These octogenarian Arizonans fell in love over insects. Now their bug collection is a bonanza for scientists.

Bug collectors Charles and Lois O'Brien announced this week that they're parting ways with their impressively massive insect collection, and donating it to Arizona State University for research. The octogenarian couple's collection — which takes up two rooms in their Tucson, Arizona, home — is worth an estimated $10 million and could provide invaluable insight to scientists studying "natural controls on the environment" and insect family trees, The Guardian reported. Out of the collection's more than a million insects, researchers believe as many of 1,000 of the insects could be "new to science."
So how did one couple get so many bugs? After meeting in the late 1950s at the University of Arizona and falling in love, the O'Briens went on to lead what Lois described as "sort of an Indiana Jones life" — at least for Charles. "It's been a wonderful life for me," she said. They both studied the "relations between insects, plants, and humans," before embarking on a life's work that took them to 70 nations across seven continents, The Guardian reported.
The couple would "rent a car and go out into the bush or jungle or desert, wherever, to collect" insects, Charles said. "Hit and run, is what we call it. We drive down the highway from some town and see a place that looks like it might be worth stopping, and we stop," Charles said. "If it's good we spend several hours collecting there."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Lois was partial to planthoppers and Charles was "very happy with the weevils," the couple seems to have a soft spot for insects of all shapes and sizes. "We were brought together by insects," Charles said.
They still work on their collection 10 hours a day. "They're such wonderful creatures," Lois said. "Wouldn't you like to fly? Wouldn't you like to swim underwater for three days? Not to mention stinging. I have a neighbor I would like to sting."
Read the entire delightful story at The Guardian — and watch The Guardian's interview with the couple below. Becca Stanek
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
China and Taiwan's war of words ahead of anniversary parade
Under The Radar Neighbours both claim to have led the fighting during World War Two
-
Epstein files: Maxwell courts a pardon
Feature A new prison transcript shows Ghislaine Maxwell praising Trump as 'a gentleman' while denying his involvement in the Epstein scandal
-
Pentagon readies military deployment in Chicago
Feature The Pentagon is preparing to deploy thousands of Illinois National Guard members to Chicago after Trump threatened to send troops into other major cities
-
SpaceX breaks Starship losing streak in 10th test
speed read The Starship rocket's test flight was largely successful, deploying eight dummy satellites during its hour in space
-
Rabbits with 'horns' sighted across Colorado
speed read These creatures are infected with the 'mostly harmless' Shope papilloma virus
-
Lithium shows promise in Alzheimer's study
Speed Read Potential new treatments could use small amounts of the common metal
-
Scientists discover cause of massive sea star die-off
Speed Read A bacteria related to cholera has been found responsible for the deaths of more than 5 billion sea stars
-
'Thriving' ecosystem found 30,000 feet undersea
Speed Read Researchers discovered communities of creatures living in frigid, pitch-black waters under high pressure
-
New York plans first nuclear plant in 36 years
Speed Read The plant, to be constructed somewhere in upstate New York, will produce enough energy to power a million homes
-
Dehorning rhinos sharply cuts poaching, study finds
Speed Read The painless procedure may be an effective way to reduce the widespread poaching of rhinoceroses
-
Breakthrough gene-editing treatment saves baby
speed read KJ Muldoon was healed from a rare genetic condition