Hustache´s collection of pest insect species of the genus Naupactus (Coleoptera)

DEL RIO M.G.; MARVALDI A.E.; POCCO M.

Workshop; SciCoMove (Scientific Collections on the move) Launch Workshop; 2021

The South American weevils of the genus Naupactus (Insecta: Coleoptera) include several pest species of agriculture in American and European countries. Most of them were collected and described by European naturalists in the first half of the 20th century, among the most important being Alphonse Hustache (1872-1849). Hustache was an extraordinary beetle expert, who built his collection, and later, the material was deposited in academic institutions in France via other entomologists such as Le Moult, L. Capitaine, and M. Pict. His collection has been loaned to several museums or institutions and studied by many researchers, and due to this movement of the collection, other museums worldwide (MLP, USNM, NZAC, BMNH) have also materials of many weevil pest species identified by comparison with the original material. We are going to explore how the entomological collections including weevil pest species, particularly Hustache´s collection, were built, the interchanges and loans during the years, curatorial practices and maintenance of the collections, and how it connects different museums, institutions, and researchers involved.