The Invertebrate Zoology collection (TTU-Z) of the Museum of Texas Tech University is international in scope with an emphasis on arthropods from semi-arid and arid lands, especially from North America. The collection consists primarily of insects (including an extensive collection of ants), medical/veterinary specimens (endo- and ectoparasites), and arachnids. The pinned collection contains over 3,200 genera and 7,500 identified species. The collection is estimated to hold about 4.6 million specimens including pinned insects, arachnids preserved in ethanol, microscope slides (medical/veterinary importance and mites), and bulk samples. There are currently slightly more than 800 type specimens (mostly paratypes) in the collection.