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Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 



Vol. 27, Art. 2 



the families of small moths or micro- 

 lepidoptera, which were poorly known in 

 Illinois. The Blastobasidae were chosen 

 as the first family for study because the 

 genitalic structures of the Nearctic spe- 

 cies had never been investigated. Selander, 

 now with the University of Illinois, as- 

 sembled large quantities of Illinois mate- 

 rial and unearthed a diagnostic set of 

 characters in the genitalia. Work on this 

 project is continuing. 



Hymenoptera. — Aside from rearing 

 and describing a few parasites and saw- 

 flies, the Natural History Survey staff has 

 done only one serious piece of work on 

 the Illinois Hymenoptera fauna. This was 

 a study by Malloch (1918) on the genus 

 Tiphia. 



Gollembola. — Although among the 

 most abundant insects numerically, the 

 Collembola or springtails were not 

 stressed until 1928, when large collections 

 were made in various parts of the state 

 and sent to J. W. Folsom, U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, for identification. 

 When Folsom died, the project reverted 

 to simply a collecting program. Subse- 

 quently, Berlese sampling added large 

 quantities of these insects to our series. 

 The project was revitalized when H. B. 

 Mills joined the Natural History Survey 

 in 1947; since that time steady progress 

 has been made on a study of this group 

 for Illinois. 



RETROSPECT AND 

 PROSPECT 



In following the objectives set forth in 

 the original organization of the Illinois 

 Natural History Survey, the faunistic 

 program performs three principal func- 

 tions pertaining to the animals of Illinois 

 — assembling and maintaining research 

 and reference collections, preparing re- 



ports on the various animal groups, and 

 identifying economic species. At times the 

 program has emphasized one function 

 more than another, but over the years 

 steady progress has been made in all three 

 departments. 



Today the taxonomic methods by 

 which these functions are achieved are 

 far more complex and time-consuming 

 than they were when the program was 

 started. If transplanted to today, the fau- 

 nistic worker of 1858 would doubtless be 

 astonished at changes in the species con- 

 cept, in taxonomic techniques, in micro- 

 scopic and other equipment, and at the 

 great increase in recognized invertebrate 

 species and genera. 



As these complications have developed, 

 it has become clear that there is no easy 

 short cut in making an adequate survey 

 of an animal group for Illinois. Each re- 

 port represents a great deal of collecting 

 and study over a period of years. 



Members of other sections of the Nat- 

 ural History Survey have aided the fau- 

 nistic program immeasurably by rearing 

 and collecting material, identifying host 

 or indicator plants, editing reports, and 

 assisting with library problems. Taxono- 

 mists in other institutions have been of 

 great aid not only by publishing papers 

 of inestimable use in studies of Illinois 

 species, but also by assisting in many other 

 ways with specific problems. 



It is a tribute to the founding fathers 

 of the Illinois Natural History Society 

 that certain of their general principles 

 were and still are remarkably good guides 

 for a faunistic program. The importance 

 of combining systematics and ecology and 

 of having a broad geographic scope for 

 reference collections becomes more ap- 

 parent as new discoveries help unravel the 

 complex faunal relationships of Illinois 

 species. 



