{"id":52,"date":"2025-10-21T13:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T13:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/?p=52"},"modified":"2025-11-14T16:42:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T16:42:02","slug":"state-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2025\/state-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Goliath\u2019 beetle exhibit showcases biodiversity"},"content":{"rendered":"
Research Impact<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

In early 2024, MJ Paulsen received a phone call: Michael Ritterbrown was sorting through his late mother\u2019s possessions in Wyoming and wasn\u2019t sure what to do with her extensive natural history collection, for which she\u2019d left no instructions. Nova was an excellent amateur botanist, but her late husband Ron Young collected scarab beetles, which led Ritterbrown to the University of Nebraska State Museum\u2019s website and wondering if it would be interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNinety drawers of beetles. Yes, yes, that\u2019s exactly what we do here, and I\u2019d love to have them,\u201d Paulsen, curator of the museum\u2019s entomology collection, told Ritterbrown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MJ Paulsen shows off specimens from the new Goliaths exhibit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s just lucky that the family cared enough to be, like, this should go somewhere,\u201d Paulsen said. \u201cReally passionate amateurs are where we get a lot of our specimens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Youngs are among the donors behind the State Museum\u2019s new exhibit \u201cGoliaths,\u201d <\/em>which features the world\u2019s heavyweight insects and their relatives, other flower chafers and scarabs. On the third floor of Morrill Hall, the exhibit features more than 1,000 specimens, in spectacular colors and many sporting horns. The exhibit also includes digital and hands-in components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ninety drawers of beetles. Yes, yes, that\u2019s exactly what we do here, and I\u2019d love to have them.<\/p>\nMJ Paulsen<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The 4,000 or so species of flower chafers are diverse and found nearly worldwide. They\u2019re also widely misunderstood. As fierce as they might appear, they\u2019re harmless to humans, and many are beneficial pollinators. In some Asian countries, they\u2019re favorite pets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to wowing museum visitors, collections like these are a boon for students studying entomology, Paulsen said. These beetles play a key role in biodiversity, so it\u2019s critical to study them, both to understand their evolutionary past and also their future conservation needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Goliaths exhibit is a new addition to Morrill Hall’s collection, found on the fourth floor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Morrill Hall long has been known as a leader in scarab research, Paulsen said. What\u2019s on display is just the tip of the iceberg of the millions of specimens in the museum\u2019s insect collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other donors to the Goliaths exhibit are Alex and Christi Reifschneider. The exhibit is sponsored by Latta and Perry Branch, Mark and Diann Sorensen and UNL\u2019s Department of Entomology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Additional Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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University of Nebraska State Museum<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Biodiversity<\/a>, <\/span>Entomology<\/a>, <\/span>MJ Paulsen<\/a>, <\/span>Morrill Hall<\/a>, <\/span>Natural History<\/a>, <\/span>State Museum<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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