Entomology, the study of insects, progressed between 1800 and 1850, with the publication of important texts, definition of new orders such as Aphaniptera and Strepsiptera, and the shift to specialization. The following timeline indicates significant events in entomology in this time period.
19th century
Around the beginning of the 19th century, systematists began to specialise. There remained entomological polyhistors – those who continued to work on the insect fauna as a whole. From the beginning of the century, however, the specialist began to predominate, harbingered by Johann Wilhelm Meigen's Nouvelle classification des mouches à deux aile (New classification of the Diptera) commenced in the first year of the century. Lepidopterists were amongst the first to follow Meigen's lead. The specialists fell into three categories. First there were species describers, then specialists in species recognition and then specialists in gross taxonomy. There were however considerable degrees of overlap. Also then, as now, few could entirely resist the lure of groups other than their own, and this was especially true of those in small countries where they were the sole 'expert', and many famous specialists in one order also worked on others. Hence, for instance, many works which began as butterfly faunas were completed as general regional works, often collaboratively. "Man is born not to solve the problems of the universe, but to find out where the problem begins, and then to restrain himself within the limits of the comprehensible" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Conversations with Eckerman: Feb. 13, 1829 1800
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck first expressed his views on evolution in lectures. The total number of species of insects described is estimated at not exceeding the figure of 20 000. 1801
Publication of Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet de Lamarck. Système des animaux sans vertèbres ou tableau général des classes, des ordres et des genres de ces animaux. Paris:Deterville in English, 'System of invertebrate animals or general table of classes, orders and genera of these animals' Johan Christian Fabricius Systema eleutheratorum commenced. In a series of successive works to 1806 Johan Christian Fabricius developed a classificatory system based entirely on the structure of the mouthparts. Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger's Magazin für Insectenkundeor Insect Magazine commenced in Brunswick (last issue 1856). One of the first insect magazines. Marie Françoise Xavier Bichat. Traité d’anatomie descriptive, in English, 'Treatise on descriptive anatomy published in Paris'. This work laid the foundations of a unified structural terminology. The Aurelian Society meets in London "To form a complete and standard cabinet of the entomological productions of Great Britain:- to ascertain their names, uses, and distinctions:-the places and times of their appearance, food economy and peculiarities :- and to point out to the public the readiest and most desirable methods of destroying such as possess properties that are inimical to the welfare of mankind" First part of Pierre André Latreille's Historie naturelle, générale et particulièredes crustacés et des insects in English, 'General and particular natural history of crustaceans and insects', published in Paris by Dufart. 5817 pp.(14 volumes last published in 1805). In this and succeeding works (1806–1809, 1810, 1825, 1829 Latreille, following Linnaeus, divides the insects into Orders (at first these are called classes), invented the important family concept and also the tribus, proposed the families Asilidae, Muscidae, Syrphidae and Tabanidae (Diptera) as supra generic and erected the insect orders: Parasita, Perliarae, Megaloptera and Panorpatae. Lamarck and Gottfried Reinhold Treviranus, separately proposed term "biology" for the whole science of living things. Pietro Rossi becomes the world's first professor of entomology in Pisa. 1802
Charles Nicholas Aubé born. 1803
Johan Christian Fabricius Rhyngotorum secundum ordines…Reichard, Brunsvigae. Published. Adrian Hardy Haworth Lepidoptera Britannica (1803–1828) published. This was the most authoritative work on British butterflies and moths until Henry Tibbats Stainton's Manual in 1857. Johann Rudolph Schellenberg Genres des mouches Diptères représentés en XLII planches projettées, dessinées et expliquées par deux amateurs de l'entomologie published in Zürich. Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres Kritische Revision der neuen Ausgabe des systematischen Verzeichnisses von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend.Braunschweig, Karl Reichard. 1804
Jacob Hübner Sammlung Europaischer Schmetterlinge, in English, 'Collection of European Butterflies', published in Augsburg. Caspar Erasmus Duftschmid Fauna Austriae, in English, 'Austrian fauna' commenced publication. Jacob Sturm Deutschlands Insecten, Käfer, in English, 'German Insects, Beetles' commenced. This work was not completed until 1856. Like many insect faunal works, this was planned to cover all orders but got no further than beetles. Thomas Marsham. Entomologica Britannica sisterns Insects Britanniae Indigena Secundum Linneum disposita in English, 'British Entomology comprising native British insects disposed (according to) Linnaeus’ second edition. The first British beetle fauna this work treated Coleoptera only. Jean Frederick Hermann Mémoire Aptérologique'published by F.L. Hammerin Strasbourg. 1805
Ambroise Marie François Joseph Palisot de Beauvois 1805-1821 Insectes Recueillis en Afrique et en Amérique, in English, 'Insects found in Africa and America' Prodromus Entomology published 1806
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