NS - Research

Mollusca

Marine Mollusca

South Africa has diverse marine molluscan fauna, rich in endemic species. This fauna has been the focus of much of our scientists’ research endeavour in the past. Our collection is a priceless resource for taxonomic and biogeographic studies, and in recent decades has enabled us to publish revisionary papers in scientific journals on many previously neglected groups of South African molluscs, such as the Fissurellidae, Epitoniidae, Scissurellidae, Trochidae, Turridae, and Ungulinidae. To take advantage of co-operative ventures with the global scientific community, representative material is continually sent to overseas specialists for inclusion in their research, and few comprehensive papers on the taxonomy of South African / Indo-Pacific molluscs do not refer to Natal Museum material.

Terrestrial Mollusca

After a period of little active research on terrestrial molluscs, following the departure of Dolf van Bruggen in the mid 1960s, interest in this field has been revived and land snails and slugs have now become the primary focus of research. A field guide to the land snails and slugs of eastern South Africa was published in 2004, the museum’s centenary year (Herbert & Kilburn 2004). This was targeted at a wide range of potential users – university students, field ecologists, conservation officers, farmers, horticulturalists, naturalists and hobbyists, and has generated welcome interest in these animals both within the general public and within the biological community. Our latest research efforts are concentrated on continental molluscan faunas of sub-Saharan Africa, carried on by Igor Muratov.

Our mollusc research is also very much targeted at conservation issues and the databasing of our collection undertaken by Nthombi Mkhize and in the last few years by Matabaro Ziganira has helped enormously in this regard. MSc student Vanashrie Govender (University of KwaZulu-Natal) utilised this database to analyse distribution patterns, and to identify diversity foci and endemicity hot-spots, so that this information can be integrated into conservation planning. Rare and endemic species are also being assessed in terms of the IUCN red-listing criteria, so that we can draw attention to their conservation needs.

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Oligochaeta

The research broadly covers the revision and description of South African indigenous earthworms. The research activities aim at documenting and understanding the diversity and relationships of terrestrial earthworms in Southern Africa. A large part of earthworm research in South Africa was undertaken by Dr Plisko after she “retired”. She was appointed by the KZN Museum in 1988 on a ten year contract but is still very much active in earthworm research at age 90. Over the last three decades she has described more than 100 species over 40 publications. T Nxele is currently working on the revision of Kazimierzus and Dr Plisko is working on the revision of Microchaetus. Another project investigates earthworms in small and large scale farming under the no till practice.

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Entomology

Research by staff of the museum has concentrated on the systematics and biology of African flies. Research productivity and excellence have always been priorities, and much of our published knowledge of Southern African flies has emanated from the KwaZulu-Natal Museum.

Brian Stuckenberg was the first entomologist appointed in 1953. Stuckenberg published on 23 families of Diptera and had over 100 species of flies named after him – a true sign of respect by fellow researchers.

There have been several other dipterists wo have worked in the KwaZulu-Natal Museum collection including, David Barraclough who worked on the systematics of over a dozen families and Jason Londt who worked on Asilidae and Mecoptera. Jason has published over 150 papers, describing almost 600 species, and continues to work on the collection since his retirement in 2003.

Current research on the collection includes Dr Midgley’s involvement in the PINDIP (Pollinator Information Network for Two-Winged Insects) (link to: https://www.pindip.org/) project, Dr Williams’ research on forensic dipterology and Dr Londt’s ongoing research on robberfly taxonomy.

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Mollusca

Oligochaeta

Entomology

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