Irving Finkelstein’s Lepidoptera collection was transferred to the McGuire Center in February, 2015. Assembled over a period of 36 years, the collection has been a source of numerous Georgia state records, has many beautifully spread specimens from around the world, and is a great resource for future lepidopterological work.

The collection consists of over 4,100 Riker mounts that house over 20,000 Lepidoptera specimens. While it represents an atypical specimen preservation technique, it provided an ideal opportunity for digitizing specimens and the accompanying data. The collection was digitized with the help of Junior Volunteers – the local school students that help out at the Florida Museum of Natural History during their summer break.