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Welcome to the Pennsylvania Invertebrate Biodiversity Project!

PINBIOP is a scientific, non-profit organization made up of invertebrate taxonomists, biologists, and naturalists who realize that Pennsylvania’s environmental health, livelihood, and natural heritage depend on its diverse invertebrate fauna.

PINBIOP was expressly formed to address the urgent need to document, describe, monitor, assess, and conserve Pennsylvania’s invertebrate biodiversity.

Why is it so urgent? Read below to find out.

The State of Pennsylvania’s Biodiversity

• More than half of all the organisms documented in Pennsylvania are invertebrate animals, including insects and other arthropods, molluscs, worms and a number of lesser-known animals.
• There are many more species as yet undocumented and undescribed.
• Very little is known about the habitats and distributions of these invertebrates.
• These invertebrate animals are vital players in our ecosystems – as sources of food, decomposers, pollinators, disease vectors, pests and pest controls.
• Some aquatic invertebrates have been surveyed and documented.
• The terrestrial invertebrates like butterflies, beetles, snails and numerous others are without stewardship – no state agency has jurisdiction over them. These terrestrial invertebrates are not studied or protected.
• There are 282 invertebrate species of special concern in Pennsylvania, including state and federally threatened and endangered animals.
• As of 1998, 152 exotic and invasive invertebrates were found in Pennsylvania. Some of these exotics are forest and agricultural pests.
• There are far too few experts in invertebrate taxonomy and ecology to handle the great need for study and identification of Pennsylvania’s invertebrate animals.