Curatorial Assessment and Status of the General Collection of Membracoidea and Cercopoidea (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadomorpha) of the Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Biological collections kept by museums have more than a public education value, and offer unique opportunities for taxonomic studies and a continued value to the study of biodiversity. The Museo de La Plata (MLP), Buenos Aires, Argentina, holds one of the most important insect collections of species from the Neotropical region, with nearly two million individuals from all orders present in the Neotropics. This report assessed the curatorial status of the General Collection (excluding types) of Membracoidea and Cercopoidea from MLP. The authors analyzed the material of Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, Membracidae, Cercopidae and Clastopteridae. Based on data registered in labels attached to each pinned individual, they calculated the following indexes of curatorial status: taxonomic representativity, geographic representativity, taxonomic identification, spatial coverage, data completeness, biological associations and historical record. Some of these are a modification of previous indexes from other researchers to describe collections deposited elsewhere. The general level of conservation, ease of access to preserved species, and the degree of identification of individuals were found to be good. Major shortfalls included a lack of data in material collected prior to the 1950's and a decrease in the number of Membracoidea deposited in recent decades. Based on the results of this assessment, the authors demonstrate the ongoing value of thorough documentation of collections to current research, the importance of information surrounding specimen additions to an existing collection, and the ethical responsibilities to accuracy in data collection that museum collections staff have to future generations of researchers.