Forgotten giant of the insect world

Richard Collins on a pioneering mind almost lost to history.

THERE is a glut of natural history centenaries at the moment. Last year saw the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, the pioneer of plant and animal classification. The Swedes pulled out all the stops for their favourite scientific son, blowing his trumpet from every roof-top. For Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday on February 12 next year, the celebrations will be lavish. We can expect a deluge of books, articles and television documentaries.

The current year also has a great natural history luminary to celebrate; one of the pioneers of entomology died 200 years ago on March 3, 1808. Johann Christian Fabricius was Danish but, inexplicably, his countrymen have fallen down on the job of commemorating him. By comparison with Linnaeus and Darwin, poor old Fabricius seems all but forgotten.