Coleoptera and Strepsiptera
The sub-collection comprises around six million specimens. It is one of the largest beetle collections in the world and forms a key foundation for taxonomic and biogeographical research.
Overview
The sub-collection of Coleoptera (beetles) and Strepsiptera (fan-winged insects) is one of the most extensive entomological collections in the world. It comprises around six million specimens from some 130,000 species, including approximately 40,000 species represented by type specimens.
The collection consists predominantly of pinned dry specimens. In addition, the wet collection includes, amongst other things, around 50,000 larvae and pupae in approximately 1,500 alcohol jars.
The sub-collection of Strepsiptera (fan-winged insects) is integrated, as this group was historically classified as beetles.
Particular highlights of the sub-collection are:
- extensive type specimens, particularly from the period before 1860
- historical collections from colonial contexts as well as more recent acquisitions, particularly from southern Africa
- extensive material from the former Soviet Union and Iran
Contact
Joachim Willers
Collection Management
Email: Joachim.Willers@mfn.berlin
Telephone: +49 30 889140-8527
Access
The museum is on the move: due to preparations for the relocation as part of our museum’s evolution, this section of the collection is currently closed to the public.
Enquiries regarding loans, visits or reproductions cannot be processed at present. Items already on loan may still be returned. Please contact collection.coleoptera@mfn.berlin for this purpose.
History
The origins of the sub-collection date back to the 18th century. The oldest specimens date from around 1770. The collections of Johann Christian Ludwig Hellwig (1743–1831) and Johann Centurius von Hoffmannsegg (1766–1849), which were incorporated into the collection in 1817, formed a significant part of its foundation.
The historical collection holdings contain extensive type specimens from notable entomologists, including Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (1775–1813), Johann Christoph Friedrich Klug (1775–1856), Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson (1809–1848), Ernst Friedrich Germar (1786–1853), Carl Eduard Adolph Gerstäcker (1828–1895), Johann Ludwig Christian Gravenhorst (1777–1857), Edgar von Harold (1830–1886), Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst (1743–1807), Georg Wolfgang Franz Panzer (1755–1829), Jacob Sturm (1771–1848) and Hermann Rudolf Schaum (1819–1865).
Further specimens originate from the collections of international coleopterologists, including Jean Théodore Lacordaire Aubé (1800–1869), Carl Henrik Boheman (1796–1868), Pierre François Marie Auguste Dejean (1780–1845) and Johan Christian Fabricius (1745–1808).
During the Second World War, part of the collection was moved to a safe location and thus escaped destruction. When the museum was bombed in 1945, the beetle hall was destroyed.
Research
The sub-collection serves as a resource for taxonomic, zoogeographical and phylogenetic research. The specimens enable the description of new species, the revision of existing taxa, and analyses of global biodiversity.
A key focus is on research into rove beetles (Staphylinidae). Studies cover, amongst other things, the diversity and biogeography of species-rich genera, as well as phylogenetic issues.
Historical and current holdings also allow for long-term comparisons of distribution patterns, particularly in Africa.
Parts of the sub-collection have been digitised. Since the 1990s, data on species, type specimens and localities have been systematically recorded. In addition, there are photographic records and digitised insect boxes.