Dr. Thomas Wesener

Head of Section Myriapoda
Curator
Responsible Editor Bonn zoological Bulletin - Supplementum

Myriapoda

Tel: +49 228 9122-425

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

Mail: t.wesener [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Tabs

Profile

Research interests

Evolutionary biology, systematics and ecology of Millipedes
Taxonomy and phylogeny of Giant Pill-Millipedes (order Sphaerotheriida)
Phylogeny and biogeography of Pill Millipedes (order Glomerida)
Speciation mechanisms in soil arthropods on Madagascar

Further information

Service to the Scientific Community

Reviewer for : Zootaxa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, International Journal of Myriapodology, Frontiers in Zoology, Terrestrial Arthropod Review, Zookeys, Invertebrate Systematics, African Zoology.
Editor: Managing Editor Supplement Series, Bonn zoological Bulletin (former Bonn zoological Monographs)
Council Member of the 'Centre International de Myriapodologie' (CIM) 2011-
Encyclopaedia of Life (EOL) Curator for Millipedes (Diplopoda).

Projects

2020

Head morphology of the noodle millipedes

null

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Defensive secretions and defense glands of a Siphonocryptida

Millipedes (Diplopoda) were probably among the first animals evolving complex chemical defense secretions as defense mechanism. Thus fossils, showing openings (ozopores) of defense glands (ozadenes), date back to the carboniferous more than 300 million years ago. Unraveling the composition of these secretions and the morphology of the defense glands is important for the understanding of the evolution of chemical defense in millipedes, as well as for a correct reconstruction of the phylogeny of the Diplopoda.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Leif Moritz

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

2019

Two new giant-pill millipede species from Thailand

In this project, two unknown species of giant pill-millipedes will be described from southern Thailand. Giant pill-millipedes are large, charismatic millipedes which can roll into a perfect ball up to the size of a golfball when touched or threatened. These descriptions will be conducted as part of a taxonomic class conducted by a guest researcher from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen. We will work integratively, combining and teaching the student in many different modern taxonomic methods, not only theoretically, but practically producing publication-ready results.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Millipede microendemism in the Western Ghats, India

The Western Ghats in southwestern India are one of the World's biodiversity hotspots. Especially interesting are nowadays isolated Shola cloud forests in the hills at up to 2200 m elevation. In this project the millipede fauna of the different forests and Sholas will be studied and compared. The millipede fauna of India is very little known, despite the fact that the soil macroinvertebrates without the ability to fly are great indicators of the biogeographic history of the region.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Head morphology of the Polyxenida millipedes

The bristle millipedes (Penicillata: Polyxenida) differ from all other millipedes (Diplopoda) by possessing a non-calcified cuticle, trichobothria and bristles arranged in tufts. In all present phylogenetic analyses the Polyxenida are retrieved as sistertaxa to all remaining millipedes. Therefore, understanding the morphology of bristle millipedesis essential for our understanding of the millipede evolution.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Leif Moritz

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Millipede leg morphology

The 16 main groups of millipedes (Diplopoda) show great differences in the appearance of their legs, which can consist of 6, 7, or 8 joints. In this project the leg musculature of millipede species belonging to all 16 extant main millipede groups (orders) will be studied comparatively for the first time. This study will be conducted in the course of a Master thesis by TIm Dannenfeld as part of the international Master OEP programme of the University of Bonn.

Unit:

Myriapoda, Morphology Laboratory

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Integrative Analysis of the influence of pesticides and land use on biodiversity in Germany (INPEDIV)

The interdisciplinary joint project INPEDIV is funded for 3 years by the Leibniz Competition (March 2019 – February 2022). The aim of this study is to investigate consequences of organic and conventional farming for biodiversity in protected areas. By use of traditional methods and new technologies, we will examine agricultural land use effects on a broad range of plant and animal taxa across trophic levels at study sites in the Rhineland and in Brandenburg.

Unit:

Directorate, Conservation Ecology, Research Networks, Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Science (zbm), Metabarcoding, Mammalogy, Bat Banding Centre, Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Livia Schäffler

Funding:

Leibniz Association

Phylogeny of the Diplopoda

This project is conducted in close cooperation with Dr. Alexander Blanke (University of Cologne). Millipedes (Diplopoda) are among the oldest terrestrial multicellular organisms, and with 12.000 described species the third largest class of land arthropods. As detritivores they play an important role for decomposition and soil formation. Despite their phylogenetic age and their obvious value to understand the early colonization of the land, the diplopodean morphology is severely understudied.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

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

Amber reveals 100 Million years of morphological stasis

Bernstein, fossilisierter Harz, kann wie in einer Zeitkapsel Biodiversität aus einer längst vergangenen Zeitperiode konservieren und erlaubt damit die Erforschung uralter Ökosysteme. Burmesischer Bernstein entstand bereits vor 100 Millionen Jahren während des Zeitalters der Dinosaurier in Waldgebieten welche sich im heutigen Myanmar befinden.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Alexander Koenig Stiftung, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

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

Cryptic diversity in Western Australian Giant Millipedes

As soil organisms, millipedes have limited dispersal abilities. Probably for this reason are many tropical species restricted to small areas of distribution, with a high-level of species turnover. In the course of this project the Pilbara area in Western Australia will be investigated for its millipede species of the genus Austrostrophus (Spirobolida).

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Juliformia from the Age of the Dinosaurs

Although millipedes play, as one of the first groups of animals conquering land, a major role in terrestrial ecosystems since more than 400 Million years, the fossil record documenting their evolution and diversity is relatively scarce. This is especially true for the Age of the Dinosaurs, the Mesozoic, from which only slightly more than a dozen fossil forms are known. Burmesian amber from the late Cretaceous gives us insight into the diverse fauna that existed during the reign of the dinosaurs.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Alexander Koenig Stiftung, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

2016

Description before extinction. Two new species of giant pill-millipedes.

On Madagascar, the destruction of natural habitats is one of the main drivers of the "biodiversity crisis", an unprecedented extinction wave. In the course of this student project, two new species of giant pill-millipedes from an endagered forest habitat wiIl be integratively described in the course of a 6-week class in the International Master OEP program of the University of Bonn.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Two new species of chirping giant pill-millipedes

In the course of this project, a Master OEP student of the University of Bonn will learn how to do an integrative taxonomic description of an animal species. The student will do dissections and prepare samples for an integrative taxonomic description of two species of giant pill-millipedes from Madagascar, including DNA extraction, scanning electron microscopy, and micro-CT scans. The student will be required to thoroughly research the methods and suggest alternatives or modifications of the procedure to improve the results. This study will not only educate the student in doing scietific taxonomic descriptions using a variety a methods. The study is of additional relevance in the age of the international "biodiversity crisis", as rainforests in many countries are removed before their unique fauna can be scientifically named and described.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Eutrichodesmus from Laos und Indien

In the course of this project, different species of the dwarf polydesmid milliepde genus Eutrichodesmus will be described. The new sepcies are from India and Laos, and contain epigean species, as well as species only found in caves, the latter with unique adaptations to a life in permanent darkness. this work will be conducted in the course of a 6-week intense lab class in our international OEP Master programme.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Evolution of Chinese cave millipedes

Southern Chinca is especially rich in caves. These caves are inhabited by a unique, still little-known fauna, especially diverse are different groups of millipedes. These cave millipedes, all show similar adaptation to the life inside a cave and look vastly different from their close relatives which live in the forests on the surface. Currently, a joint team of researchers from Russia, China and Germany studies general adaptations of millipedes to the life inside caves using comparative morphology.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Myrmecophile millipedes associated with army ants

Millipedes were observed in travelling columns of army ants. In this project, these millipedes will be determined to genus- or species-level.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

The millipedes of India - a first species list

The millipede fauna of India, one of the largest countries of the world, is diverse but still little known. After the Indian independence in 1947, only few species were described from the country. One of the things hampering any progress in the inventory of the Indian millipede fauna is the absence of any species list from the country. If it is unknown which species were already described and recorded from India, it will be difficult to record and describe new species from the country.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Barcoding of Cryptops-Scolopendromorpha leads to new species records for Central Europe

In the course of the GBOL- German Barcode of Life project, most millipede and centipede species of Germany were barcoded. This included the common blind Scolopendromorpha of the genus Cryptops. Here we expected to find three species, two common ones and one recently introduced, for Germany and Central Europe. However, our barcoding results show at least eight species to live in central Europe. Two of those could be identified to species level, represening first records for Germany and Austria.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

2015

INDOBIOSYS Myriapoda

The INDOBIOSYS project (financed by the BMBF through the Naturkundemuseum Berlin) deals with the integrative inventory of different animal groups at the Halimun-Salak Nationalpark on Java, Indonesia. A special focus lies on a fast inventory combining molecular and morphological data. The aim of the project is an inventory of the biodiversity of the park for the Indonesian state. Successively, pharmaceutical research for relevant substances in the animal taxa can then be conducted.The INDOBIOSYS Myriapoda part of the project will inventorize the millipedes.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Rediscovery of a forgotten Italian pill millipede endemic to the Apuan Alps, Glomeris apuana

Pill millipedes of the order Glomerida are especially species-rich in Europe. The collection of a conspicuous black pill millipede led after a long literature search to the discovery of the name Glomeris apuana Verhoeff, 1911. This name is apparently forgotten, not mentioned after 1927, and it does not appear in Fauna Europeae, recent Italien species lists, or recent European millipede atlases. Apparently, the species occurs in the Apuan Alps, and area renown for its Carrara Marble. A molecular genetic analysis, as well as a comparison with type material, will now help us to elucidate the status, distribution, and the relationships of this unusual pill millipede species.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

The status of Glomeris malmivaga, Germany's only endemic pill millipede.

Among the pill millipedes of the genus Glomeris only one species whose distribution is restricted to Germany, Glomeris malmivaga, can be found. Only a short time ago was G. malmivaga elevated to the rank of a full species. A genetic analysis of G. malmivaga and other species will now be conducted with the hope to clarify whether G. malmivaga is a true endemic or just a colour morph of a more widespread species of pill millipede.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Phylogeography of the Pill Millipede Glomeris marginata

The pill millipede Glomeris marginata is 'the' model organism inside the Myriapoda. Most embryonic studies, as well as important studies focussing on the development of segmentation (Evo-Devo) use Glomeris marginata as their study object. In this study,using DNA barcode fragments, the phylogeography of G. marginata is studied to get insights into the distribution of different genetic lineagues of the species accross Europe. G. marginata is the only species of Glomeris reaching the North of Europe, such as Great Britain, southern Skandinavia and northern Germany.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Giant Pill-Millipedes of Nepal

The Asian giant pill-millipedes (Family Zephroniidae) reach their western-most distribution in Nepal. There is only a single historic giant pill-millipede record from Nepal itself, the occurence of the group in Nepal is therefore still unresearched. In this project we will research the collections of the famous Himalaya researcher Prof. Martens, who collected in Nepal in the 1980ties. Our research will show whether the Nepalese giant pill-millipedes are widespread species also occuring in India or Sikkim, or whether they are local endemics.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

2014

Rediscovery of the Golden-Eared Pill-Millipede

Searching for the Golden-Eared Pill-Millipede (Glomeris aurita) - alpine high-altitude endemicsAlready in 2011 came a large collection of pill millipedes (order Glomerida), collected by the spider expert Dr. Axel Schönhofer, into our possession. This collection included an unusual species from northern Italy, collected from alpine meadows, an unusual habitat for millipedes which are usually found in forests.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

Giant Pill-Millipedes from Madagascar

The origin of the giant pill-millipedes was disputed for a long time. Surprisingly, thier closest relatives were found in India (5.000 km apaprt) and not in closeby Africa.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Millipedes from Laos

The millipede fauna of Laos and Thailand is very little known. We discover and describe many new species together with colleagues from Frankfurt and Thailand.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

German Academic Exchange Service

Ancient Cave Millipedes

The discovery of rare ancient millipede species (Glomeridesmida) in Brazilian caves, now endangered by mining activites, prompted quick inventories to promote a conservation of their habitat.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

2013

Pill Millipede Phylogeny

Glomerida,the so-called 'Pill Millipedes', are a basal millipede order of the subclass Pentazonia. Pill millipedes are currently comprised of 273 species placed into 34 genera and are used extensively as a model organism for the study of arthropod development. The order has a holarctic distribution; most genera are found in Europe but additional representatives are present in North America, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The higher relationships of this group and its biogeographic relationships are poorly understood.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

2012

Speciation on Madagascar

Madagascar has a famous, worldwide unique fauna and flora, including the famous Baobab trees and lemurs. How such a unique fauna could evolve on the long-isolated island has been a hot topic of debate. Millipedes, as soil animals limited in their ability of dispersal, are ideal model species to study thwe speciation mechanisms that shaped the unique diversity of the island.

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Pill Millipedes of Northern Italy

The status of enigmatic, microendemic pill millipede species of the genus Glomeris in northern Italy (Diplopoda, Glomerida

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

Giant Pill-Millipede Phylogeny

Taxonomy and phylogeny of Giant Pill-Millipedes

Unit:

Myriapoda

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Rediscovery of Scolopendra in Austria

The thermophilous giant centipede Scolopendra cingulata is a voracious terrestrial predator, which uses its modified first leg pair and potent venom to capture prey. The highly variable species is the most common of the genus in Europe, occurring from Portugal in the west to Iran in the east. The northernmost occurrences are in Hungary and Romania, where it abides in small isolated fringe populations.

Unit:

Myriapoda, Herpetology

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

Funding:

Alexander-Koenig-Society e.V.

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

Trachysphaera Dwarf Pill Millipedes in the UK

Less than 30 years ago, an isolated population of thwe dwarf pill millipede genus Trachysphaera was discovered on the English Isle of Wight, which were tentatively identified as T. lobata (Ribaut, 1954), albeit male specimens were lacking (Joes & Keay 1986 ). T. lobata is a species known mainly from SE France (Kime & Enghoff 2011), and is difficult to distinguish from four other little known Trachysphaera species occurring at the Spanish-French border, which are above all the very similar T. pyrenaica (Ribaut, 1907), as well as the little known T. rousseti (Demange, 1959), T.

Unit:

Myriapoda, Graduate School (GBR)

Project lead:

Dr. Thomas Wesener

External projects

International Collaborators (ongoing projects only):

Prof. Dr. Henrik Enghoff, University and Museum of Zoology, Copenhagen, Denmark, Phylogeny of the Spirobolida suborder Trigoniulidea.

Dr. Markus Koch, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhem University, Bonn, Germany, Discovery of a condylus in millipedes, - a new character complex for arthropod systematics (Diplopoda, Pentazonia)

Dr. Frank Glaw, Bavarian State Collections, Munich, Germany, A Firemillipede - Snake mimicry ring on Madagascar.

Dr. Michael J. Raupach, Senckenberg at the Sea, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, DNA barcodes and description of new species of the Malagasy Giant Pill-Millipede genus Sphaeromimus (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaeridae).

Dr. Petra Sierwald, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., Sphaerotheriida and Glomerida species and genus catalogue.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira, University of Lavras, Invertebrados Cavernícolas, Lavras, Brazil, Description of Cave Millipedes.

Nattarin Wongthamwanich, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, Giant Pill-Millipedes of the family Zephroniidae in Thailand.

Publications

Published in

2015

Wesener, T. (2015). Nematophora. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 407–408.

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Wesener, T. (2015). Glomeridesmida. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 371–372.

[more]

Wesener, T. (2015): The Giant Pill-Millipedes of Nepal (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Zephroniidae). Zootaxa 3964 (3): 301–320.

[more]

Links:

Link

Wesener, T. (2015). Platydesmida. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 383–385.

[more]

Wesener, T. (2015). Stemmiulida. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 426–427.

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Wesener, T. (2015). Sphaerotheriida. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 372–377.

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Wesener, T. (2015). Siphonocryptida. IN: A. Minelli (Ed.), Treatise on zoology—anatomy, taxonomy, biology. The Myriapoda, 2 (16), 385.

[more]

Wesener, T. (2015): Integrative redescription of a forgotten Italian pill millipede endemic to the Apuan Alps—Glomeris apuana Verhoeff, 1911 (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae). Zootaxa 4039 (2): 391–400.

[more]

Links:

Link

Wesener, T., Voigtländer, K., Decker, P., Oeyen, J. P., Spelda, J., Lindner, N. (2015): First results of the German Barcode of Life (GBOL) – Myriapoda project: Cryptic lineages in German Stenotaenia linearis (Koch, 1835) (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha). ZooKeys 510: 15–29.

[more]

Links:

PDF

Wilbrandt, J., Lee, P., Read, H., Wesener, T. (2015): A first integrative study of the identity and origins of the British Dwarf Pill Millipede populations, Trachysphaera cf. lobata (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae). Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5176.

[more]

Links:

PDF

2014

BLANKE, A. & WESENER, T. (2014) Revival of forgotten characters and modern imaging techniques help to produce a robust phylogeny of the Diplopoda (Arthropoda, Myriapoda). Arthropod Structure and Development 43 (1): 63-75.

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Böhme, W., Oeyen, J. P., Wesener, T. (2014): 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 8(2): 63-73.

[more]

Oeyen, J.-P., Funke, S., Böhme, W., Wesener, T. (2014): The Evolutionary History of the Rediscovered Austrian Population of the Giant Centipede Scolopendra cingulata Latreille, 1829 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha). PLoS ONE 9(9): e108650. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0108650

[more]

Oeyen, JP., Wesener, T. (2014): The evolutionary history of the rediscovered Austrian population of the giant centipede Scolopendra cingualta Laterille, 1829 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha).): In: Tuf, IH., Tajovsky, K. (eds.), 16th International Congress of Myriapodology. Book of Abstracts. Olomouc, Institute of Soil Biology, Palacky University: 67.

[more]

Wesener, T. (2014). Redescription of 'Polyzonium' malagassum, a new synonym of Rhinotus purpureus (Pocock, 1894), with notes about the occurrence of the order Polyzoniida on Madagascar (Diplopoda). Zootaxa 3790 (4): 587–594.

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Wesener, T. (2014): Morphological adaptations of the Termitodesmidae, the only obligate insectophilous millipede family (Diplopoda, Glomeridesmida). In: Tuf, IH., Tajovsky, K. (eds.), 16th International Congress of Myriapodology. Book of Abstracts. Olomouc, Institute of Soil Biology, Palacky University: 104

[more]

Wesener, T. (2014). First records of the order Siphonophorida from Madagascar and Mauritius (Diplopoda). Revue Suisse Zoologie 121 (3): 415–423.

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Wesener, T. (2014): A new phylogenetic analysis of the Sphaerotheriida (Diplopoda) with a revision of the Australian giant pill millipedes. Invertebrate Systematics 28 (2): 196–213.

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Wesener, T. (2014): Steps towards a better supported phylogeny of the Diplopoda: additional morphological characters via modern imaging techniques. In: Tuf, IH., Tajovsky, K. (eds.), 16th International Congress of Myriapodology. Book of Abstracts. Olomouc, Institute of Soil Biology, Palacky University: 105.

[more]

Wesener, T. (2014): The GBOL - Myriapoda project: Insights and shortcomings in the Barcoding of myriapods. In: Tuf, IH., Tajovsky, K. (eds.), 16th International Congress of Myriapodology. Book of Abstracts. Olomouc, Institute of Soil Biology, Palacky University: 106.

[more]

Pages

Presentations

Media (TV, Radio...)

Interviews

Interviews about 'Discovery of a translucent ancient millipede in a threatened iron-ore cave in Brazil'

Informationsdienst Wissenschaft

Interviews about 'How to uncoil your partner-"mating songs" in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Naturwissenschaften 98 (11): 967-975' (PDF Download)

Interviewed for the findings of the 2007 Madagascar Expedition, articles in popular German Newspapers:

Printed versions : Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), tageszeitung (taz), FOCUS, Bonner Generalanzeiger, more than 40 local newspapers.
Online : SpiegelOnline, Weltonline, Wissenschaftonline, numerous other websites, reaching as far as France, Turkey and Madagascar
Radio interviews: Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, WDR.

Curriculum Vitae of Thomas Wesener, PhD

Zoosphaerium solitarium Wesener, 2009

Curator, Head of Section Myriapoda

Research Museum Alexander Koenig

Adenauerallee 160

53113 Bonn, Germany

EMail: twesener [at] uni-bonn.de

Phone: +(49) 0228 9122 425

Date and Place of Birth

24 May 1980, Hattingen, Germany

Education

Postdoctoral Researcher, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, U.S.A., 2008–2010, Molecular Phylogeny of the millipede suborder Trigoniulidea.

Ph.D in Natural Sciences, Friedrich-Wilhelm University Bonn, Bonn, Germany; 2005–2008. Thesis 'ausgezeichnet' (0.0), Defense Magna cum Laude (1.0).

'Diplom' (M.A.) in Biology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany; 1999–2003. With Honors Thesis,

High School Diploma, Gesamtschule Marxstraße, Hattingen, Germany, 1990–1999.

International Collaborators (ongoing projects only)

Prof. Dr. Henrik Enghoff, University and Museum of Zoology, Copenhagen, Denmark, Phylogeny of the Spirobolida suborder Trigoniulidea.

Dr. Markus Koch, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhem University, Bonn, Germany, Discovery of a condylus in millipedes, - a new character complex for arthropod systematics (Diplopoda, Pentazonia)

Dr. Frank Glaw, Bavarian State Collections, Munich, Germany, A Firemillipede - Snake mimicry ring on Madagascar.

Dr. Michael J. Raupach, Senckenberg at the Sea, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, DNA barcodes and description of new species of the Malagasy Giant Pill-Millipede genus Sphaeromimus (Diplopoda, Sphaerotheriida, Arthrosphaeridae).

Dr. Petra Sierwald, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., Sphaerotheriida and Glomerida species and genus catalogue.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Lopes Ferreira, University of Lavras, Invertebrados Cavernícolas, Lavras, Brazil, Description of Cave Millipedes.

Nattarin Wongthamwanich, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, Giant Pill-Millipedes of the family Zephroniidae in Thailand.

Public Outreach & Service to the Scientific Community

- Reviewer for: Zootaxa, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, International Journal of Myriapodology, Frontiers in Zoology, Terrestrial Arthropod Review, Zookeys, Invertebrate Systematics.

- Editor: Managing Editor Supplement Series, Bonn zoological Bulletin (former Bonn zoological Monographs)

- Encyclopaedia of Life (EOL) Curator for Millipedes (Diplopoda).

- Interviews about 'How to uncoil your partner-“mating songs” in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida). Naturwissenschaften 98 (11): 967–975': www.springerlink.com/content/u3h307757876t723/fulltext.pdf

Wired.com: www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/millipede-stridulation/

SpiegelOnline: www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/0,1518,793597,00.html

- Interviewed for the findings of the 2007 Madagascar Expedition, articles in popular German Newspapers:

Printed versions: Die Welt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), tageszeitung (taz), FOCUS, Bonner Generalanzeiger, more than 40 local newspapers.

Online: SpiegelOnline, Weltonline, Wissenschaftonline, numerous other websites, reaching as far as France, Turkey and Madagascar.

Radio interviews: Radio Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, WDR.

- Interviewed for the findings of the 2003 Madagascar Expedition with articles in popular German Newspapers

Printed versions: National Geographic Germany, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), Berliner Zeitung, plus a high number of local papers.

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Dr. Thomas Wesener

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