Treasure of the month
December 2017
Shimmering leaf horn beetle
Our treasure of the month December is: no, not a collection of blue-purple shimmering Christmas baubles, but a number of particularly beautiful beetles from the insect collection. For once, entomologist Dr. Martin Husemann looked less at scientific value than at beauty when making his choice. The specimens of Thyridium sapphirinum belong to the leaf-horned beetle family (Scarabaeidae) and come from Colombia.
LIB's entomological collection is one of the most important in Germany, with nearly four million insects. More than 65,000 insect species from all parts of the world are kept here for research purposes. Several objects from the treasury of the Hamburg Natural Science Association date back to the early 19th century. They serve as references in the systematic and taxonomic work of scientists.
Entomology
Copyright: UHH/CeNak, Dalsgaard