Laboratory of Insect Taxonomy — Department of coleopterans

Department Website (In Russian)

Department of coleopterans unites specialists on the taxonomy of beetles, the most numerous order of the animal world; simultaneously, these scientists are curators of one of the largest in the world collections, created during two centuries. The main directions of studies of the staff include as basic problems of coleopteran taxonomy, so applied aspects of entomology (biological control, invasions, etc.). Collection of the department acquired scientific importance since the second half of the eighteen century and during the entire nineteen century; it rapidly grew due to collections made by famous expeditions into Asiatic part of the Russian Empire. These collections were partly processed by E.F. Menetrie and A.F. Moravitz. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the great role in supplementation, processing, and studying of the collection had been played by A.P. Semenov-Tian-Shansky, G.G. Jakobson, V.B. Barovsky, T.S. Chicherin, F.A. Zaitsev, and later, A.N. Reinkhardt, D.A. Ogloblin, and F.K. Lukyanovich. Multi-volume work of Jakobson “Beetles of Russia and Western Europe” became a bright achievement in coleopterology of the beginning of the 20th century. In after-war years, the main work in the department was performed by M.E. Ter-Minasyan, A.A. Rikhter, L.V. Arnoldi, O.L. Kryzhanovsky, E.L. Guryeva, V.A. Zaslavsky, G.S. Medvedev, and A.K. Chistyakova . At present, this work is continued by M.G. Volkovich, B.A. Korotyaev, A.G. Kireichuk, B.M. Kataev, A.L. Lobanov, S.V. Andreeva, A.V. Frolov, A.G. Moseiko, and others. Together with the collection work, the staff of the department always actively participated in expeditions in the territory of the former USSR, Mongolia, and other countries.

Staff

Mark G. Volkovitsh (Head of Department, Leading Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Svetlana V. Andreeva (Senior Collection Keeper)

Lilia A. Akhmetova (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Andrei V. Frolov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Boris M. Kataev (Leading Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Alexander G. Kirejtshuk (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Boris A. Korotyaev (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Alexey G. Moseyko (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Alexey Yu. Solodovnikov (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Ivan A. Chigray (Junior Researcher)