The Hemiptera Collection
Last updated | 31/08/2010
The term 'bug' is often used to describe any small invertebrate but
is more properly used as a nickname for the Hemiptera insects.
These insects have a tube (like a needle) that they can use to suck
up plant material or animal matter. The Hemiptera are a very
diverse order of insects with over 1700 species in the British
Isles and include aphids, water-boatmen, shield bugs, tree hoppers
and assassin bugs.
The Hemiptera Collection at Perth Museum and Art Gallery is very
important as it contains many type specimens. A 'type' specimen is
the first specimen of a species to be officially described by a
scientist. 13 of these type specimens at the museum were
described by Francis Buchanan White (1842-1894) a keen biologist
who not only collected 3000 Hemiptera specimens in Britain, but
also had many sent to him from other scientists including Afred
Russell Wallace (1823-1919).
Altogether there are roughly 10 000 specimens in the Hemiptera
collection.
