Lepidoptera & Trichoptera, Hamburg

Trichoptera

The type species of Trichoptera comprises around 479 species, most of which were described by Georg Ülmer (1877-1963), and is one of the most important caddisfly collections in the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, the entomologist Georg Ülmer rose to become a globally recognised trichopterist. Despite his remarkable contributions, Ülmer's scientific findings stemmed primarily from his meticulous taxonomic desk work, which focussed on caddisflies. Due to his failing health, he did not take part in the bold collecting expeditions of his time, but stayed in his home town of Hamburg. Initially, he collected in the Eppendorf moor and other bodies of water and wetlands around Hamburg. Apart from a few collecting trips to southern and central Germany around 1900, he remained in northern Germany and the Hamburg area, where he specialised in aquatic insects. Nevertheless, his expertise found worldwide resonance through extensive correspondence with other Trichoptera specialists, and he published 128 papers on this group alone. He was regarded as the leading expert on caddisflies and also worked on many foreign collections in worldwide correspondence. Ülmer's original sketches are deposited in the Museum der Natur in Hamburg, as are letters to co-workers all over the world and his field notes.

The main collection of caddisflies includes both dried specimens and specimens preserved in alcohol as well as some of the slides.