Steven W. Lingafelter has been a Research Entomologist with the
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, United States Department of
Agriculture, based at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum
of Natural History since 1996. He received his Bachelor and Master
of Science Degrees in Biology at Midwestern State University
(Wichita Falls, Texas) in 1989 and 1991, respectively, advised by
Norman Horner. He received his Doctorate in Entomology advised by
the late Steve Ashe at the University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas)
in 1996. He has published over 60 papers and 4 books on beetle
systematics and taxonomy, with an emphasis on Neotropical
Cerambycidae.
Eugenio H. Nearns is a United States Department of Agriculture
Postdoctoral Researcher at the Smithsonian Institution's National
Museum of Natural History. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts
and Master of Science degrees from the University of Florida
(Gainesville, Florida) in 1996 and 2006, respectively. He received
his Doctorate in Biology from the University of New Mexico
(Albuquerque, New Mexico) in 2013. He has published 33 papers on
beetle systematics and taxonomy, with an emphasis on Neotropical
Cerambycidae. He has developed and maintained many websites that
can be accessed from http-//cerambycids.com/.
Gerard Luc Tavakilian, after studying biochemistry at Paris
University, was employed as a Research Entomologist by the Institut
de recherche pour le developpement (IRD; a French government
institute for researchers abroad). He spent four years in the Ivory
Coast and 19 years in French Guiana, where he primarily studied
Cerambycidae in relation with their host trees. He initiated a
database of American species of Cerambycidae in 1996 and decided to
enlarge his project to worldwide fauna in 2002 (supported by grants
from the European GBIF program 4D for Life). He retired in 2012 but
remains active in Entomology (as Attache au Laboratoire
d'Entomologie du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris) and
continues to publish about French Guiana's fauna and update the
database TITAN (http-//lully.snv.jussieu.fr/titan). He has
published over 70 papers mainly on systematics, taxonomy, and
host-plant relations.
Miguel Angel Monne has been a Professor of Entomology in the Museu
Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, from 1974 to
2008. He retired in 2008 and received the honorary title of
Emeritus Researcher of the Museu Nacional. He received his
Doctorate in Zoology from the University of S o Paulo, was head of
the Department of Entomology for 10 years at the Museu Nacional,
and became Associate Director of Research and Teaching and Vice
Director at the same institution in 1990. He has been a Research
Fellow of the National Council for Scientific and Technological
Development of Brazil since 1980. He has published 167 papers and
authored or contributed to 35 books, with emphasis on Neotropical
Cerambycidae.
Michael Biondi worked as a museum technician at the Smithsonian
Institution's National Museum of Natural History between 2009 and
2011. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from
Erskine College and his Master of Science in Entomology with a
focus on stream ecology from Clemson University. He currently
co-owns and operates a micro-brewery in Charleston, South Carolina.
CHOICE
The National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution)
houses an outstanding insect collection. Its assemblage of
longhorned beetles alone comprises approximately 8,000 species that
have been identified and put into a database (this number likely
will double when the collection is fully curated). With some
2,100 primary type specimens, this is one of the finest collections
of its type in the world and an invaluable resource for researchers
in the field of entomology. Holdings of primary-type
specimens by museums and academic institutions are of particular
importance to entomologists interested in studying originally
described type specimens. In this first complete catalogue of
the Smithsonian’s longhorned woodboring beetle collection, a list
of all primary specimen types is made available. Following
this is a collection of color plates illustrating each specimen as
a thumbnail image. A short introduction provides an
interesting historical perspective on the Smithsonian’s collection
of Cerambycidae. The photographs may be of limited interest
to beetle enthusiasts; however, the text will be particularly
valuable to specialists interested in beetle taxonomy, including
graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and professional
staff. --D. A. Brass, independent scholar
Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students through professionals.
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