Collection Myriapoda

curator: Dr. Nesrine Akkari

The myriapod collection houses about 20,000 lots, with nearly 2000 type series. Most of the specimens are stored in glass cylinders and preserved in 75% ethanol. Many micro-slides which include parts of the body of systematical significance such as the diplopod´s gonopods complete the collection. The number of dried myriapods is small, the specimens are in poor condition and only represent historical value. The collection is organised systematically.
The collection is one of the largest and most important in the world, due to the scientific work of Carl Count Attems - without doubt one of the greatest specialists in myriapods world-wide - who was active there from 1894 until his death in 1952. He examined material from nearly all parts of the world, described about 1700 new species and published 138 papers, monographs and textbooks.

In 1869 the whole myriapod collection, 362 lots, was on loan to A. Humbert and H. de Saussure in Geneva. They examined the collection, designated types - currently stored in the Vienna Museum - and published their results 1869, 1870.

Very famous and important for specialists is the scientific work of Robert Latzel, especially his main work "Die Myriapoden der österreichisch-ungarischen Monarchie"; Chilopoda, published 1880, Symphyla, Pauropoda, Diplopoda - 1884. Latzel's large collection with numerous type series is housed in the myriapod collection.

Authors of type specimens, stored in the Myriapod collection in alphabetical order: C. Attems, H. W. Brölemann, J. Carl, H. Enghoff, S. Golovatch, R. Hoffman, A. Humbert, F. Karsch, L. Koch, R. Latzel, E. Kohlrausch, J.P. Mauriés, Mikhaljova, H. Read, C. Ribaut, O. Schubart, F. Silvestri, K. Strasser, K. W. Verhoeff, H.C. Wood.

In the past few years most of the type specimens have been entered into electronic databases. Data on the specimens were obtained from books of acquisitions, inventories, register cards, labels, and from publications on the material.

Online-Tickets