Accessing the UCMP Fossil Insect Collections

The BFI teams have completed initial databasing and imaging of the three main UCMP fossil insect collections. In addition, we have included an unique collection of Pleistocene millipedes (Diplopoda) from a cave deposit, the Crystal Caverns site, east of Sacramento, California, as well as a small number of specimens from other Cenozoic sites of western North America. The three main collections include the middle Miocene Stewart Valley collection from Nevada, an assemblage of insects preserved as compressions in fine-grained lake sediments (shale); the three-dimensionally preserved insects from the Pleistocene asphalt seeps at Rancho La Brea and McKittrick in southern California and the early Miocene amber collection from Chiapas, Mexico. We are continually updating specimen records and the BFI IMLS team (aka “Team Resin”) has nearly completed the epoxy resin embedding of over 1200 amber inclusions. Unfortunately, with the onset of Covid-19 in early March and the subsequent shutdown of on campus research facilities, imaging of the amber specimens has been delayed but hopefully will pick back up by early July. 

To date, specimens from all the collections are entered into the online UCMP database and accessible not only through the UCMP public online specimen search, but also through the iDigBio, iDigPaleo, GBIF, and the EOL web portals.

UCMP_IP15204_399787
One of the tiny mid-Miocene parasitoid wasps preserved in the ancient lake bed at Stewart Valley, Nevada 14.5 million years ago.

 

TO ACCESS UCMP INSECT AND RELATED IMAGES:

Listed below are the different ways to access the UCMP insect data and images online through the UCMP online database or Calphotos. 

Browse page displays with thumbnails of all the specimen images taken to date can be generated by going to the Calphotos Custom query form and selecting Project: Berkeley Fossil Insect PEN. The instructions below will retrieve all the insect specimen records or images. To date, many specimens are identified only to Class and Order, but will be updated with lower-level taxonomy once that is known. To do lower-level taxonomic searches simply search on taxon rank of interest.

TO DISPLAY IMAGE GALLERY

For Stewart Valley

  1. On the UCMP Specimen Search page click on the Photos link. Select Fossil-Invertebrate from the Type of Photo drop-down menu
  2. Set the Locality Name to contains and enter Stewart Valley
  3. All Stewart Valley specimens with an available image(s) will be displayed
  4. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen
  1. Go to Calphotos and click on custom query form
  2. Set  Class to contains and enter Insecta (for insects), Arachnida (for spiders), Diplopoda (for millipedes) and Insecta|Arachnida|Diplopoda (for all these taxa), State = Nevada, Project = Berkeley Fossil Insect PEN
  3. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen

For Rancho La Brea and McKittrick  

  1. Go to Calphotos and click on custom query form
  2. Set  Class to contains and enter Insecta (for insects), Arachnida (for spiders), Diplopoda (for millipedes) and Insecta|Arachnida|Diplopoda (for all taxa), State = California
  3. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen

For Chiapas Mexican amber:

  1. Go to Calphotos and click on custom query form
  2. Set  Class to contains and enter Insecta (for insects), Arachnida (for spiders), Insecta|Arachnida (for insects and spiders), Country = Mexico
  3. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen

For Crystal Caverns

  1. On the UCMP Specimen Search page click on the Photos link. Select Fossil-Invertebrate from the Type of Photo drop-down menu
  2. Set Locality name to contains and enter Crystal Caverns
  3. All Crystal Caverns specimens with an available image(s) will be displayed
  4. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen
  1. Go to Calphotos and click on custom query form
  2. Set Class to contains and enter Diplopoda, and enter Crystal Caverns for Location
  3. Click on the [details] link to see the specimen record and all photos available for that specimen

TO DISPLAY FULL LIST OF SPECIMEN RECORDS

For Stewart Valley

  1. On the advanced specimen search page select Insecta from the pick list, Locality name = Stewart Valley
  2. Camera icons indicate specimens with images
  3. Click on the record to see specimen information and available images

For Rancho La Brea and McKittrick

  1. On the advanced specimen search page select Insecta from the pick list, State = California, Period = Quaternary
  2. Camera icons indicate specimens with images
  3. Click on the record to see specimen information and available images

For Chiapas Mexican amber

  1. On the advanced specimen search page select Insecta from the pick list, Country = Mexico; for spiders select Arachnida from the pick list.
  2. Camera icons indicate specimens with images
  3. Click on the record to see specimen information and available images

For Crystal Caverns

  1. On the advanced specimen search page select Insecta from the pick list, Locality name = Crystal Caverns
  2. Camera icons indicate specimens with images
  3. Click on the record to see specimen information and available images