Dr. Matti Hämäläinen
Since early retirement in 1996, from an uneventful career in the field of stored products entomology and food hygiene, including part time teaching duties as Adjunct Professor (docent) of Agricultural Zoology at the University of Helsinki, I have devoted my interests to the study of biodiversity and taxonomy of dragonflies of the Oriental region. An integral part of this programme has been the collection of extensive fresh material, including several species new to science, during numerous expeditions (totalling more than 1000 days since 1982) to several countries in South-East Asia. It has also been my great good fortune and privilege to have been the first odonatologist able to study the huge collection of Philippine odonates gathered by Roland A. Müller, and the rich collection of Thai dragonflies of Bro. Amnuay Pinratana. Access to these entomological gold mines greatly facilitated my own later research work.
Presently my research is primarily focussed on the superfamily Calopterygoidea (in the old sense excluding the megapodagrionids), which include some 470 recognized species worldwide and some 270 known species in Asia and Australasia. These conspicuous, often gorgeously arrayed insects – the Caloptera, or ‘beautiful-winged’ damselflies – afford a colourful and unforgettable sight, especially along forested tropical streams. The taxonomy of many groups is still very poorly known and pose many conundrums and taxonomic challenges. My aim is to solve some of these problems within the Oriental fauna.
I am also presently involved in a collaborative book project:
a book with Sami Karjalainen aimed for a general public showcasing the overall beauty and interesting behaviour of the demoiselles (Calopterygidae); see this website.
I am a member of the Editorial Board of the journals Odonatologica (since 1987), Notulae Odonatologicae (since 1998), Tombo – Acta Odonatologica Japonica (since 2004) and International Journal of Odonatology (since 2010).
Contact address
matti.hamalainen[at]helsinki.fi
Personal website http:/www.caloptera.com
matti.hamalainen[at]helsinki.fi
Friday, February 24, 2012