Research

Peatlands are vital ecosystems found across the globe, covering approximately 3% of the Earth's surface while storing about one-third of terrestrial carbon. They function as carbon sinks, regulate hydrological cycles, and provide essential habitats for a wide variety of species. Historically, Hamburg was largely covered by wetlands and peatlands, but these have since declined, leaving only about 2,300 hectares of peatlands—roughly 3% of the city’s total area. 

In this set of projects, we focus on Staphylinidae beetles, a highly diverse yet understudied group in these habitats. Due to their sensitivity to environmental changes and close association with microhabitats, Staphylinidae have strong potential as bioindicators for monitoring the ecological health and restoration progress of peatland ecosystems.

We are currently working on the first comprehensive subfamily-wide phylogeny of the hyperdiverse beetle family Staphylinidae, integrating whole genome sequencing and ultraconserved elements (UCEs). This phylogenomic framework will serve as a robust evolutionary backbone, enabling the resolution of long-standing systematic questions and providing a solid basis for future comparative, biogeographic, and ecological studies across the family. The project is done in collaboration with Alexey Solodovnikov, Natural History Museum of Denmark.

This project will comprehensively characterize the microbiome of Central European rove beetles, focusing on putative defensive symbiont clades. Using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and metagenomics, we will analyze ~300 specimens across multiple subfamilies to (I) characterize their microbiome profiles, (II) compare symbiont diversity across habitats and host phylogenies, and (III) identify individuals with a high abundance of defensive symbiont in amplicon sequencing data. This study will provide the first comprehensive assessment of microbial symbioses in Staphylinidae, revealing ecological and evolutionary patterns of symbiont-mediated defense.

Funded by: Jagiellonian University (Minigrant UJ)

Grant: 2023/14925-8

PI: Camilo Guzman

Coordinated by: Jagiellonian University

Partner Institution: Leibniz Institute of the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum of Nature Hamburg (LIB)

Start-End: 2025/ongoing

We are developing a UCE-based phylogeny of the subtribe Paederina, with a particular focus on its largest and most widespread genus, Paederus, which currently includes around 600 described species. Despite its global distribution and remarkable ecological and morphological diversity, Paederus has never been subjected to a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis. Our study aims to test the monophyly of the genus and uncover the major evolutionary lineages within it, providing crucial insights into its classification, diversification, and historical biogeography.

We are currently working on the following larger subprojects:

1. Synopsis, Diversity and Distribution of Paederinae Genera (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in the Brazilian Amazon (in prep.)

2. Revision of the two paederine genera Lypeticus Sharp, 1886 and Leiporaphes (Bernhauer, 1912)  (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) and description of new species (in prep.)

3. Revision of the Neotropical genera Baryopsis and Pseudocryptobium (in prep.)

4. New myrmecophilous genus of Paederinae from the Neotropics (in prep.)

5. A new genus Karillantu gen. nov. from the Neotropics and its phylogenetic position (in review)

We are currently working on the following larger subprojects:

1. A new Afrotropical genus of Paederinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) and its phylogenetic position (in prep.)

2. Redescription of the rare Afrotropical genus Neoscimbalium (Staphylinidae, Paederinae) (in prep.)

3. Revision of the Afrotropical and Madagascan "Medon" species (in prep.)

4. Revision of the Afrotropical genus Perierpon (in prep.)

5. Reinstatement of the genus Cyclodesia (Staphylinidae: Paederinae), with a revised diagnosis and description of new species (in prep.)

The main objective of this project is to reconstruct the co-phylogenetic and phylogeographic history of beetles in the subtribe Termitogastrina, a group of obligate termitophiles within Aleocharinae, and their termite hosts from the Afro- and Neotropical regions. Through molecular phylogenetics, morphology, comparative biogeography, and co-divergence analysis, the study aims to explore the evolutionary patterns of host-symbiont associations and test whether beetle diversification has been shaped by co-speciation, host-switching, or dispersal events. The project focuses on understanding the diversity of this group of termitophiles and how long-term termite-beetles relationships has influenced lineage diversification across continents.

Funded by: São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

Grant: 2023/14925-8

PI: Carlos Moreno

Coordinated by: Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP)

Partner Institution: Leibniz Institute of the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum of Nature Hamburg (LIB)

Start-End: 2024/ongoing

This project aims to clarify the relationships among the genera of the paederine subtribe Cryptobiina and species in the Neotropical region by conducting a phylogenetic study that integrates both morphological and molecular data. It will address classification ambiguities and provide updated taxonomic keys for accurate identification, which is crucial in tropical regions like the Neotropics, where habitat loss demands timely biodiversity assessments. Ultimately, the project will enhance understanding of tropical biodiversity.

Funded by: Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR)

PI: Karen Bonilla

Coordinated by: Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR)

Partner Institution: Leibniz Institute of the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum of Nature Hamburg (LIB)

Start-End: 2025/ongoing

The project's goal is to check whether it is possible to obtain the DNA of bacterial endosymbiont from museum beetle specimens. The research object is the host-endosymbiont system: Paederus - Pseudomonas. The first component represents the family Staphylinidae, with about 650 described species and the second element of this system is an endosymbiotic bacterium living in its hemolymph and known to produce highly toxic pederin causing painful skin irritation in humans, the so-called dermatitis linearis.

Funded by: National Science Centre (NCN)

Grant: Miniatura 6, 2022/06/X/NZ8/00753

PI: Katarzyna Koszela

Coordinated by: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Start-End: 2022/2024

The research questions comprise the test of the monophyly of Lathrobium species complex, the inference of species trees to observe the generic boundaries of Lathrobium s. str., and the biogeographic analysis to estimate the space and time context of the genus dispersion. It will be done using molecular data from NGS-based COI barcoding and RADSeq together with morphological characters matrix with fossil taxa included.

Funded by: National Science Centre (NCN)

Grant: PRELUDIUM-21

PI: Alexandra Tokareva

Coordinated by: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Start-End: 2023/ongoing

The main goal of this project is to investigate the evolutionary response of predatory beetles from the subfamily Paederinae to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum event, the most rapid and influential climatic warming of the last 65 million years. We intend to achieve this by applying innovative methods of machine-learning species identification, high-throughput sequencing, and statistical phylogenetics. 

Funded by: National Science Centre (NCN)

Grant: OPUS-18 2019/35/B/NZ8/03431

PI: Dagmara Żyła

Coordinated by: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Start-End: 2020/ongoing

The core idea of this project was to apply an innovative and highly promising approach of precise dating for this very important fossil deposit by using DNA, the morphology of extinct and extant species, and powerful statistics. Together with my collaborators, we developed an approach to estimating the age of fossil specimens using Bayesian total-evidence phylogenetic analyses under the fossilized birth-death model. 

Funded by: European Commission (EC)

Grant: MSCA-IF-GF - Global Fellowships 797823

PI: Dagmara Żyła

Coordinated by: University of Gdańsk, Poland, partner: Iowa State University, United States of America

Start/End: 2018-2020

The objectives of this project were to collect and identify rove beetles from different prairie sites across the state of Iowa (USA). Then compare the current biodiversity with the data housed in the Iowa State Insect Collection (ISIC), collected more than 50 years ago. Specifically, the species richness (number of species) and composition (number of species typical for natural vs. anthropogenic habitats) were compared in order to assess the impact of habitat changes on rove beetles.

Funded by: Prairie Biotic Research, Inc.

PI: Dagmara Żyła (PI)

Start/End: 2019