As long as I can remember I've been fascinated by beetles and their sheer endless variation in form and shape.
Keywords
beetles, taxonomy, barcoding, cryptic species, nomenclature, biodiversity, bibliographic research, Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae
Researchinterest
- DNA barcoding of beetles, and its limitations
- Ecology and community structure of NW European beetles
- Coleoptera fauna of the Netherlands and its dynamics
- Hydrophiloidea of the world
- Early zoological literature
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Background
I was trained as a plant molecular biologist, my PhD thesis being on light-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis. Since, I’ve been involved in such diverse topics as genetic modification of free amino acid content of starch potatoes, transcriptome analysis using DNA microarrays and the bioinformatics of metabolomics. Some years ago I realized one could rather quickly learn these skills, but becoming a taxonomic specialist is a more cumbersome and time consuming task. Hence I decided to abandon all of these and to focus on my lifelong interest, the taxonomy of NW European Coleoptera, with an emphasis on the more ‘difficult’ groups, e.g. Hydrophilidae, Ptiliidae, Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae, Pselaphinae and Scydmaeninae.
Keypublications
- Vorst, O. & H. Fery, 2014. Hydroporus emergens sp. n. from south-western Turkey (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 157: 145-149.
- Vorst, O., 2012. A new invasive Ptinella Motschulsky from Europe and North America (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae). – Zootaxa 3270: 63-66. PDF
- Vorst, O. (ed.), 2010. Catalogus van de Nederlandse kevers (Coleoptera). – Monografieën van de Nederlandse Entomologische Vereniging 11: 1-317.
- Vorst, O., 2009. Cercyon castaneipennis sp. n., an overlooked species from Europe (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). – Zootaxa 2054: 59-68, 2148: 68.
PDF Erratum - Vorst, O., 2007. Ptiliola flammifera (Młynarski) reinstated as a species distinct from P. kunzei (Heer) (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae). – Zootaxa 1546: 63-68. PDF
- Vorst, O., 2006. Limnebius hieronymi, a new species from Central Italy (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae). – Koleopterologische Rundschau 76: 75-78. PDF
- Vorst, O. & M. Sörensson, 2005. On the identity of Acrotrichis nana Strand, a species distinct from A. dispar (Matthews) (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae). – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 148: 329-333. PDF
- Vorst, O. & J.G.M. Cuppen, 2003. A third Palearctic species of Chaetarthria Stephens (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae). – Koleopterologische Rundschau 73: 161-167. PDF
- Vorst, O., 1999. Monotoma quadricollis Aubé, an overlooked species (Monotomidae). – Koleopterologische Rundschau 69: 153-156. PDF
PhDsupervision
Naturalis aims to be a breeding ground for international scientific talent. Therefore, PhD's have a special position in our organisation.
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Teachingactivities
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In themedia
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