Harald W. Krenn

Harald W. Krenn (* October 19, 1958 in Vienna) is an Austrian biologist and professor of Integrative Zoology at the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Vienna.

Professional career

Harald W. Krenn studied from 1977-87 Biology and Earth Sciences as well as zoology and botany at the University of Vienna. His dissertation topic was titled Comparative functional analysis of the proboscis of Lepidoptera. He completed a teaching degree in biology and environmental science and completed his studies with a doctorate in zoology and botany in 1987. Subsequent to work as a biology teacher and as a product manager in the pharmaceutical industry was Krenn 1993 Assistant Professor at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Vienna. After his habilitation in 2001, he was in the same year assistant professor in the Department of Evolutionary Biology in, then from 2012 Department of Integrative Zoology. Since 2012 Krenn is director of the study programs in biology at the University of Vienna.

Research priorities

Krenn's research interests lie in the form, function and convergent evolution of mouthparts in insects. The study of the mouthparts of insects contributed to the understanding of the functional mechanism of the proboscis of butterflies at ( Lepidoptera) and made the evolution of individual structures in their new form - function relation understandable. The investigation of the snout butterflies rendered with startling examples of adaptations to different liquid food (eg nectar, fruit juices, tree saps, feces ) and adjustments to the use of pollen as a food additive in Heliconius species, a group of neotropical butterflies. An extremely long proboscis occurs within different groups of flower visitors, but is relatively rare. The current research compares the first time costs and benefits of this eye-catching suckers, including the Saugpumporgane at different insects. In a group of Lepidoptera, a novel member of the mouthparts was investigated in detail, that any organ is homologous in related taxa. It occurs and only in female yucca moths and is used for pollination of the food plant of the larvae.

Practical research

The research by Harald W. Krenn combine experimental field work (eg in Costa Rica at the La Gamba Field Station ) with morphological and experimental studies at the University of Vienna.

Membership of academic associations

  • German Zoological Society,
  • Austrian Entomological Society,
  • BirdLife Austria,
  • Auring Club,
  • Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica

Selected Publications

( In addition to the individual references)

  • Krenn HW, Plant J, Szucsich NU (2005) Mouth Parts of flower - visiting insects. Arthropod Structure & Development 34: 1-40.
  • . Krenn HW, Gereben - Krenn BA, Stone BM Turner, Popov A ( 2008) Flower visiting Neuroptera: mouthparts and feeding behavior of Nemoptera sinuata ( Nemopteridae ). European Journal of Entomology 105: 267-277.
  • Krenn HW, Aspöck H (2012 ) Form, Function and Evolution of the Mouth Parts of Blood - Sucking Arthropods. Arthropod Structure & Development 41: 101-118 doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2011.12.001.
  • Wilhemi A, Krenn HW ( 2012) Elongated mouthparts of nectar -feeding Meloidae ( Coleoptera). Zoomorphology 131: 325-337 DOI: 10.1007/s00435-012-0162-3.
  • Karolyi F, Szucsich NU, JF Colville, Krenn HW. 2012th adaptation for nectar -feeding in the mouthparts of long- proboscid flowing ( Nemestrinidae: Prosoeca ) Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 107: 414-424.
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