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Many feet and little known
With its focus on Myriapoda, the Myriapoda section of the LIB is currently unique in Germany. It deals with the millipedes (Diplopoda) and centipedes (Chilopoda), as well as the smaller groups of the dwarf-footed animals (Symphyla) and small-footed animals (Pauropoda). The 'classical' taxonomy is being researched here, as in many areas of the world more than 2/3 of the species and genera are still undescribed.
Diverse range of methods
Applied methods are morphology (light and electron microscopy, tomography and microcomputer tomography), as well as genetics (barcoding and phylogeny based on ribosomal genes). Geographically, research is focussed on Madagascar and India, as well as Northern Italy, Australia and South-East Asia.
Understanding biodiversity
The orders studied are giant millipedes (Sphaerotheriida), sap millipedes (Glomerida), sausage millipedes (Spirobolida) and proto-millipedes (Glomeridesmida [Limacomorpha]) - which are also the main focus of the collection. The collection is a record of the species occurring in an area. Our myriapod collection is fully digitised and, thanks to preservation in 96% ethanol, genetic studies are also possible in the future.
Related collections
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Contact person
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- Head of Section Myriapoda
- Editor Bonn zoological Bulletin - Supplementum
Phone: +49 228 9122 425
E-Mail: t.wesener@leibniz-lib.de
Projects
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Unknown Germany
Management: Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Bernhard Misof, Dr. Ralph S. Peters
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An unexpected discovery: the pill millipedes of Mallorca and the Spanish Mediterranean
Management: Dr. Thomas Wesener
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Unique in the world and highly endangered, the millipedes of the Lavasoa-Ambatotsirongorongo forest in Madagascar
Management: Dr. Thomas Wesener
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Unknown group of puffer millipedes in Cretaceous amber
Management: Dr. Thomas Wesener
Publications
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2026/09
A second population of the Critically Endangered red-legged fire millipede Aphistogoniulus corallipes (de Saussure & Zehntner, 1902) (Spirobolida, Pachybolidae)
Specimen, 87
2026/07
Origins of the northern microrefugial populations of the giant centipede Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 revealed (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae)
Evolutionary Systematics, 2, 10
2026/05
Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Hundertfüßer und Doppelfüßer (Myriapoda: Chilopoda et Diplopoda) Deutschlands
170
2026/05
Description before extinction: a new genus and ninth species of indigenous Polydesmida from Madagascar (Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae)
Zootaxa, 1, 5807
2026/03
Revision of the Termitodesmidae, an almost forgotten obligate termitophilous millipede family (Diplopoda, Glomeridesmida)
Insectes Sociaux
2026/02
Five new species of the pill millipede genus Rhopalomeris Verhoeff, 1906 (Diplopoda, Glomerida) from Thailand
Contributions to Zoology, 1, 95
2025/11
Unknown Germany - An integrative biodiversity discovery program
npj Biodiversity, 1, 4
2025/03
Internal gonopod reconstruction in an amber-preserved millipede from the Cretaceous: Laeviglyphiulus patrickmuelleri n. gen., n. sp. (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae)
Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 1, 144
2025/03
Protosiphonorhinus patrickmuelleri gen. et sp. nov., the first fossil member of the sucking millipede family Siphonorhinidae (Colobognatha, Siphonophorida) described from Cretaceous Myanmar amber
Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 9
2025/02
The millipede genus Sphaerobelum Verhoeff, 1924, in Thailand, with descriptions of three new species (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae)
Zoosystematics and Evolution, 1, 101
2025/01
Revision of the millipede family Dalodesmidae in Madagascar, with descriptions of two new Malagasy species of Dalodesmus Cook, 1896 (Diplopoda, Polydesmida)
ZooKeys, 1223
2024/12
Integrative description of a new species of the genus Siphonorhinus Pocock, 1894 and first record of the family Siphonophoridae from India (Diplopoda: Siphonophorida)
Integrative Systematics Stuttgart Contributions to Natural History, 2, 7
2024/11
Integrative redescription of Glomeris cingulata C. L. Koch, 1847, an almost forgotten microendemic pill millipede (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae)
Zootaxa, 3, 5541
2024/10
Five new species and numerous locality records of Spirobolida millipedes from Madagascar (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pachybolidae)
Zootaxa, 3, 5529
2021/08
Is it time to describe new species without diagnoses?—A comment on Sharkey et al. (2021)
Zootaxa, 2, 5027
2014/12
Wiederentdeckung des Gürtelskolopenders (Chilopoda: Scolopendra cingulata) im Neusiedlersee-Gebiet Österreichs, mit Anmerkungen zum Spinnenläufer (Chilopoda: Scutigera coleoptrata) und zum Pannonischen Laufkäfer (Coleoptera: Carabus hungaricus) aus demselben Gebiet
Koenigiana, 2, 8
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