DARLINGTON — Wisconsin Insect Research Collection (WIRC), housed on the UW-Madison campus, is home to nearly 3,000,000 curated specimens. And they’re getting about 650 more, all from Lafayette County, all curated by Marci Hess of Blanchardville.

Lafayette County is underrepresented in the WIRC collection. Marci’s work documenting insects in our county fills the gap between what was assumed to be here and what is actually here. The Driftless Area is especially important because of its unique origin; Marci feels it should be the 8th wonder of the world. Since Lafayette County is in the Driftless Area, filling this information gap is notably important. 

Insect collections are valuable. Only about 20% of our insects have been named and that does not include understanding their ecology and natural history. Collections also teach us about species we’ve already lost. The importance of thorough coverage is vital and having our county included is historic. 

“The Wisconsin collection represents nearly 170 years of work by amateur and professional entomologists. “Each specimen represents not only the body of an insect but a preserved point in time. Knowing what insects existed in what places and at what periods allows researchers to trace changes on the landscape,” said Dr. Dan Young, Professor of Entomology and Director, UW Insect Research Collection (WIRC).  

WIRC hosts tours and visits with 1,800 people viewing the collections annually.