA, Beltsville, MD., USA
The Natural History Museum, London, UK
Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Address for Correspondence:
Michael E. Schauff, Chair
Systematic Entomology Lab.
Bldg. 005, Rm. 133
BARC-West
Beltsville, MD 20705
USA
email: mschauff@sel.barc.usda.gov