I was greeted by Loretta. She immediately gave me the tour and specific instructions on sanitation. It is of utmost importance that the laboratory stays as clean as possible, keeping it free from foreign microbes, antibodies, germs, anything that could contaminate the area.

She then took me through the visitor’s center. I immediately noticed the display case with 15 different local species of Lepidoptera. The species that were displayed were some of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen. As I was closely inspecting each one, I came to the number 13 and it was empty.

I asked Loretta, “What happened to the number 13 species?”

She looks up at me and replies, "It has been missing ever since we took over the facilities. No one knows what was there or where the specimen went.”

“That is odd; have you looked into the display records in the office?”

“Yes, it is one of the first things we did when we arrived last year.”

It wasn’t specimens that were going to keep me busy, it was the number 13.