Though it may seem shocking to see the number of animals lining the drawers in a scientific collection, specimens such as these are the basis for our understanding of critical issues like climate change, species resilience, biodiversity, genetics, evolution, and environmental change through time. The Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University is dedicated to studying these topics, and more. 

The drawers you see here show multiple specimens of the butterfly in the genus Heliconius, collected in multiple locations across decades of time.