The collection consists of over 10,000 specimens of beetles. Image The Osborne Insect Collection forms a valuable resource for research in ecology and Quaternary entomology. It consists of over 10,000 specimens of identified species of Coleoptera (beetles), most of which are labelled as to where and when they were collected. The core of the collection was accumulated by Peter Osborne, one of the founders of Quaternary entomology, whilst he worked at Oxford and later in the now-defunct Quaternary Laboratory in the Department of Geology at the University of Birmingham. Image It was then acquired by Dr Paul Buckland, in Geography at Birmingham, before being moved to Sheffield and more recently to the University of Edinburgh, where it is currently being re-housed in a more commodious cabinet provided by the Natural History Museum. The Collection has been extended by several researchers, including the late Dr Peter Skidmore, and has been supplemented by material collected in the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland and northern Scandinavia as a result of several research projects, largely funded by the Leverhulme Trust. Image A full list of species included in the Osborne Collection is in preparation and will be made available on this site. The importance of the collection as a national resource is recognised and it can be consulted by arrangement with Dr Eva Panagiotakopulu. Contact and location Location The Osborne Collection is hosted within the Quaternary Entomology/Palaeoecology Lab. It is located in the basement of the Institute of Geography building, University of Edinburgh. Address: Room 1.01, Institute of Geography, School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, 1 Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP Campus maps and travel information Contact For more information, please contact the Facility Manager: Dr Eva Panagiotakopulu Senior Lecturer Email: Eva.P@ed.ac.uk This article was published on 2024-07-01
