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.
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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
Scientists uncover the unexpected identity of mezcal worms
Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from the boiled and fermented sap of agave plants. Most mezcal beverages — including…
Endowment brings influx of expertise to the McGuire Center
Early in 2022, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity launched its first travel award program for visiting researchers. A…
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…
See more Lepidoptera research…
McGuire Center News
CSE Conference at McGuire Center
The Center for Systematic Entomology (CSE) recently held its annual one day conference at the McGuire Center in a hybrid…
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.…