MELISSOTHEQUE OF THE AEGEAN

The Melissotheque of the Aegean is a reference collection of wild bees and other insect pollinators from the wider area of the Aegean. The creation of this scientific infrastructure began in 2004, within the framework of the research needs and the activities of the laboratory, where the collection is kept.

The Melissotheque was financed entirely through research projects, such as the ALARM project (2004-2009), funded by the European Union’s 6th framework programme, as well as the relative co-founding by the Greek General Secretariat of Research and Technology.

The Melissotheque of the Aegean wants to cover the void presented by the absence of a systematic reference collection in Greece. It aspires to promote the scientific knowledge and it advances the environmental education with respect to these insects, focusing so much on their key role in the primary production, as on their contribution to the evolution and the maintenance of the unique flora of the area.