Edmond de Sélys Longchamps
Encyclopedia
Baron Michel Edmond de Sélys Longchamps (25 May 1813 - 11 December 1900) was a Belgian
liberal
politician
and scientist
.
Selys-Longchamps was regarded as the world's greatest authority on dragonflies and damselflies. His wealth and influence enabled him to amass one of the finest collections of neuropteroid insects and to describe many species from around the world. His collection is housed in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
.
He was the author of Monographie des Libellulidées d'Europe (1840) and Faune Belge (1842).
Selys-Longchamps was a wealthy aristocrat born at Paris
. He was educated at home and never at University but became the leading student of Odonata
(worldwide) and the Neuropteroid
(worldwide) and Orthopteroid
(mainly Europe) insects. He was also a leading ornithologist
. A liberal representative in the Belgian
Parliament he became Councillor for Waremme
in 1846 entered the Belgian Senate in 1855 and was finally elected President of the Belgian Senate
from 1880 - 1884. His early interest in birds is shown by a book of coloured figures of Belgian species painted when he was 16.Ornithology remained a life-long interest and he assembled an ornithological museum at Waremme maintaining a very large collections of birds, both European and Exotic and including a great auk
and an egg. He was also interested in small mammals. At 18 ( 1831) he published his first scientific paper,a list of the insects of Liege and in 1837 a list of the , dragonflies or Odonata
and butterflies and moths or Lepidoptera
- of Belgium. From that date on a continuous flow of papers on the Odonata appeared. The works were often monograph
ic examples being, 1840 Monographie des Libellulides d'Europeand 1850 Revue des Odonates d'Europe, two large works on "Gomphines" and "Calopterygines". There were also synopses (works containing phylogenetic analyses, tables and keys) of the "Gomphines", Calopterygines", Agrionines", "Cordulines" and ( generic
only )"Aeschnines". The only family not treated synoptically being the difficult "Libellulines". There are (very numerous) local faunas for dragonflies, appendices to travel works, phylogenetic and morphological
notes. Selys-Lonchamps met and began a collaboration with Hermann August Hagen
in 1845 They jointly the Revue and two monographs. Hagen also aided work on the Synopses and sometimes Selys is given as the author in Kirbys catalogue when Hagen is ( in many such instances it is clearly stated by de Selys that he had never seen the insects and that Hagen was the author). Selys is the properly attributed author of well over 1,000 species, an enormous number compared to Hagen and more than half of known species. Aware of being an "Homme distrait" Selys often affixed names to undescribed species in his collection ( nomina nuda). This led to much later nomenclatural confusion. De Selys was an inveterate traveller spending long periods in most European countries and being an honorary member of almost all European entomological societies including the Royal Entomological Society which so honoured him in 1871. He helped to found the Societé Entomologique de Belgique
in 1856.
He amassed the greatest collection of Neuroptera
and Orthoptera
in the world incorporating the collections of Pierre André Latreille
, Jules Pièrre Rambur
, Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
,and Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
and wrote over 250 papers some of which are masterworks. His collection is in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
although there are de Selys types
in many other museums- for instance the Hope Department of Entomology, University of Oxford. He died at Liège
.
downloadable at Gallica http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k26769q
Birds
General
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
.
Selys-Longchamps was regarded as the world's greatest authority on dragonflies and damselflies. His wealth and influence enabled him to amass one of the finest collections of neuropteroid insects and to describe many species from around the world. His collection is housed in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is a museum in the Belgian capital of Brussels dedicated to natural history. Its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world's largest museum...
.
He was the author of Monographie des Libellulidées d'Europe (1840) and Faune Belge (1842).
Selys-Longchamps was a wealthy aristocrat born at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was educated at home and never at University but became the leading student of Odonata
Odonata
Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...
(worldwide) and the Neuropteroid
Neuroptera
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order contains some 6,010 species...
(worldwide) and Orthopteroid
Orthoptera
Orthoptera is an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts.Many insects in this order produce sound by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps...
(mainly Europe) insects. He was also a leading ornithologist
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
. A liberal representative in the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Parliament he became Councillor for Waremme
Waremme
Waremme is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Liège, in Belgium. The city is located on the River Geer , in the loessic Hesbaye region...
in 1846 entered the Belgian Senate in 1855 and was finally elected President of the Belgian Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
from 1880 - 1884. His early interest in birds is shown by a book of coloured figures of Belgian species painted when he was 16.Ornithology remained a life-long interest and he assembled an ornithological museum at Waremme maintaining a very large collections of birds, both European and Exotic and including a great auk
Great Auk
The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the genus Alca, was a large, flightless alcid that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, a group of birds that formerly included one other species of flightless giant auk from the Atlantic Ocean...
and an egg. He was also interested in small mammals. At 18 ( 1831) he published his first scientific paper,a list of the insects of Liege and in 1837 a list of the , dragonflies or Odonata
Odonata
Odonata is an order of insects, encompassing dragonflies and damselflies . The word dragonfly is also sometimes used to refer to all Odonata, but the back-formation odonate is a more correct English name for the group as a whole...
and butterflies and moths or Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
- of Belgium. From that date on a continuous flow of papers on the Odonata appeared. The works were often monograph
Monograph
A monograph is a work of writing upon a single subject, usually by a single author.It is often a scholarly essay or learned treatise, and may be released in the manner of a book or journal article. It is by definition a single document that forms a complete text in itself...
ic examples being, 1840 Monographie des Libellulides d'Europeand 1850 Revue des Odonates d'Europe, two large works on "Gomphines" and "Calopterygines". There were also synopses (works containing phylogenetic analyses, tables and keys) of the "Gomphines", Calopterygines", Agrionines", "Cordulines" and ( generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
only )"Aeschnines". The only family not treated synoptically being the difficult "Libellulines". There are (very numerous) local faunas for dragonflies, appendices to travel works, phylogenetic and morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
notes. Selys-Lonchamps met and began a collaboration with Hermann August Hagen
Hermann August Hagen
Hermann August Hagen was a German entomologist who specialised in Neuroptera and Odonata. In 1845 he began to collaborate with Edmond de Sélys Longchamps .-Biography:...
in 1845 They jointly the Revue and two monographs. Hagen also aided work on the Synopses and sometimes Selys is given as the author in Kirbys catalogue when Hagen is ( in many such instances it is clearly stated by de Selys that he had never seen the insects and that Hagen was the author). Selys is the properly attributed author of well over 1,000 species, an enormous number compared to Hagen and more than half of known species. Aware of being an "Homme distrait" Selys often affixed names to undescribed species in his collection ( nomina nuda). This led to much later nomenclatural confusion. De Selys was an inveterate traveller spending long periods in most European countries and being an honorary member of almost all European entomological societies including the Royal Entomological Society which so honoured him in 1871. He helped to found the Societé Entomologique de Belgique
Royal Belgian Entomological Society
The Royal Belgian Entomological Society is a learned society based in Brussels, Belgium which is devoted to entomology, the study of insects. It was founded on 9 April 1855...
in 1856.
He amassed the greatest collection of Neuroptera
Neuroptera
The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order contains some 6,010 species...
and Orthoptera
Orthoptera
Orthoptera is an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts.Many insects in this order produce sound by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps...
in the world incorporating the collections of Pierre André Latreille
Pierre André Latreille
Pierre André Latreille was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis...
, Jules Pièrre Rambur
Jules Pierre Rambur
Jules Pierre Rambur was a French entomologist.Rambur was born in Chinon. He studied the insect fauna of Corsica and Andalusia. He was the author of Histoire naturelle des insectes...
, Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville was a French entomologist, born on November 11, 1775 in Paris. He died on March 27 , 1858 in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre....
,and Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville was a French entomologist.Guérin-Méneville changed his surname from Guérin in 1836. He was the author of the illustrated work Iconographie du Règne Animal de G. Cuvier 1829–1844, a complement to the work of Georges Cuvier and Pierre André Latreille, which lacked...
and wrote over 250 papers some of which are masterworks. His collection is in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is a museum in the Belgian capital of Brussels dedicated to natural history. Its most important pieces are 30 fossilized Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart. The dinosaur hall of the museum is the world's largest museum...
although there are de Selys types
Biological type
In biology, a type is one particular specimen of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached...
in many other museums- for instance the Hope Department of Entomology, University of Oxford. He died at Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
.
Works
Odonata- With Hermann August HagenHermann August HagenHermann August Hagen was a German entomologist who specialised in Neuroptera and Odonata. In 1845 he began to collaborate with Edmond de Sélys Longchamps .-Biography:...
Monographie des Libellulidées d'Europe Brussels, 1840
downloadable at Gallica http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k26769q
- 1850 with Hermann August HagenHermann August HagenHermann August Hagen was a German entomologist who specialised in Neuroptera and Odonata. In 1845 he began to collaborate with Edmond de Sélys Longchamps .-Biography:...
. Revue des odonates ou Libellules d'Europe. Mémoires de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liége 6:1-408.
- 1853. Synopsis des Calopterygines. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique (1)20:1-73 (reprint 1-73).
- 1854. Synopsis des Gomphines. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique 21:23-114.
- 1858. Monographie des Gomphines. Mémoires de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liége 9:1-460, 23 pls.
- 1862. Synopsis des agrionines, seconde légion: Lestes. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique (2)13:288-338 (reprint 1-54).
- 1871. Synopsis des Cordulines. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique (2)31:238-316;519-565.
- 1876. Synopsis des agrionines, cinquième légion: Arion (suite). Le genre Agrion. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique (2) 41:247-322, 496-539, 1233-1309 (reprint 1-199).
- 1883. Synopsis des Aeschnines. Première partie: Classification. Bulletin de l'Académie royale des Sciences de Belgique 3(5):712-748.
Birds
- Observations sur les phénomènes périodique du règne animal, et particulièrement sur les migrations des oiseaux en Belgique, de 1841 à 1846 Mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique 21 pdf from GDZ
General
- Faune belge. Première partie. Indication méthodique des mammifères, oiseaux, reptiles et poissons, observés jusqu'ici en Belgique. Faune Belge i-xii + 1-310 (1842)
External links
- Partial bibliography
- Edmond de Sélys Longchamps
- Digital Publications at GDZ
- NCSU Sélys Longchamps on a Belgian postage stamp (1255)
- University of Liége A life day by day