The beetle collection and staff are located mainly on the seventh floor, East Court, NMNH, Washington, DC. The associated library includes 1,060 volumes and 200 linear feet of reprints. The SEL staff includes Steven W. Lingafelter, Alexander S. Konstantinov, Natalia J. Vandenberg, and Donald M. Anderson (retired, Resident Research Associate). The Smithsonian curators are Terry L. Erwin and Paul J. Spangler.

The collection of Coleoptera is one of the world's largest, consisting of more than 7,000,000 specimens, including nearly 20,000 types, all housed in about 12,000 museum drawers. Its representation is strongest in Western Hemisphere species due principally to general collecting by the Smithsonian staff on research expeditions, and through contibutions from the SEL identification service. Staffs of both the Department of Entomology and the USDA Systematic Entomology Laboratory curate the collection.

The nucleus of the Coleoptera collection was formed in 1881 by the transfer of a moderately large, general collection from the USDA to the Museum. This contribution, combined with the material transferred in 1885 from the C. V. Riley Collection, and with several smaller collections received later (Belfrage, Koebele, Morrisonn, Linell, J. B. Smith and others), constituted a base of some 20,000 species for reference.

The appointment of E. A. Schwarz (USDA) in 1897 as Honorary Curator brought with it the valuable Hubbard and Schwarz Collection, which, because of its size and richness of species, elevated the Museum's beetle collection to a size comparable with other world collections in this order. Shortly following Dr. Schwarz's appointment several additional collections were received: the Soltau Collection; the 1898 Collections from Arizona by Hubbard and Schwarz; the 1901 Barber and Schwarz Collections from the same area; the Harriman Alaskan Expedition Collections; the Turner Collections from Labrador; the Barber Collections from northern California and southern Texas; and a number of smaller collections. The A. D. Hopkins Collection of 15,000 wood-boring insects was the start of the scolytid and buprestid collections.

One of the most significant events in the history of the collection was the acquisition of T. L. Casey's private collection, which added nearly 117,000 specimens of some 20,000 species, including 9,200 types. Because of the importance of this collection, it has been kept separate from the main collection; but it is available to serious students of Coleoptera.

In 1928 C. F. Baker's collection of Philippine beetles was added, and in 1934 the H. G. Wickham Collection of midwestern and southwestern beetles was acquired. The C. F. Schaeffer Collection, which included many types, was added shortly afterwards. The W. Robinson and E. Shoemaker general collections expanded the holdings from the eastern United States, and the Halik and Daguerre Collections expanded the representation from South America.

The carabid collection is very large and especially rich in Neotropical material. A collection of 43,520 specimens was given by W. Rosenberg, and T. L. Erwin has added almost 100,000 specimens. O. L. Cartwright's collection of tiger beetles was another significant acquisition. The staphylinids are especially strong in Neotropical specimens, with many types present, principally due to the work of R. E. Blackwelder. The water beetle collection has expanded recently through the addition of several hundred thousand specimens from P. J. Spangler. A significant collection was also acquired from John D. Sherman. The lampyrid and phengodid collection is quite large and especially rich in North American material, because of the special interests of H. S. Barber (USDA). Dermestids were the subject of research by R. S. Beal, and Lathridiidae were a speciality of L. M. Walkley. The elaterid collection was expanded by the addition of 41,000 specimens, mostly North American, from M. C. Lane. This family was an earlier speciality of J. M. Valentine. The buprestid material is large and rich in types, principally because of the early work of W.S. Fisher (USDA) and the later efforts of G. B. Vogt (USDA). The anobiid type material has increased significantly because of the work of R. E. White. The tenebrionids were enlarged significantly by the acquisition of 39,450 specimens, mostly from Chile, from L. Pena. The oedemerids were intensively worked on by R. H. Arnett, Jr. The mordellids have many of the types, due to the pioneering work of W. D. Pierce (USDA). The coccinellid collection, perhaps the largest in the world, is especially rich in material from the Western Hemisphere. Among the larger additions are G. H. Dieke's 24,400 specimens, E. A. Chapin's 9,150 specimens, and R. Korchefsky's many specimens used in preparation of the world catalog. Many types of R. Korchefsky, E. A. Chapin, and R. D. Gordon are included. E. A. Chapin (USDA and Museum) was a specialist in this family.

The scarabaeid collection is especially large, and several contributors should be mentioned: M. Robinson, O. L. Cartwright, L. W. Saylor (who added many types), and E. A. Chapin. The clerid material was intensively worked on by E. A. Chapin, and the bruchids were the subject of studies by J. C. Bridwell (USDA). The chrysomelid collection is especially rich in material from the Western Hemisphere. A large collection of 58,360 specimens was acquired from F. A. Monros. The type material is extensive because of the work of Monros and D. H. Blake. This family was studied by H. S. Barber. The cerambycid collection is huge and especially strong in material from the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-Malayan area. It has many types, especially from the work of W. S. Fisher. F. Tippmann's world-wide collection is quite large. Of the acquisitions of the past, the E. Bovie Collection and the D. G. Kissinger Collection should be mentioned. L. L. Buchanan (USDA) worked actively on this family. The scolytid collection is especially strong in North American material. Several large collections with many types include those of H. Eggers, M. W. Blackman (USDA) and W. H. Anderson (USDA). The collection of immature Coleoptera, perhaps the largest in the world, is very diverse. A. G. Boving (USDA) was the prime mover in amassing the material. Among significant additions are the H. E. Burke Collection of buprestids and the J. W. MacSwain Collection of meloids. W. H. Anderson and J. G. Rozen, Jr., (USDA) worked intensively on this collection.

SEL maintains the following searchable collection inventory databases: