The Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig

is a research museum of the Leibniz Association

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Research › Collections

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

Biobank

The ZFMK 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 museum.

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: Ornithology

Currently, the bird collection comprises about 80,000 - 85,000 individuals, most of them (76,000) are specimens, the rest are mounted preparations.

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.

Inventory of Collection

Digital ZFMK-Collection (Demo-Version)
 

open collection

Collection Concept

Fundamental concept for the scientific collections of the ZFMK.
 

see Concept