The Museum of Natural History Berlin initiated the research project "Biodiversity of Insects in the Afrotropical Region" and organized eight entomological expeditions to southern Africa (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia) in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. The paper summarizes the objectives of the research project and lists the investigated insect groups, the specialists from the Museum of Natural History Berlin as well as the national and international partners cooperating in the research project, the travel routes of the eight expeditions and its main localities (locality names, geographical synonyms, coordinates, and short characterizations). Furthermore, the authors intend to draw the attention of the international community of entomologists to the availability of newly collected insect material from important localities of the southern afrotropical region and to invite interested researchers to take part in the study of these specimens. Keywords: Insecta, Odonata, Orthoptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, Biodiversity Research, Africa, Afrotropical Region, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, entomological expeditions to Africa, Museum of Natural History Berlin.