Peter Jørgensen (entomologist)
Encyclopedia
Peter Jørgensen (3 August 1870 in Sønderby, Funen
– June 1937 in Villarrica, Paraguay
) was a Danish early 20th century entomologist
, active particularly in Argentina
and Paraguay
.
and German
from Copenhagen
1889. In 1892 he acquired tuberculosis
— a condition he suffered from throughout the remainder of his life. In 1906, he joined his friend Anders Christian Jensen-Haarup
on a trip to the Mendoza Province
in western Argentina
in the hope that the arid Andean climate of that region would be beneficial to his health. The two naturalists
made extensive insect
collections, which were either sold (e.g. to the German entomologist Heinrich Friese
) to cover their travel expenses or were sent to specialists for identification. They also published short accounts (in Danish
) on their adventures in Argentina.
Jørgensen moved on to Paraguay, where he settled near Villarrica. He committed his life to a small farm and further entomological research. He also became a plant collector for several American museums. He was found murdered at his farm in June 1937.
described 143 new taxa
of Argentine
bees collected in part by Jørgensen and Jensen-Haarup. Also the British-American zoologist
Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell
received specimens from Jørgensen and erected new species based on them. Today, a small fraction of his collections are kept in the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen
.
The monotypic ant lion genus Joergenia Esben-Petersen (1933) was named to his honour. A number of insect species have similarly been named for him, e.g. Pontania joergenseni Enslin 1916 (Symphyta: Tenthredinidae
), Tessella jorgenseni (Schaus, 1921) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae
) and Eurota joergenseni Orfila, 1931 (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae
).
Assens municipality
Assens Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the island of Funen in central Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 513 km² and a total population of 42,054...
– June 1937 in Villarrica, Paraguay
Villarrica, Paraguay
Villarrica is a city located in the middle of the Oriental Region of the Paraguayan territory, is capital of the Guairá Department. It was founded by the Spanish Captain Ruy Diaz de Melgarejo on May 14, 1570 in the old Guaira, today in Brazilian territory....
) was a Danish early 20th century entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
, active particularly in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
Life
Peter Jørgensen was educated teacher of EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
1889. In 1892 he acquired tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
— a condition he suffered from throughout the remainder of his life. In 1906, he joined his friend Anders Christian Jensen-Haarup
Anders Christian Jensen-Haarup
Anders Christian Jensen-Haarup was a Danish entomologist who specialised in Hymenoptera. He was born in Nim and died in Silkeborg....
on a trip to the Mendoza Province
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
in western Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in the hope that the arid Andean climate of that region would be beneficial to his health. The two naturalists
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
made extensive insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
collections, which were either sold (e.g. to the German entomologist Heinrich Friese
Heinrich Friese
Heinrich Friese was a German biologist and entomologist specialist of bees.-External links:* *...
) to cover their travel expenses or were sent to specialists for identification. They also published short accounts (in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
) on their adventures in Argentina.
Jørgensen moved on to Paraguay, where he settled near Villarrica. He committed his life to a small farm and further entomological research. He also became a plant collector for several American museums. He was found murdered at his farm in June 1937.
Legacy
Jørgensen’s extensive collection activity in understudied regions and his meticulous descriptions of specimens resulted in numerous new species being described by himself and by specialists around the World, with whom he corresponded. Heinrich FrieseHeinrich Friese
Heinrich Friese was a German biologist and entomologist specialist of bees.-External links:* *...
described 143 new taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
of Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
bees collected in part by Jørgensen and Jensen-Haarup. Also the British-American zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell
Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell
Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell was an American zoologist, born at Norwood, England, and brother of Sydney Cockerell. He was educated at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, and then studied botany in the field in Colorado in 1887-90...
received specimens from Jørgensen and erected new species based on them. Today, a small fraction of his collections are kept in the Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
.
The monotypic ant lion genus Joergenia Esben-Petersen (1933) was named to his honour. A number of insect species have similarly been named for him, e.g. Pontania joergenseni Enslin 1916 (Symphyta: Tenthredinidae
Tenthredinidae
The Tenthredinidae is the largest family of sawflies, with well over 6000 species worldwide. Larvae are typically herbivores and feed on the foliage of trees and shrubs, with occasional exceptions that are leaf miners, stem borers, or gall makers. The larvae of externally feeding species resemble...
), Tessella jorgenseni (Schaus, 1921) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
) and Eurota joergenseni Orfila, 1931 (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
).