The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

is a research museum of the Leibniz Association

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Head of Department Arthropoda
Head of Section
Curator

Coleoptera

Tel: +49 228 9122-286

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

Mail: d.ahrens [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

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Profile

Research interests

Evolutionary biology, systematics and ecology of beetles (with particular interest in chafers (Scarabaeidae))
DNA taxonomy
Morphometrics
Systematics, biogeography and taxonomy of Sericini (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

External websites and profiles

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dirk_Ahrens

Projects

2019

Wingshape and morphospace

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

2018

Establishing a standardized and universally applicable set of nuclear-encoded markers for genome-wide multi-locus species delimitation of metazoans

Methods for delimiting species based on multi-gene nucleotide information are well established and provide the means to complement the classical COI barcoding approach, whose limitations are well known. Our research project aims at establishing a standardized set of single-copy nuclear-encoded markers for genome-wide multi-locus species delimitation by exploiting comparative genomic data and applying target DNA enrichment. Candidate markers are so-called Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (USCOs).

Unit:

Coleoptera, Arachnids, Statistical Phylogenetics and Phylogenomics, Staff Council, Directorate, Chair Systematic Zoology, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Molecular Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb), Myriapoda, Diptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Biodiversity patterns of herbivore scarab chafers of Sri Lanka

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

2017

GGBC: Assessment, Monitoring and Management of Caucasian Biodiversity

A Georgian-German initiative to explore and barcode the biodiversity of the Caucasus area

Unit:

Directorate, Chair Systematic Zoology, Biobank, Department Arthropoda, Coleoptera, Mammalogy, Lepidoptera, Herpetology, Administration, ZFMK International Graduate School, Biodiversity Informatics, Metabarcoding, Myriapoda, Arachnids, Staff Council, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Comparative Insect Genomics

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

2014

Biodiversity research on…

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

'Morphospace' in chafers …

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

DNA-Barcoding larvae and…

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Phylogeography of the…

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Evolution of Scarabaeidae

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Speciation and species…

The project explores the Speciation of these archaic beetles that survived since Tertiary only on the ancient islands rifting on the Thyrrenian sea.

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Phylogeny of Glaphyridae

In collaboration with the specialist of the group, Dr. Guido Sabatinelli (Univ. Rome), we explore the phylogeny of the group for a better understanding of the evolution of pollination in these beetles.

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

A monograph of the Sericini of Indian Subcontinent

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

Molecular phylogeny of…

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

2012

Comparative phylogeogeography of South African chafers

Unit:

Coleoptera

Project lead:

Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

2011

GBOL- German Barcode of Life

"German Barcode of Life" ( GBOL ) is a project sponsored by the BMBF and includes the creation of inventories for the gentic characterization of the animals, fungi and plants of germany, using DNA-Barcodes.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. J. Wolfgang Wägele

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Publications

Published in

2023

Su X., Li W., Liu W., Ahrens, D., Zheng Y., Liu Y. (2023) An update to the taxonomy of Serica MacLeay, 1819 (sensu lato) from China (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae: Sericini). Zookeys 1185: 181–198. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1185.109154

[more]

Ranasinghe, U.G.S.L., Eberle, J., Benjamin, S.P., Ahrens, D. (2023) Local stochastics and ecoclimatic situation shape phytophagous chafer assemblage composition. Ecology and Evolution 2023;13:e10091.

[more]

Bhunia, D., Gupta, D., Sankar, S.K., Ahrens, D. (2023) New species and new records of Sericini chafers from the Lower Gangetic Plains in India (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericinae ). Zootaxa 5353 (4): 351–371.

[more]

Pacheco, T. L., Monné, M.L., Ahrens, D. (2023) Morphology-based phylogenetic analysis of South American Sericini chafers (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) contrasts patterns of morphological disparity and current classification. Zoologischer Anzeiger 302, 43-57.

[more]

Dietz L., Mayer C., Stolle E., Eberle J., Misof B., Podsiadlowski L., Niehuis O., Ahrens, D., (2023) Metazoa-level USCOs as markers in species delimitation and classification Mol. Ecol Res. DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13921 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13921

[more]

Bhunia, D., Gupta, D., Sankar, S.K., Ahrens, D. (2023) New species and records of tribe Sericini of Manipur, India (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Rec. zool. Surv. India 123(1S): 46-52.

[more]

Zhao, M.-Z. & Ahrens, D. (2023) New species of the tribe Sericini Kirby, 1837 from China, with further updates on their taxonomy and distribution (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Zootaxa 5361 (2): 181–220.

[more]

Lu, Y.; Ahrens, D.; Shih, C.; Shaw, J.J.; Yang, X.; Ren, D.; Bai, M. A (2023) Cretaceous chafer beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) with exaggerated hind legs—insight from comparative functional morphology into a possible spring movement. Biology 2023, 12, 237.

[more]

Ahrens, D. (2023) Updates on the Neoserica vulpes group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini): new species and records. European Journal of Taxonomy 888: 97–110.

[more]

Ahrens, D., Liu, W.G., Lukic, D., Bai, M. (2023) A taxonomic review of Microserica from continental Asia (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini). Zootaxa 5241 (1): 1–115.

[more]

Ahrens, D. (2023) Two new species of Archeohomaloplia Nikolajev, 1972 from China (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini). Bonn zoological Bulletin 72 (1): 55–61.

[more]

Ranasinghe, U.G.S.L., Eberle, J., Benjamin, S.P., Ahrens, D. (2023) Contrasting results of multiple species delimitation approaches cause uncertainty in synecological studies: a case study on Sri Lankan chafers. Insect Conservation and Diversity 1-16.

[more]

Ahrens, D., Lukic, D., Pham, P., Li, W., Liu, W., (2023) Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 of continental Southeast Asia: new records, new species, and an updated key to species (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae: Sericini). Zootaxa 5374 (4): 451–486. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5374.4.1

[more]

Pacheco, T. L., Ahrens, D. (2023) Addendum to the revision of the South American genus Symmela Erichson, 1835 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericini): a further new species from Brazil. Zootaxa 5263 (2): 297–300.

[more]

Ahrens, D. & Phu Pham (2023) Updates on the taxonomy and distribution of Gastroserica Brenske, 1897, Microserica Brenske, 1894, and Moronoserica Ahrens, Lukic & Liu, 2023 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Sericinae, Sericini). Zootaxa 5346 (5): 551–566.

[more]

Dietz, L., Seidel, M., Eberle, J., Misof, B., Pacheco, T.L., Podsiadlowski, L., Ranasinghe, S., Gunter, N.L., Niehuis, O., Mayer, C., Ahrens, D. (2023): A transcriptome-based pyhlogeny of Scarabaeoidea confirms the sister group relationship of dung beetles and phytophagous pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera). Systematic Entomology, 48(4), 672–686.

[more]

Dietz, L., Eberle, J., Mayer, C., Kukowka, S., Bohacz, C., Baur, H., Espeland, M., Huber, B.A., Hutter, C., Mengual, X., Peters, R.S., Vences, M., Wesener, T., Willmott, K., Misof, B., Niehuis, O., Ahrens, D., 2023. Standardized nuclear markers improve and homogenize species delimitation in Metazoa. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 14, 543-555 https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14041

[more]

2022

Ahrens, D. (2022) Tetraserica takakuwai sp. nov. – a further new species of Tetraserica Ahrens, 2004 from Thailand (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae: Sericini). Faunitaxys, 10(33): 1–4.

[more]

Ahrens, D. (2022) A new Gynaecoserica Brenske, 1897 species and first bicolored species of the Neoserica calva group (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Sericini). Zootaxa 5165 (2): 180–190.

[more]

Ahrens, D. & Lukic, D. (2022) Neoserica phuphami sp. n. – a further new Neoserica (sensu stricto) species from Vietnam with highly modified pronotum (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae, Sericini). Zootaxa 5104 (3): 441–444.

[more]

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Dr. Dirk Ahrens

Tabs

Research interests

External websites and profiles

2019

Wingshape and morphospace

2018

Establishing a standardized and universally applicable set of nuclear-encoded markers for genome-wide multi-locus species delimitation of metazoans

Biodiversity patterns of herbivore scarab chafers of Sri Lanka

2017

GGBC: Assessment, Monitoring and Management of Caucasian Biodiversity

2014

Biodiversity research on…

'Morphospace' in chafers …

DNA-Barcoding larvae and…

Phylogeography of the…

Evolution of Scarabaeidae

Speciation and species…

Phylogeny of Glaphyridae

A monograph of the Sericini of Indian Subcontinent

Molecular phylogeny of…

2012

Comparative phylogeogeography of South African chafers

2011

GBOL- German Barcode of Life

2023

2022

Pages

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Dr. Dirk Ahrens

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Research interests

External websites and profiles

2019

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2017

2014

2012

2011

Pages

2023

2022

Pages

Curriculum vitae

Qualifikationen

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