Wichita State University Collection

The Wichita State University Biodiversity Laboratory houses the invertebrate collection (WICHI) which contains arthropod specimens that result from regional research (pollination, herbivory, habitat surveys) and international research (primarily Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). We aim to make biodiversity data broadly available and assist in research that examines biotic patterns (e.g., insect and host-plant interactions), phylogenetics, spatial distributions, and conservation. Discoveries based on this research assist in documenting the biotic response to climate change, predicting the geographic potential of invasive species, recognizing habitat bio-indicators, among others.