William H. Cross Expedition
William H. Cross (1928-1984) devoted much of his professional life to studying the geographic distribution and morphological and ecological variation of arthropods. As an entomologist with the USDA Boll Weevil Laboratory, he formed the ARS Cotton Insect Collection. His extensive collections from North and South America included all groups of insects, although he was especially interested in Odonata. He led the effort to organize the Mississippi Entomological Museum in 1979, and he served as its unofficial director for a year. The William H. Cross Expedition Fund was created following Dr. Cross's death while on a collecting trip in Mexico, and the fund has been endowed in the Mississippi State University Development Foundation through private donations. An Expedition Leader, who is regionally or nationally recognized as a collector or specialist with some arthropod taxon, is selected annually to accompany expedition participants from Mississippi State University and other institutions.
Expeditions
Year - Location - Expedition Leader - Specialty
2023 AL: Sumter County Farm, Sumter County
2022 AR and MO: Ozark Mountain Region - Dan Otte
2019 TN: Coal Creek Farm and Catoosa WMA, Cumberland Counties, TN (no leader)
2018 AL: Paint Rock Mountain Area, Jackson and Madison Counties
2017 AR: Ouachita Mountains Biological Station and surrounding area, Polk Co. (no leader)
2016 GA: Lillian E. Smith Center and surrounding area, Rabun, Co.- Rick Hoboeke - beetles, exotic insects
2015 FL: Central Florida, small trip (no leader, no log)
2014 TX:
Davis Mountains - Sang Mi Lees - Gelechiidea (no log)
2013 SC: Cheraw State Park and Carolina Sandhillls NWR
2011 FL: Tall Timbers Research Station (no trip leader)
2010 TN: Tims Ford State Park -Stylianos (Stelios) Chatzimanolis-Staphylinidae
2009 TN: Cedars of Lebanon State Park (no trip leader)
2008 AR: Petit Jean State Park, Conway Co. - Bob Blinn- Hemiptera
2007 GA: Ohoopee Dunes, George Smith State Park, Big Hammock N. A. and Fall Line Sandhills N. A. (no expedition leader)
2006 TX: West Texas (numerous locales). (no expedition leader)
2005 AL: DeSoto State Park and Little River Canyon National Preserve-Matt Dakin-Orthoptera
2004 AL: Prairie Grove Glades-Chris Dietrich-leafhoppers-Grassland Ecology
2003 AL: Bibb County Glades-James C. Trager-Formicidae-Prairie Ecology
2002 GA: Ohoopee Dunes Natural Area and Nature Preserve-Mark Deyrup-Formicidae-Dune Ecology
2001 AL: Weeks Bay Estuary, Bon Secour NWR -Rob Brooks - Anthophoridae
2000 AL: Weeks Bay Estuary, Bon Secour NWR - Barry Valentine - Anthribidae
1999 KS: Konza Prairie Preserve - None
1998 AL: Cheha St Pk. - Tim McCabe - Noctuidae
1997 TN: Cedar Glades (Lebanon) - Al Wheeler - Hemiptera
1996 LA: Barksdale A.F.B. & Bodcau - Ed Riley - Chrysomelidae
1995 AL: Central Red Hills - Chris Carlton - Pselaphidae
1994 AL: Gulf Coast - Ron Hodges - Gelechioidea
1993 LA: Sam Houston Jones St.Pk. - Joan Chapin - Coccinellidae
1992 AL: Little River Canyon - Valerie Behan-Pelletier - Acarina
1991 AL: Gulf Coast - George Eichwort - Apoidea
1990 AL: Little River Canyon - Drew Hildebrandt - Carabidae
1989 AR: Mt. Magazine- Patricia Miller - Araneae
1988 AL: Gulf Coast - Larry Corpus - Dolichopodidae
1987 Panama Canal Zone - John MacDonald - Rhopalocera
1986 TN: Great Smoky Mts. - Gordon Snodgrass - Carabidae
1985 TX: Coastal Plain, Kerrville - Paul Lago - Scarabaeidae
