The original histological sections of myrmecophilous and termitophilous beetles of Erich Wasmann (1859–1931)

Through historical coincidence, we had the opportunity to study the original sections of myrmecophilous and termitophilous beetles that were made more than a century ago by the Austrian Jesuit priest Erich Wasmann. The collection contains 95 histological and 43 total mount slides, and includes serial sections through several entire beetles. The sections reflect Wasmann’s technical skills to produce material for microscopical analysis, although inevitable limitations in section thickness resulted in only partial accuracy in his interpretation of anatomical organisation. Especially the recognition and description of exocrine glands remain rather limited, with most emphasis on the origin of secretions being attributed to the well-developed fat tissue instead. The collection will be transferred back to the Natural History Museum in Maastricht, Netherlands, to join the main Wasmann collection to which it belongs.