The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change

is a research museum of the Leibniz Association

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Collections

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Our research is based on the extensive scientific collections of the Museum. As databases of life they are the indispensable reference source for all profound analyses of biodiversity on earth.

Contents

Collection Management

The scientific collections at the ZFMK are supported by the two collection managers Monique Hölting and Björn Rulik.

Digitization Strategy

The digitization strategy describes the planning and implementation of the digitization of the scientific collections and research data to build a digital inventory catalogue as part of the virtual collection and research environment at the ZFMK. The digitization strategy aims at long-term and sustainable processes and methods for the creation and handling of digitized material. It defines the goals, describes the infrastructures, names the necessary resources and defines responsibilities.

Nagoya Protocol and Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)

Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) stands for the access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization. It is one of the three overreaching objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

SYNTHESYS +

The EU-SYNTHESYS+ project funds access of international scientist worldwide to the sientific collections and research infrastructure of ZFMK. Supported are visits of several weeks. This includes both, access to the scientific collections, and research infrastructure such as the labs for morphology and molecular research.

Biobank

The LIB Biobank is a specialized archive storing ultra-deep frozen animal samples (e.g. DNA and tissue) for non-commercial molecular research. The biobank is closely linked to the morphological collections of the LIB museums.

Arachnida

The collections hold about 70,000 specimens, with a focus on true spiders, mites, pantopods, and odonates.

Arthropoda: Diptera: flies, mosquitoes and midges

There are about 300,000 specimens in the collection, including type material. The section also houses collections or parts of collections of Erwin M. Beyer, Bernhard Mannheim, Hermann Schmitz, Hans Mendl and Hans Ulrich.

Arthropoda: Coleoptera (beetles)

The beetle collection of the Museum Koenig (ZFMK) comprises about 2.5 million specimens and includes a number of larger and smaller collections.

Arthropoda: Hymenoptera

In the Hymenoptera section, additional to the Hymenoptera, the following collections of organisms are curated: Heteroptera, "Homoptera", Orthopteroidea (heterogeneous collection including Mantodea, Blattodea, Phasmatodea, Dermaptera, and Saltatoria), Phthiraptera and Siphonaptera.

Arthropoda: Lepidoptera & Trichoptera

The Lepidoptera collection currently includes nearly 2 million specimens and is therefore one of the largest research collections of this insect order in Germany.

Arthropoda: Myriapoda

The collection has been steadily expanded since 2010 and now comprises around 15,000 digitally recorded specimens (status 2018). The focus is on millipedes (Diplopoda), especially on Sphaerotheriida, Glomerida and Spirobolida, as well as the basal group Glomeridesmida [Limacomorpha].

Vertebrata: Herpetology

The herpetological collection of the ZFMK documents biodiversity and serves as a repository for researchers who are working on the taxonomy, biogeography, (macro)ecology, phylogenetics, evolution, parasitology, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles.

Vertebrata: Ichthyology

The ZFMK fish collection now contains more than 140,000 ethanol specimens, and is largely digitized. The focus is on freshwater taxa, with emphasis on South American and later on European, African and Asian species.

Vertebrata: Ornithology

Currently, the bird collection comprises about 145,000 objects. Most of them are study skins, and there is an extensive egg collection.

Vertebrata: Mammalogy

The focus of the collection of preserved mammals are small mammals of the Palearctic and Africa. Of special international significance are the African collections, together with the museums in Berlin, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

Digital Collection Catalogue

Digital Collection Catalogue of ZFMK

Digital Catalogue

Collection Concept

Fundamental concept for the scientific collections of the ZFMK.
 

see Concept

Nagoya Protocol and ABS

ZFMK complies with international rules on the management of genetic resources through the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol.

 

Information

SYNTHESYS+

synthesys logo

The EU-SYNTHESYS+ project funds access of international scientist (emphasis EU) to the sientific collections and research infrastructure of ZFMK. Supported are visits of several weeks. This includes both, access to the scientific collections, and research infrastructure such as the labs for morphology and molecular research.

 

Information