Uncurated specimens in various stages of processing vary through time from 50,000 to 100,000. The LSAM is the principal repository for insects and related arthropods in Louisiana. Primary types described by LSAM researchers are normally deposited in dedicated type repositories. The majority of specimens are from southeastern United States, and most of the remainder are from elsewhere in North America, Mexico, Central and South America.
Specimens are available for loans to researchers.
Specialists are encouraged to borrow and identify undetermined material in exchange for retention of duplicate exemplars. In 1996, additional space was made available to the LSAM by renovating an adjacent laboratory, which now houses the Coleoptera collection. In 1997 the LSAM received an enhancement grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents that provided for the purchase of new cabinetry, laboratory work benches, a microscope, and curatorial equipment and supplies. As a result, we have initiated a major new phase of growth focusing on poorly represented habitats in Louisiana and adjacent states and improving our collections of taxa from the neotropical region that are relevant to the research interests of the faculty and staff. The LSAM serves the public of the State of Louisana by providing identifications of insects and related arthropods and serving as a clearinghouse for information to homeowners, agriculturalists, and educational institutions.