Ratcliffe and Jameson were funded by a Natural History Museum (BMNH) “Special Funds” collections improvement grant to identify, curate, and verify the extensive Dynastinae and Rutelinae collections in London for two weeks during August 2009. Ratcliffe tackled the Dynastinae, and Jameson attacked the Rutelinae.  

This curation established a foundation for collections-based research that addresses evolutionary questions relating to origins of groups, character trait evolution, species concepts, relationship of clades, and historical biogeography. In addition, it is invaluable in the identification of scarab species of concern for biosecurity and agriculture. Within both the Dynastinae and Rutelinae, dozens of drawers of new material were sorted to the lowest possible level (species, genus, tribe), taxon names were updated and/or verified, and many species and genera were identified. Each collection had not been upgraded since the time of Gilbert Arrow (probably in the 1930s), and so this curation greatly assists in making specimens available for biodiversity research. 

Visiting at the same time were coleopterists Jean-Philippe Legrand (France) and Stan Jakl (Czech Republic), both of whom curated the Cetoniinae. Collections Manager (Head Curator) Max Barclay was our host and coordinated the trip, and Curator Malcolm Kerley assisted with our collections activities. While working with the collections, we also gathered additional data and specimens for our current research projects. We each presented a research seminar to the Friends of Coleoptera at the Natural History Museum. On our second weekend, we traveled by train to see the entomology collections in the Natural History Museum at Oxford University, where curator Darren Mann was our host. Here, we provided identifications and gathered data for our research.

The collections at each institution are huge and of incredible historical importance. Neither the dynastines or rutelines were entirely worked up because of the vast numbers of unidentified specimens. Efforts being made by the curators, collection managers, and volunteers at each museum to modernize and care for the collections make the specimens and their data more accessible to the benefit of biodiversity studies and systematic entomology.

X