The octupeds and millipedes at the LIB
This diverse collection houses the most primitive forms of arthropods in three sub-collections. The largest sub-collection is that of arachnids (Arachnida) with their closest relatives. The second sub-collection contains the millipedes (Myriapoda) with the two large groups of centipedes (Chilopoda) and bipedes (Diplopoda). The third sub-collection contains the most primitive arthropods: the tardigrades (Tardigrada) and stubby-footed animals (Onychophora). Overall, these groups represent both terrestrial and marine organisms.
The research collection is the largest of its kind in northern Germany and is recognised worldwide. With regard to some animal groups (tardigrades, scorpions, spiders and mites), it is one of the most important collections internationally and is often consulted by foreign zoologists due to its many types and historical material.
Overview of the contents
The collection contains over 1 million specimens of around 9,000 species, of which more than 3,500 species are represented by type material. This material comes from all over the world and is preserved in approx. 19,000 special jars in alcohol and on approx. 37,000 microscopic specimens.
Responsibilities and priorities
The department is managed by curator Dr Danilo Harms and collection manager Nadine Dupérré. The collection is actively used for research. In addition to the taxonomic-systematic processing of the collection groups, i.e. the description of species and analysis of relationships, the main focus is on projects relating to biogeography, comparative morphology, molecular evolution and species conservation. The collections are constantly being further developed through current projects and field research in mostly tropical and subtropical countries. For example, a reference collection of German spider species, a local collection for Hamburg and the surrounding area, a collection of pseudoscorpions and biogeographically orientated collections in Ecuador, Australia and New Zealand, as well as parts of Africa, are currently being established.
Collection catalogues
At irregular intervals, the department publishes richly illustrated catalogues for the individual sub-collections, in which both the history of these collections and the available type material are presented in detail.
- Catalogue of the Spiders (Solifugae)
- Catalogue of the scorpions (Scorpiones) catalogue
The collection is continuously being catalogued and digitised. An active focus is the digitisation of type specimens.
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