Invertebrates

The collections and research of all invertebrate groups apart from insects are taken care of by the Metazoa Team, which is also in charge of the vertebrate collections of the museum.

The main invertebrate research topics include phylogeography, molecular systematics and population genetics of brackish-water bivalve molluscs, freshwater peracarid crustaceans in the boreal zone, and Fennoscandian earthworms. Further activities include regional mapping and monitoring studies of spiders and terrestrial molluscs; and conservation biology and habitat restoration of endangered freshwater bivalves; and coordination of a long-term national phenological survey.

• Personnel

Research projects

• Phylogeography of boreal aquatic fauna – Risto Väinölä

Collections

The invertebrate collection comprises more than 500 000 sample lots. The oldest materials date back to the middle of the 19th century. Several thousand new samples are added each year. The focus of the collction is on the Finnish fauna. Best represented are spiders (Araneae), molluscs (Gastropoda and Bivalvia), terrestrial oligochaets (Enchytraeidae and Lumbricidae) and mites (Acarina: Eriophyidae and Oribatidae). Most samples are stored in ethanol.

Pallaseopsis kesslerii