University of British Columbia - Spencer Entomological Collection (UBCZ)

Over half a million pinned specimens, 75,000 alcohol-preserved specimens and 25,000 specimens on slides showcase BC and the Yukon’s spectacular insect diversity. Past collectors’ particular projects have shaped the collection, and have resulted in particularly strong holdings of Hemiptera (true bugs), Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Siphonaptera (fleas) and Anoplura and Mallophaga (lice). The collection has also been enriched by the following notable holdings: de Waard Lepidoptera (moths), Downes Hemiptera (true bugs), Foxlee Diptera (true flies) and Hymenoptera (bees and wasps), Harrison Coleoptera (carabids), Llwewllyn Jones Lepidoptera (butterflies), Scudder Hemiptera (true bugs), Stace-Smith Coleoptera (beetles). The Collection also includes an extensive library of entomological literature, ranging from insect taxonomy, biology, and habitat to pest control. It includes over 350 books, 8000 reprints, and 20 series of unbound journals. We also have over 10,000 photographic slides of insects and arachnids with accompanying data.