The McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity represents the largest collections-based research and education center in the world focused on butterflies and moths. The collections are taxonomically comprehensive and contain more than 10 million specimens, which are widely used by an ever-growing global community of students and scientists. The Center documents past and present patterns of biological diversity and forms the basis for research ranging from climate change and emerging agricultural pests, to evolution and biodiversity conservation.
Take a Video Tour of the McGuire Center
The Center also houses a large visitor gallery with public-facing laboratories and the Butterfly Rainforest, a flagship exhibit that showcases hundreds of free-flying butterflies from around the globe in a truly immersive nature experience.
Latest Research
Rare and iconic Atala butterflies retain ancient pattern of wing symmetry
Nature seems to have an inexhaustible supply of inspiration when it comes to butterflies. With over 18,000 species, each with…
Tracking the origin of southern California’s latest invasive pest
In 2012, a crop of California’s most prized ornamental trees was overrun by an invisible invader. The growing shoots of…
Moths enlist additional troops in an evolutionary arms race
While a clear night sky might seem quiet and peaceful to us, empty of everything but stars, this nocturnal world…
See more Lepidoptera research…
McGuire Center News
New Postdocs
This month the McGuire Center welcomes two new postdoctoral associates. Ivone de Bem Oliveira is a new postdoctoral research associate…
Mimicry and Spectral Reflectance
The McGuire Center recently hosted two graduate students, Abby Robinson and Jessica Herrmann, from the Mullen lab at Boston University.…
Student Spotlight: Riley Gott
Riley Gott began his doctoral studies in August 2022 studying the taxonomy and systematics of the primarily Neotropical butterfly genera…