Jean-Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy
Encyclopedia
André Jean Baptiste Robineau-Desvoidy (1 January 1799, Saint-Sauveur
- 25 June 1857, Paris
) was a French
physician
and entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera
(flies) and to some extent of the Coleoptera (beetles).
), the existing descriptions of which were poor, and because he had few contacts, many of the new species he described were already named. Also he was over reliant on colour and pattern as characters, and this led to his improperly defining species. He also worked on too many species. Much later criticism ensued but it must be remembered that he was an early worker and, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars
, French scientists were unduly criticised for nationalistic reasons. Very many of his generic
and species
names survive. In all these respects, as well as his genuine love of entomology and boundless enthusiasm, Robineau-Desvoidy is reminiscent of the English entomologist Francis Walker
.
and there are some specimens from the in the Hope Department of Entomology of the University Museum, Oxford
Saint-Sauveur
-France:Saint-Sauveur is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Saint-Sauveur, Hautes-Alpes, in the Hautes-Alpes département* Saint-Sauveur, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or département...
- 25 June 1857, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and entomologist specialising in the study of Diptera
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
(flies) and to some extent of the Coleoptera (beetles).
Achievements
Because he worked on difficult to identify flies (specifically the SchizophoraSchizophora
Schizophora is a section of true flies containing 78 families, which are collectively referred to as muscoids, even though - technically - the term "muscoid" should be limited to flies in the superfamily Muscoidea; this is an example of informal, historical usage persisting in the vernacular...
), the existing descriptions of which were poor, and because he had few contacts, many of the new species he described were already named. Also he was over reliant on colour and pattern as characters, and this led to his improperly defining species. He also worked on too many species. Much later criticism ensued but it must be remembered that he was an early worker and, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, French scientists were unduly criticised for nationalistic reasons. Very many of his generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
and species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
names survive. In all these respects, as well as his genuine love of entomology and boundless enthusiasm, Robineau-Desvoidy is reminiscent of the English entomologist Francis Walker
Francis Walker (entomologist)
Francis Walker was an English entomologist. He was one of the most prolific authors in entomology, and stirred controversy during his later life as his publications resulted in a huge number of junior synonyms....
.
Flies named by Robineau-Desvoidy
- Brachyopa scutellaris 1843 - Syrphidae
- Calliphora vicinaCalliphora vicinaCalliphora vicina is a member of the family Calliphoridae, which includes blow-flies and bottle flies. These flies are important in the field of forensic entomology. C. vicina is currently one of the most entomologically important fly species because of its consistent time of arrival and...
1830 - Calliphoridae - Thecopohora fulvipes 1830 - Conopidae
- Genus Morellia and species Morellia aenescens 1830- Muscidae
- Genus Azelia and species Azelia nebulosa Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830
- Genus Hydromyia 1830 Sciomyzidae
- Genus Herina 1830- Ulidiidae
- Genus Sphenella 1830- Tephritidae
- Genus Delia 1830-Anthomyidae
- Genus BengaliaBengaliaBengalia is a genus of blow flies in the family Calliphoridae with one authority considering the genus to belong to a separate family Bengaliidae. These bristly and, unlike the greens and blues of most calliphorids, dull coloured flies, are especially noted for their relationship to ants...
- Calliphoridae - Genus Muscina and species fungivora 1830- Muscidae
Works
(Selected)- Essai sur la tribu des culicides. Mém. Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 3: 390-413 (1827).
- Essai sur les myodaires. Mém. Pres. Div. Sav. Acad. R. Sci. Inst. Fr. 2(2), 813 p. (1830).
- Notice sur le genre fucellie, Fucellia, R.D., et en particulier sur le Fucellia arenaria. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 10: 269-72. (1842).
- Myodaires des environs de Paris [part]. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. (2) 6: 429-77. (1849).This paper forms part of a series, though the first part had the title "Études sur les myodaires des environs de Paris." The parts are as follows: Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. (2) 2: 5-38 (1844); (2) 4: 17-38 (1846); (2) 5: 255-87 (1847); (2) 6: 429-77 (1849); (2) 8: 183-209 (1850); (2) 9: 177-90, 305-21 (1851).
- Mémoire of M. Léon Dufour donne la description de la larve et des moeurs d'une muscide, larve qui vit du sang de petites hirondelles. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. (2) 7: iv-v. (1849)
- Description d'agromyzes et de phytomyzes écloses chez M. le colonel Goureau. Rev. Mag. Zool. (2) 3: 391-405. (1851)
- Diptères des environs de Paris. Famille des myopaires. Bull. Soc. Sci. Hist. Nat. L'Yonne 7: 83-160. (1853).
- Histoire naturelle des diptères des environs de Paris. Oeuvre posthume du Dr Robineau-Desvoidy. Publiée par les soins de sa famille, sous la direction de M.H. Monceaux.2 vols. Masson et Fils, Paris. 1500p. (1863)
Collection
The collection of Robineau-Desvoidy was largely destroyed. Some remains in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, ParisMuséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
and there are some specimens from the in the Hope Department of Entomology of the University Museum, Oxford
External links
- Followers of Lamarck French website with a list of publications and photographs of Robineau-Desvoidy's signature.