Evelyn Cheesman
Encyclopedia
Lucy Evelyn Cheesman was a British entomologist and traveller.
Cheesman was unable to train for a career as a veterinary surgeon
due to restrictions on women's education. Instead, she studied entomology, and was the first woman to be hired as a curator at Regent's Park Zoo
, in London.
In 1924 she was invited to join a zoological expedition to the Marquesas and Galapagos Islands. She spent approximately twelve years on similar expeditions, travelling to New Guinea
, the New Hebrides
and other islands in the Pacific Ocean
. In New Guinea she made a collecting expedition to the coastal area between Aitape
and Jayapura
(known as Hollandia
at the time) and visited the Cyclop Mountains, near Jayapura, collecting insects.
Evelyn assisted at the Natural History Museum, London for many years as a volunteer. She was awarded an OBE for her contribution to entomology. A number of insect species are named after her including the recently described true bug Costomedes cheesmanae.
.
She also collected reptiles and amphibians and several New Guinea species were named in her honour:
Lipinia cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - a skink (lizard);
Platymantis cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - a direct-breeding frog;
Barygenys cheesmanae Parker, 1936 - a microhylid frog;
Cophixalus cheesmanae Parker, 1934 - a microhylid frog;
Litoria cheesmani (Tyler, 1964) - a treefrog;
The last of these is interesting in that the scientist who described it has used the masculine genitive ending 'i' instead of the feminine 'ae', showing an assumption that the collector must have been a man.
In New Guinea, Cheesman briefly investigated the mysterious flying lights now called "ropen
lights," decades before the late-20th Century and early 21st Century ropen expeditions. In her book The Two Roads of Papua, she dismissed the possibility that the lights are from "any human agency." Nevertheless, her investigation did not acknowledge the possibility of a cryptid, therefore she is not labelled a cryptozoologist.
She was the author of many books and scientific articles on entomology and her travels.
Cheesman was unable to train for a career as a veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon
Veterinary surgeon is a term used to describe:*The full title of a vet, who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries**See also Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom...
due to restrictions on women's education. Instead, she studied entomology, and was the first woman to be hired as a curator at Regent's Park Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, in London.
In 1924 she was invited to join a zoological expedition to the Marquesas and Galapagos Islands. She spent approximately twelve years on similar expeditions, travelling to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
and other islands in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. In New Guinea she made a collecting expedition to the coastal area between Aitape
Aitape
Aitape is a small town of about 8,000 people on the north coast of Papua New Guinea in the Sandaun Province. It is a coastal settlement that is almost equidistant from the provincial capitals of Wewak and Vanimo, and marks the midpoint of the highway between these two capitals...
and Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
(known as Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
at the time) and visited the Cyclop Mountains, near Jayapura, collecting insects.
Evelyn assisted at the Natural History Museum, London for many years as a volunteer. She was awarded an OBE for her contribution to entomology. A number of insect species are named after her including the recently described true bug Costomedes cheesmanae.
.
She also collected reptiles and amphibians and several New Guinea species were named in her honour:
Lipinia cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - a skink (lizard);
Platymantis cheesmanae Parker, 1940 - a direct-breeding frog;
Barygenys cheesmanae Parker, 1936 - a microhylid frog;
Cophixalus cheesmanae Parker, 1934 - a microhylid frog;
Litoria cheesmani (Tyler, 1964) - a treefrog;
The last of these is interesting in that the scientist who described it has used the masculine genitive ending 'i' instead of the feminine 'ae', showing an assumption that the collector must have been a man.
In New Guinea, Cheesman briefly investigated the mysterious flying lights now called "ropen
Ropen
The Ropen is a flying cryptid alleged to live in the vicinity of Papua New Guinea. According to the book Searching for Ropens, it is "any featherless creature that flies in the Southwest Pacific, and has a tail-length more than 25% of its wingspan." On Umboi Island the word "ropen" refers to a...
lights," decades before the late-20th Century and early 21st Century ropen expeditions. In her book The Two Roads of Papua, she dismissed the possibility that the lights are from "any human agency." Nevertheless, her investigation did not acknowledge the possibility of a cryptid, therefore she is not labelled a cryptozoologist.
She was the author of many books and scientific articles on entomology and her travels.