Our research focuses on the functional and ecological morphology of arthropods (mainly insects), with special emphasis on the integration of morphology and ecology, in order to improve our understanding of the function of morphological structures in their ecological (environment) and evolutionary (history) context. Our work is based on a broad line-up of morphological, ecological and molecular methods. Current key aspects of our research are (1) functional and ecological morphology of insects, (2) biomimetics, and (3) faunistics in the context of urban ecology. Our group is equipped with an electron microscopy laboratory, enabling investigations by scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The main focus of our electron microscopic work is directed towards the (ultra-)structural features of insects and the education of students so that they can use the methodologies available in our laboratory in the context of zoomorphological research questions.
We are involved in both the basic and advanced zoological education of biologists and geologists.
