Entomological Collections Network

If you attended our annual meeting last year in Phoenix, you may have met some of our youngest attendees, Connor Hsu & Cole Crammer. We were so impressed by their passion for entomology & outreach. They’re now in 11th grade and this year they’re back to deliver their first ever ECN talk!

Connor & Cole are on a mission to engage children with insects through meaningful, community-based experiences. What started out as a simple idea between two motivated high school freshman, has grown into one of the leading youth-focused entomology programs in Southern California, and the first youth division of the Lorquin Entomological Society - !

They create their own specimen displays and use these in combination with live insects to explore insect biodiversity and teach basics collection techniques. The peer-to-peer nature of their work is what makes their efforts so unique and successful.

Since 2023, this young team have organised over 15 public events and reached thousands of attendees! 😮

We’re hopeful that this will be the first of many talks from this dedicated duo.

You lucky lot! We really have an excellent program of talks lined-up for you the this weekend for !

In the morning we’ll dive into to some technical themes, including useful tips and tricks for specimen imaging, and the hot topic of AI applications for taxonomy and collections work - the promises and the realities.

We’ll change gear in the afternoon as we’ll be treated to a diverse mix of themes, featuring a look at some new display installations and inspirational outreach work, as well as a deeper look at the contributions of entomologist Mary Gladys Hoke Lobdell. We’ll also hear about the plans to transform the Oregon State Arthropod Collection through a major renovation project.

As always, we round off Day 1 with our business meeting - in which we’ll have some important announcements, so don’t even think about skipping it! Then onto the reception! 🍻

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Image 1 - Andrew Johnston (Department of Entomology, Purdue University) will share how to build an affordable and fully functional focus-stacking system on your own.

Image 2 - Shelby Grice (Mississippi Entomological Museum) will shine a light on Mary Gladys Hoke Lobdell and her spectacular scale collection.

FINAL COUNTDOWN!

This time next week our annual Entomological Collections meeting will be in full swing!

There’s still time to register! If you can’t make it in-person, we’ve got you covered - online registration is available ($20 for regular members or $5 for students). Check out the link in our bio for full details and to view our exciting program of talks.

As our meeting is taking place in Portland, Oregon, Rain beetles are this years meeting mascot. Thank you to the Cornell University Insect Collection for allowing us to use these images of their Pleocoma oregonensis specimens.

📷 CUIC

BIG FLUFFY BEETLE…
to get your attention!

Now that we have it, don’t forget that Early bird registration rates for end today (Sept 30th). Don’t miss out and register for our upcoming meeting via the link in our bio.

Rain beetles are the mascot for our annual meeting this year, as it is taking place in Portland, Oregon. This beautiful Pleocoma oregonensis is a specimen from the Cornell University Insect Collection.

📷 CUIC

As the next Entomological Collections Network annual meeting will be in Portland, Oregon, these beetles felt like the natural choice for a mascot this year.

Pleocomidae are a small family of beetles within the Scarabaeoidea. They’re found in the Pacific Northwest, where most of their lives are spent underground. They’re often referred to as Rain beetles, as fall rains bring about their mating season, with males and females tunnelling up through the damp soil and males taking flight in search of a mate. Thanks to , for sharing these specimens from the collection at .

Our annual meeting will take place in Portland, November 8-9 2025, immediately before the conference. Registration is now open, with in-person and virtual attendance available, and discounted rates for students. We are currently calling for talks, so please check the website for full details (link in bio).

We hope you seen you at ☔️🪲

Please note, whilst rain is likely, we cannot guarantee Rain beetles during your visit.