Loss of specimens in heritage collections: the case of the Vespidae wasps of the National Museum of Costa Rica

Scientific collections are vitally important for scientific research; however, the larger the collection, the more difficult it is to keep an accurate record of the specimens. This is especially true for the National Museum, which received a very large collection from the National Biodiversity Institute (INBio). It was necessary to initiate an inventory of specimens to corroborate the database. A review of the Vespidae (Hymenoptera) family revealed that 12% of the specimens were missing, as well as more than a thousand specimens that were not registered in the database. Considering these results, it is vital to consider inventories and systematic collection management as a priority technical task in the management of Natural History Museums.