Science - September 14, 2010
Insect collection has flown
The insect collection of the Laboratory of Entomology was moved to Naturalis in Leiden last week. This is made known by professor Marcel Dicke.
Ichneumon wasps
Initially, the chair group had intended to take the collection along to the campus, but the high housing costs in Radix would mean having to spend seventy thousand euros a year. The collection comprises about 600,000 different types of insects in 3,700 insect boxes. Its foundation was laid in 1882 by Professor Jan Ritzema Bos. The collection features large numbers of Ichneumon wasps, beetles, bees, bugs, cicadas, moths and butterflies.
Dicke is impressed by the move. 'Since the collection cannot remain in Wageningen, its coming under Naturalis is the best option.'