Anthony Adrian Allen
Encyclopedia
Anthony Adrian Allen was a British entomologist who published several hundred scientific papers, in particular on the Coleoptera (beetles) of the British Isles. He was active for much of the middle and late 20th century. He formed a bridge between the great entomologists of last century, and the present generation, many of whom benefitted from his knowledge and guidance.
specialising in the beetles (Coleoptera) of the British Isles
. He has been described as 'one of the best known British coleopterists'. He was a pupil and friend of several prominent late 19th-early 20th century entomologists, including Horace Donisthorpe
and Phillip Harwood.
. He had a subsidiary interest in the British fauna of flies Diptera
and true bugs Hemiptera
, on which he also published.
. Over a 62 year period Allen described 13 new species of beetle, of which four remain valid. The apparently high rate of synonymy
of his species results from the fact he was primarily dealing with taxonomically difficult groups of beetles. The four valid species described by Allen are:
Staphylinidae
:
Aleochara phycophila Allen 1937
Acrotona benicki (Allen 1940)
Scraptiidae
:
Scraptia testacea Allen 1940
Chrysomelidae:
Longitarsus fowleri Allen 1967
As may be expected for species that remained undiscovered until the mid 20th century, all four valid species described by A.A. Allen are uncommon, and are given conservation status
. Longitarsus fowleri is the most widespread of the four, being associated with teasel on chalk downland in southern Britain. Scraptia testacea is regarded as an indicator species of good quality ancient woodland
and parkland. Since their description, three of the species have been found in other European countries but the rove beetle Aleochara phycophila, a parasitoid
of seaweed-flies from the south coast of England, is still known only from the type specimen and has never been recorded again.
Longitarsus fowleri is named in honour of Coleopterist William Weekes Fowler
.
Trachyphloeus alleni Donisthorpe, 1948 and the latridiid plaster beetle
Corticaria alleni Johnson, 1974. However, the former, named by the myrmecologist and coleopterist Horace Donisthorpe
, was later placed in synonymy
with the widespread Trachyphloeus asperatus Boheman
, 1843.
in October 2010. The Museum intends to digitally scan the 38 drawers, and make them available as high resolution images on the internet "as a scientific resource, and as a permanent record of A.A. Allen’s immense contribution to the understanding of the British Coleoptera". The whereabouts of his collections of other orders, if they still exist, is unknown.
Introduction
Anthony Adrian Allen, almost universally known as A.A. Allen, was an entomologistEntomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
specialising in the beetles (Coleoptera) of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. He has been described as 'one of the best known British coleopterists'. He was a pupil and friend of several prominent late 19th-early 20th century entomologists, including Horace Donisthorpe
Horace Donisthorpe
Horace St. John Kelly Donisthorpe was an eccentric British myrmecologist and coleopterist, memorable in part for his enthusiastic championing of the renaming of the genus Lasius after him as Donisthorpea, and for his many claims of discovering new species of beetles and ants.He is often considered...
and Phillip Harwood.
Faunistic work
Allen is perhaps best known for his work on the British beetle fauna, which includes more than 4,000 species. During his career he published hundreds of papers and scientific notes on the subject, mostly in the Entomologist's Monthly MagazineEntomologist's Monthly Magazine
The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine is a British entomological journal, first published in 1864. The journal publishes original papers and notes on all orders of insects and terrestrial arthropods from any part of the world, specialising in groups other than Lepidoptera.Although its name would...
. He had a subsidiary interest in the British fauna of flies 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...
and true bugs Hemiptera
Hemiptera
Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...
, on which he also published.
Taxonomic work
Allen was one of the few 20th century British faunists to describe new species to science from the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. Over a 62 year period Allen described 13 new species of beetle, of which four remain valid. The apparently high rate of synonymy
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
of his species results from the fact he was primarily dealing with taxonomically difficult groups of beetles. The four valid species described by Allen are:
Staphylinidae
Rove beetle
The rove beetles are a large family of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra that leave more than half of their abdomens exposed. With over 46,000 species in thousands of genera, the group is the second largest family of beetles after the Curculionidae...
:
Aleochara phycophila Allen 1937
Acrotona benicki (Allen 1940)
Scraptiidae
Scraptiidae
The family Scraptiidae is a small group of beetles with no vernacular common name, though recent authors have coined the name false flower beetles. These beetles are very common and easily confused with members of the related family Mordellidae.-Genera:...
:
Scraptia testacea Allen 1940
Chrysomelidae:
Longitarsus fowleri Allen 1967
As may be expected for species that remained undiscovered until the mid 20th century, all four valid species described by A.A. Allen are uncommon, and are given conservation status
British nature conservation statuses
In Britain, a variety of status categorisation schemes exist, for sites, species and habitats. These include, for species and habitats, Red Data Book threat categories, national rarity and scarcity assessments and Biodiversity Action Plan statuses, and for sites, statutory statuses such as the SSSI...
. Longitarsus fowleri is the most widespread of the four, being associated with teasel on chalk downland in southern Britain. Scraptia testacea is regarded as an indicator species of good quality ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
and parkland. Since their description, three of the species have been found in other European countries but the rove beetle Aleochara phycophila, a parasitoid
Parasitoid
A parasitoid is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life history attached to or within a single host organism in a relationship that is in essence parasitic; unlike a true parasite, however, it ultimately sterilises or kills, and sometimes consumes, the host...
of seaweed-flies from the south coast of England, is still known only from the type specimen and has never been recorded again.
Longitarsus fowleri is named in honour of Coleopterist William Weekes Fowler
William Weekes Fowler
William Weekes Fowler was an English clergyman and entomologist mainly interested in beetles.-Biography:Son of the Reverend Hugh Fowler, Vicar of Barnwood, Gloucestershire, Fowler was educated at Rugby School and at Jesus College, Oxford. He became a Master at Repton School in 1873 and was...
.
Honorifics
Allen received the rare accolade of having two British beetle species named by colleagues in his honour, the ground-living weevilWeevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
Trachyphloeus alleni Donisthorpe, 1948 and the latridiid plaster beetle
Latridiidae
Latridiidae is a family of tiny, little-known beetles commonly called minute brown scavenger beetles. The number of described species currently stands at around 1050 in 29 genera but the number of species is undoubtedly much higher.-References:*...
Corticaria alleni Johnson, 1974. However, the former, named by the myrmecologist and coleopterist Horace Donisthorpe
Horace Donisthorpe
Horace St. John Kelly Donisthorpe was an eccentric British myrmecologist and coleopterist, memorable in part for his enthusiastic championing of the renaming of the genus Lasius after him as Donisthorpea, and for his many claims of discovering new species of beetles and ants.He is often considered...
, was later placed in synonymy
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
with the widespread Trachyphloeus asperatus Boheman
Carl Henrik Boheman
Carl Henrik Boheman was a Swedish entomologist.Boheman studied at Lund University and trained as an officer, participating in the invasion of Norway in 1814...
, 1843.
Collection
A.A. Allen's almost comprehensive collection of British Beetles, including most of his type specimens, was presented to The Natural History Museum, LondonNatural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
in October 2010. The Museum intends to digitally scan the 38 drawers, and make them available as high resolution images on the internet "as a scientific resource, and as a permanent record of A.A. Allen’s immense contribution to the understanding of the British Coleoptera". The whereabouts of his collections of other orders, if they still exist, is unknown.