The museum also serves as a repository for voucher specimens associated with research conducted by faculty, staff, and students at the College of Agricultural Sciences University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus.

The museum serves as a repository for specimens representing the local insect fauna and related arthropods. These reference collections are necessary for the identification of species in support of research and for the teaching and training of new students of Entomology.

Presently, the entire systematics community is very much concerned with the extinction of species and the loss of diversity in communities of living organisms both locally and worldwide. As a consequence, there are ongoing efforts to document as much of life around us as possible. These collections are stored in the world's museums devoted to the biological sciences, including the METB.

The museum participates in a worldwide loan program with other individuals and institutions of arthropod materials which are the subjects of research programs.

The museum gathers, digests, and disseminates information about insects and related arthropods.

The museum serves as a valuable resource for the pest control industry, agriculture, public health, government agencies and environmental biology, as well as the general public. Some of a curator's time is devoted to identifying specimens of interest to the public, such as household and garden pests, biting insects, and agricultural pests.

The museum has for many years played a distinctive and integral role in educational outreach programs sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences in particular, as well as in response to requests by schools and individuals. We represent our Faculty in activities such as the annual House Garden Fair of the Cooperative Extension Service, Educational Fairs, and UPR-Mayagüez Campus Open House. Such activities provide us a means to meet with thousands of individuals and to provide information concerning insects. Our contacts with children serve both to enlighten them and inspire them to continue learning about the natural world.