“Invasive species are going to be a major issue,” she said. “Lately they have been more of a problem.”

The MSU Department of Entomology has evolved from a couple classes within the university to leading the research on pest control and forensics. This year, the department is celebrating their 100th anniversary.

Anthony Cognato, the director of the Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection, said one collection in particular has great historical value.

“The collection has grown to 1.1 million pinned specimen and it also contains a million of alcohol-preserved and slide-mounted specimen,” he said, adding that the collection began in 1871.

The collections’ strength, Cognato said, is in its Great Lakes insects.

“There are 30 specimen from areas of Michigan that now have suburban development,” he said.

“The museum is a collection repository for specimen, and it documents changes in habitat of these endangered insects.”

The department, which is part of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Natural Science began to be nationally known after the 1960s when Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” was released.

The book started the concept of integrated pest control, which involves avoiding the use of pesticides harmful to humans.

“It was the first time they tried to manage insects safely with pesticides,” said Barb Stinnett, the department’s outreach coordinator.

The department had administrative responsibility for the Pesticide Research Center which was composed of several scientists that worked on pesticide research for the Midwest, according to a report by MSU professors George Bird and Tom Ellis.

In the last 10 years, the department has become more involved in medical and forensic entomology, Stinnett said.

Also, Stinnett said because of the global economy, entomologists are finding ways to control invasive species.

Research and developments within the department continue, Cognato said.

The department began a Web database of the insect collection with information available to other researchers around the world, he said.

“Having a collection isn’t any good unless someone uses it, if someone studies the specimen,” he said.

In the future, the database will contain the collections from the entire array of insects.

“Entomology preserves the natural heritage of Michigan in order to allow present and future research to get a better understanding of the biodiversity in Michigan and around the world,” Cognato said.