Symphytes

Revision and digitization of the Symphytes Collection

The Naturéum’s Hymenoptera collections (wasps, bees, and ants) constitute an exceptional resource, but one that remains largely inaccessible on a broad scale. A project to revise and digitize these collections is currently underway to make them fully accessible for research.

This collection is largely based on specimens collected by Jacques de Beaumont between the 1920s and 1960s in the canton of Vaud. Today, it serves as an essential historical reference for the study of regional fauna.

Among this material, the collection of Symphytes—a little-studied group of wasps whose larvae develop on plants—comprises approximately 10,000 specimens and ranks among the largest in Switzerland. However, outdated identifications and the lack of digitized data still limit its use.

A revision of this collection has therefore been undertaken to update the identifications, digitize the specimens, and integrate the data into national and international databases. Initiated in 2021 by Nina Perret-Gentil, this work is being continued by Patrick Favre. By early 2026, approximately 8,500 specimens had been processed, allowing for the correction of certain identifications and the discovery of several species new to Switzerland.

The Nematinae group, which is particularly complex, remains the main challenge. Additional material, notably collected in Ticino and Graubünden in 2025, will help complete this revision.

Beyond updating the collections, this project helps fill a significant knowledge gap regarding Symphyta in Switzerland and establishes a reference collection for future scientific studies.

Project Leader : Patrick Favre