Cool Job: Dr. Robin Thomson, Curator, Insect Collection, University of Minnesota Department of Entomology

Article by Becky Fillinger

Dr. Robin Thomson, photo credit Becky Fillinger 

Dr. Robin Thomson is the Curator of the U's Department of Entomology Insect Collection. It’s an amazing job that many of us aren't familiar with. We visited with her to find out about a typical day, discuss our state’s endangered species, and how to learn more about the collection with over four million species.

Q:  What is a typical day for you as Curator of the Insect Collection at the University of Minnesota Department of Entomology?

A:  The first thing I do each day, like many people, is to check my email in-box and see if there are any new requests for specimens or data. Among other things, this could lead to putting together a loan of insect specimens to be mailed to a researcher outside of the University of MN community, pulling together a small dataset based on specimens in the Insect Collection, or helping someone figure out the proper paperwork for various permits. If there are no immediate needs to be filled for individual researchers, I have a never-ending list of projects to be tackled in the collection, including the incorporation of new specimens obtained through donations or fieldwork, or the re-curation and taxonomic updating of older sections of the Insect Collection. Databasing specimen information to make it easier to share with both the research community and the general public has also become an on-going project.

Q:  Why did entomology appeal to you as a subject of study?

A:  Insects are extremely diverse and absolutely fascinating! If you can imagine some sort of weird life history trait, there’s a good chance it actually occurs in at least one species of insect. With around one million insect species known to science, and many more yet to be discovered and described, there’s always something new to learn.

Q:  With over four million insect species specimens in the U’s collection, are you often called upon by national and international colleagues for information or assistance?

A:  Yes, I interact fairly regularly with colleagues from outside of the University of MN community. It’s pretty normal for researchers from some of the local organizations or state agencies to use the Insect Collection as a resource; for example, the MN Department of Agriculture, the MN Department of Natural Resources, and the Minnesota Zoo have all made use of the Collection. Reaching outside of the Twin Cities, I often loan specimens out to researchers at other universities across the country and around the world. In the past several months, I’ve sent insects to researchers located across the U.S. and in Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Germany.

Arm tattoo of a species of microcaddisfly, Ascotrichia frontalis, photo credit Becky Fillinger 

Q:  Do you participate in the field collection of insects?

A:  Yes, I love getting out for fieldwork when I get the chance! Earlier this spring, I was part of a field trip to Ecuador focused on documenting the regional diversity of caddisflies. Caddisflies are aquatic as larvae, and the adults are crepuscular, so we were out every night of that trip at collection sites near rivers using UV lights shining on a white sheet to attract the adults. I recently received a grant that will allow me to plan more fieldwork over the next few years, so I’m planning several trips that will take me to sites both domestic and abroad.

Rusty-patched bumble beeQ:  Are there certain endangered species of Minnesota insects we should be aware of?

A:  The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) occurs in Minnesota and was listed as federally endangered in 2017. The University of MN Bee Lab has posted more information regarding how to identify the rusty-patched bumble bee and how to report it if you think you’ve seen it (https://beelab.umn.edu/rusty-patched-bumble-bee). The MN Department of Natural Resources also keeps a list of Minnesota’s endangered, threatened, and special concern species, including the insects: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ets/index.html.

Q:  What will you teach this year?

A:  I will be teaching Insect Biodiversity & Evolution this coming fall, though, for both undergraduate and graduate students. It’s a fun course focused on the diversity of insect life and its evolutionary history; students will learn how to identify different insects to the family level and will make their own insect collection.

Q:  May the public tour the collection? Do you also offer offsite educational sessions?

A:  Unfortunately, due to staffing and resource constraints, the Insect Collection is unable to offer tours to the general public. I do my best to accommodate tour requests for larger formal groups; some of the local colleges schedule tours for their undergrad classes fairly regularly. I do occasionally engage in educational sessions for K-12 classes, either on- or off-site, but my ability to offer these varies pretty wildly depending on my schedule.

Q:  How may we follow your very interesting news?

A:  The Insect Collection is housed within the Department of Entomology and you can follow any news, check on upcoming events and seminars, or read our department newsletter by following the links on our department home page, https://entomology.umn.edu/.

You’ll also find the Department of Entomology on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.