I'm interested in the (multi-)functionality of arthropod appendages. Especially fast motions used in predatory or defensive behavior but also the concerted movements for example during the feeding process is in focus of my current research. Looking at ‘diversity of form and function’ in the light of biomechanics and biomimetics, different groups of arthropods are studied in great detail to elucidate their peculiarities. To understand the underlying fundamentals and to apply the extracted principles for biomimetic applications is my goal.

At the moment, fast-motion predatory strikes and grasping processes, for example in dragonfly larvae and praying mantises are being studied. The combination of knowledge about ecological adaptations (eco-morphs), organismic interactions (behavior and kinematics), and results from functional-morphological and biomechanical investigations (including experimental approaches) is one of the main features of my research.

Professorships

Deputy Professor for Zoology
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Zoological Institute, Kiel, Germany

Scientific Positions (Principal Investigator/'Post-Doc')

Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Inst., Kiel, Germany

Brigham Young University, Lab of Insect Systematics, Dep. of Biology, Provo Main Campus, Utah, USA

University of Cambridge, University Museum of Zoology, Dep. of Zoology, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Education

Dissertation in Biology, Georg–August–University Göttingen, Inst. Zoology & Anthropology, Dep. Morphology, Systematic & Evolutionary Biology, Göttingen, Germany

Diploma in Biology, Georg–August–University Göttingen, Germany

2024

• Preuss A, Appel E, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2024) Tanning of the tarsal and mandibular cuticle in adult Anax imperator (Insecta: Odonata) during the emergence sequence. Royal Society Interface Focus: in press
• Aaron M. Goodman, Christopher D. Beatty, Sebastian Büsse, Hidenori Ubukata, Toshiyuki Miyazaki, Mary E. Blair & Jessica L. Ware (2024) Paleoecological niche modeling of Epiophlebia (Epiophlebioptera: Epiophlebiidae) reveals continuous distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum. International Journal of Odonatology 27: 37-53.

2023

• Koehnsen A, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2023) A switchable joint in the head of dragonfly larvae (Insecta: Odonata) as key to the multifunctionality of the prehensile labial mask. Journal of Experimental Zoology A 339: 644-654. 
• Bäumler F, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2023) Extrinsic and intrinsic musculature of the raptorial forelegs in Mantodea (Insecta) in the light of functionality and sexual dimorphism. Journal of Morphology. 284: e21590
• Büscher TH, Harper JR, Sripada N, Gorb SN, Edgerly JS & Büsse S (2023) Morphological and Behavioral Adaptations of Silk-Lovers (Plokiophilidae: Embiophila) for Their Lifestyle in the Silk Domiciles of Webspinners (Embioptera). Diversity 15: 415

2022

• Büsse S (2022) 'Functional Morphology in Odonata' in Cordoba-Aguilar A, Beatty C and Bried J (Eds): Dragonflies and Damselflies: Model Organisms for Ecological and Evolutionary Research. Oxford University Press, UK.
• Büsse S & Ware JL (2022) Taxonomic note on the species status of Epiophlebia diana (Insecta, Odonata, Epiophlebiidae), including remarks on biogeography and possible species distribution. ZooKeys 1127: 79–90.
• Gorb SN, Wildermuth H, Kohl S & Büsse S (2022) Tarsal attachment structures of the biting midge Forcipomyia paludis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a specialized ectoparasite of Odonata imagines. Zoomorphology 141: 297–306.
• Büsse S, Wildermuth H & Gorb SN (2022) Morphological adaptations of the mouthparts to the ectoparasitic lifestyle of the biting midge Forcipomyia paludis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), specialized in Odonata. Zoomorphology 141: 307–314.
• Hayer S, Sturm BP, Büsse S, Büscher TH & Gorb SN (2022) Louse flies holding on mammals' hair: Comparative functional morphology of specialized attachment devices of ectoparasites (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea). Journal of Morphology, 283: 1561–1576.
• Hindenberg LM, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2022) Functional morphology of cirri in the barnacle Amphibalanus improvisus (Crustacea: Balanidae). Journal of Morphology, 283: 1439– 1450.
• Josten B, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2022) The mouthparts of the adult dragonfly Anax imperator (Insecta: Odonata), functional morphology and feeding kinematics. Journal of Morphology, 283: 1163– 1181.
• Büscher TH, Petersen DS, Bijma NN, Bäumler F, Pirk CWW, Büsse S, Heepe L & Gorb SN (2022) The exceptional attachment ability of the ectoparasitic bee louse Braula coeca (Diptera, Braulidae) on the honeybee. Physiological Entomology, 47: 83– 95.

2021

• Büsse S, Koehnsen A, Rajabi H & Gorb SN (2021) A controllable dual-catapult system inspired by the biomechanics of the dragonfly larvae’s predatory strike. Science Robotics 6: eabc8170.
• Büsse S, Büscher TH, Heepe L, Gorb SN & Stutz HH (2021) Sand-throwing behaviour in pit-building antlion larvae: insights from finite-element modelling. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 18: 20210539.
• Büsse S, Tröger H-L & Gorb SN (2021) The toolkit of a hunter – functional morphology of larval mouthparts in a dragonfly. Journal of Zoology (London) 315: 247-260.
• Haas A, Schwippert S, Büsse S, Kleinteich T, Beerlink A, Hammel JU, Köhnk S, Gorb SN & Engelkes K (2021) Anomalies in the vertebral column and ilio-sacral articulation of some anuran amphibians. Salamandra 57: 53-64.
• Büsse S, Bäumler F & Gorb SN (2021) Functional morphology of the raptorial forelegs in Mantispa styriaca (Insecta: Neuroptera). Zoomorphology 140: 231-241.
• Wipfler B, Bradler S, Büsse S, Hammel J, Müller BR & Pass G (2021) Evolutionary morphology of the antennal heart in stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) and webspinners (Embioptera) (Insecta: Eukinolabia). Zoomorphology 140: 331-340.

2020

• Koehnsen A, Kambach J & Büsse S (2020) Step by step and frame by frame – Workflow for efficient motion tracking of high- speed movements in animals. Zoology 141: 125800.
• Bäumler F, Koehnsen A, Tramsen HT, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2020) Illuminating nature’s beauty: modular, scalable and low-cost LED dome illumination system using 3D-printing technology. Scientific Reports 10: 12172.
• Koppetsch T, Böhme W, Büsse S & Gorb SN (2020) Comparative epidermal microstructure anatomy and limb and tail osteology of eyelid geckos (Squamata: Eublepharidae): Implications of ecomorphological adaptations. Zoologischer Anzeiger 287: 45e60.
• Jurikova H, Ippach M, Liebetrau V, Gutjahr M, Krause S, Büsse S, Gorb SN, Henkel D, Hiebenthal C, Schmidt M, Leipe T , Laudien J, & Eisenhauer A (2020) Incorporation of minor and trace elements into cultured brachiopods: Implications for proxy application with new insights from a biomineralisation model. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 286: 418-440.

2019

• Büsse S, Büscher TH, Kelly ET, Heepe L, Edgerly JS & Gorb SN (2019) Pressure-induced silk spinning mechanism in webspinners (Insecta: Embioptera). Soft Matter 15: 9742.
• Krause S, Liebetrau V, Nehrke G, Damm T, Büsse S, Leipe T, Vogts A, Gorb SN and Eisenhauer A (2019) Endolithic Algae Affect Modern Coral Carbonate Morphology and Chemistry. Frontiers in Earth Science 7: 304.
• Bäumler F & Büsse S (2019) Resilin in the flight apparatus of Odonata (Insecta)- cap tendons and their biomechanical importance for flight. Biology Letters 15: 20190127.
• Büsse S, Büscher TH, Heepe L & Gorb SN (2019) Adaptations of dragonfly larvae and their exuviae (Insecta: Odonata), attachment devices and their crucial role during emergence. Journal of Insect Physiology 117: 103914.
• Engelkes K, Helfsgott J, Hammel JU, Büsse S, Kleinteich T, Beerlink A, Gorb SN & Haas A (2019) Measurement error in μCT- based three-dimensional geometric morphometrics introduced by surface generation and landmark data acquisition. Journal of Anatomy 235: 357-378.
• Beutel RG, Yan E, Yavorskaya M, Miller K, Büsse S, Gorb SN & Wipfler B (2019) On the thoracic anatomy of the Madagascan Heterogyrus milloti and the phylogeny of Gyrinidae (Coleoptera). Systematic Entomology 44: 336-360.
• Liu S-P, Friedrich F, Büsse S, Petersen D & Beutel RG (2019) The thoracic anatomy of the swift lousefly Crataerina pallida (Diptera) – functional implications and character evolution in Hippoboscidea. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 185: 111-131.

2018

• Büsse S & Gorb SN (2018) Material composition of the mouthparts’ cuticle in a damselfly larva (Insecta: Odonata) and its biomechanical significance. Royal Society Open Science 5: 172117.
• Ignasov J, Kapilavai A, Filonenko K, Larsen JC, Baird E, Hallam J, Büsse S, Kovalev A, Gorb SN, Duggen L & Manoonpong P (2018) Bio-inspired design and movement generation of dung beetle-like legs. Artificial Life and Robotics 23: 555-563.
• Jandausch K, Beutel RG, Pohl H, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2018) The legs of “spider associated” parasitic primary larvae of Mantispa aphavexelte (Mantispidae, Neuroptera) – attachment devices and phylogenetic implications. Arthropod Structure & Development 47: 449-456.
• Petersen DS, Kreuter N, Heepe L, Büsse S, Wellbrock AHJ, Witte K & Gorb SN (2018) Holding tight on feathers - structural specializations and attachment properties of the avian ectoparasite Crataerina pallida (Diptera, Hippoboscidae). Journal of Experimental Biology 221: jeb179242.
• Bäumler F, Gorb SN & Büsse S (2018) Comparative morphology of the thorax musculature in Anisoptera (Insecta: Odonata) focusing on the flight apparatus. Arthropod Structure & Development (Special Issue on Insect Flight). 47: 430-441.
• Büsse S, Heckmann S, Hörnschemeyer T & Bybee SM (2018) The phylogenetic relevance of thoracic musculature: a case study including a description of the thorax anatomy of Zygoptera (Insecta: Odonata) larvae. Systematic Entomology. 43: 31-42.

2017

• Beutel RG, Yan E, Richter A, Büsse S, Miller KB, Yavorskaya M & Wipfler B (2017) The head of Heterogyrus milloti (Coleoptera, Gyrinidae) and its phylogenetic implications. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 75(2): 261 – 280.
• Büsse S, Hörnschemeyer T & Gorb SN (2017) The head morphology of Pyrrhosoma nymphula larvae (Odonata: Zygoptera) focusing on functional aspects of the mouthparts. Frontiers in Zoology 14: 25.
• Büsse S & Bybee SM (2017) Larva, nymph and naiad – a response to the replies to Bybee et al. (2015) and the results of a survey within the entomological community. Systematic Entomology 42: 11-14.
• Büsse S, von Grumbkow P, Mazanec J, Tröster G, Hummel S & Hörnschemeyer T (2017) A note on using nuclear 28S-rDNA for sequencing ancient and strongly degradet insect DNA . Entomological Science 20: 137-141.

2016

• Büsse S (2016) Morphological re-examination of Epiophlebia laidlawi (Insecta: Odonata) including remarks on taxonomy. International Journal of Odonatology 19: 221-238.
• Büsse S, Hörnschemeyer T & Fischer C (2016) Three-dimensional reconstruction on cell level: case study elucidates the ultrastructure of the spinning apparatus of Embia sp. (Insecta: Embioptera). Royal Society Open Science 3: 160563.

2015

• Bybee SM, Hansen Q, Büsse S, Wightman H & Branham MA (2015) For Consistency’s Sake: The terminological use of Nymph, Larva and Naiad within Insecta. Systematic Entomology 40: 667–670.
• Büsse S, Helmker B & Hörnschemeyer T (2015) The thorax morphology of Epiophlebia (Insecta: Odonata) nymphs – including remarks on ontogenesis and evolution. Scientific Reports 5: 12835.
• Büsse S, Hörnschemeyer T, Hohu K, McMillan D & Edgerly JS (2015) The spinning apparatus of webspinners – functional-morphology, morphometrics and spinning behaviour. Scientific Reports 5: 9986.
• Blanke A, Büsse S & Machida R (2015) Coding characters from different life stages for phylogenetic reconstruction: a case study on dragonfly adults and larvae including a description of the larval head anatomy of Epiophlebia superstes (Odonata: Epiophlebiidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 174: 718-732.

2013

• Büsse S & Hörnschemeyer T (2013) The nymphal thorax musculature of Anisoptera (Insecta: Odonata) and its evolutionary relevance. BMC Evolutionary Biology 13:237.
• Büsse S, Genet C & Hörnschemeyer T (2013) Homologization of the Flight Musculature of Zygoptera (Insecta: Odonata) and Neoptera (Insecta). PLoS ONE 8: e55787.

2012

• Büsse S, von Grumbkow P, Hummel S, Shah DN, Tachamo Shah RD, Li J, Zhang X, Yoshizawa K, Wedmann S & Hörnschemeyer T (2012) Phylogeographic Analysis Elucidates the Influence of the Ice Ages on the Disjunct Distribution of Relict Dragonflies in Asia. PLoS ONE 7: e38132.
• Edgerly JS, Büsse S & Hörnschemeyer T (2012) Spinning behaviour and morphology of the spinning glands in male and female Aposthonia ceylonica (Enderlein, 1912) (Embioptera: Oligotomidae). Zoologischer Anzeiger 251: 297-306.