Ferdinand Ochsenheimer
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand Ochsenheimer was a German actor and entomologist (lepidopterist
).
, Germany, and began to show an interest in butterflies and moths in his early youth. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed with a saddler but when his intellectual abilities were recognized friends of his father's enabled him to study natural history at the university. On 16 September 1788 he received his degree of Doktor der Philosphie. He found employment as an educator with Stadtkommandant von Dallwigh in Mannheim, then with Baron von Reipelt.
In Mannheim Ochsenheimer wrote his first stage comedies (Er soll sich schlagen, Der Brautschatz). At the age of 27 he decided to follow a career as an actor and entered into Quandt's troupe of actors in Bayreuth. His first appearance was on 12 November 1794 as Flickwort in Gotter's Schwarzer Mann. After trying his hand in several fields – he was engaged as an opera tenor for a while – he finally committed himself to acting after successes as Gebhard in Portrait der Mutter and as Fallbring in Dienstpflicht. In 1796 he responded to a call from the Döbbelinsche Bühne (Döbbelin stage) in Stargard. On his way he stayed in Leipzig where he performed at the kürfürstliches Hoftheater (prince-elector's court theatre) as Fallbring and as Stepanoff with the result that he was immediately engaged. So after fulfilling his obligations in Stargard and in Frankfurt/Oder he came to Dresden in early 1797 and became one of the most popular members of an actor company that played alternately in Leipzig and in Dresden. In 1798 symptoms of stress and overstrain began to manifest themselves and his doctor recommended more exercise. Taking long walks in the country Ochsenheimer's interest in lepidopterology was rekindled "and without noticing it he had, in seeking recovery from one task, taken over another, not less laborious one." Around this time he made the acquaintance of playwright Friedrich Treitschke
who was returning from Switzerland to Leipzig and who shared both his interest in acting and in lepidopterology. In 1801 Ochsenheimer played Talbot in Schiller
's Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans) with Schiller attending the performance of 17 September and praising Ochsenheimer's accomplishment. He was now offered guest parts at most major theatres in the German-speaking countries.
In 1802 during a guest performance at the Königliches Hoftheater (royal court theatre) in Berlin he met Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres
who encouraged him to publish parts of his entomological journals. Although he went to work immediately he planned the book at such a scale that it was not until 1805 that the first part, the natural history of the butterflies of Saxony, was published. Due to problems with the editor he was forced to discontinue the work and began an even more detailed treatment under the title Die Schmetterlinge von Europa (The Lepidoptera of Europe). In the same year he made a tour to Mannheim and Mainz and also to Frankfurt where he used all his spare time to work in the famous collection of Johann Christian Gerning
. In December he was invited to Berlin and again exchanged views and experiences with Laspeyres.
In May 1807 he played twelve guest parts in Wien (Vienna) where Treitschke meanwhile held a position at the k.-k. Hoftheater (imperial-royal court theatre) and would have liked to permanently engage Ochsenheimer. To achieve this Treitschke travelled to Dresden in July and succeeded in negotiating a discontinuation of Ochsenheimer's contract with the Dresden stage. In November 1807 Ochsenheimer came to Wien and that same year the first volume of Die Schmetterlinge von Europa appeared. Although it could be called a greatly enlarged and revised version of the Butterflies of Saxony it did contain many new facts and included several new species which Ochsenheimer had received from Portugal by Hoffmannsegg, found in Viennese collections (from southern France and Russia) and in the Gerning
collection. As he was not fully employed from the start in Wien he could complete the second volume (Sphingidae, Zygaenidae, Sesiidae) in 1808. That year Treitsche was forced to cut down on his workload for reasons of health, began to take up lepidopterology again and became Ochsenheimer's companion on many excursions. In 1810 the third volume (larger "macro-moths" including Psychidae) was published. Ochsenheimer purchased the Radda collection, Treitschke bought a small collection, and both were combined. With this basis Ochsenheimer went to work at the next volumes "but from 1815 his powers were waning fast." Volume four was completed, with Treitschke's help, in 1816. It contains supplements to the preceding volumes and a draft system of the noctuid moths (Noctuidae) with many new genera. In 1817 Ochsenheimer was instructed to revise the Lepidoptera collections of the k.-k. Hofmuseum (imperial-royal court museum), a task which took him more than a year as he included all non-European taxa. His health was deteriorating steadily and in the next volume he wrote only part of the first genus (Acronicta); the main work was done by Treitschke. On 23 September 1822 he fainted after a performance in Vienna
; on 2 November around 10 p.m. he died.
for his facial expression and his pronunciation. In the roles of villains he is said to have been of staggering impact, and excellent as old fogies and pedants. Among his crowning achievements were Gottl. Koke in Parteiwut, Wurm in Kabale und Liebe
or Marinelli in Emilia Galotti
. He also published plays, in part under the pseudonym Theobald Unklar. "In private life he was, like most comedians, melancholy, dry, bland, even boring, except when discussing entomological subjects; he also was a misogynist."
The following may be an anecdotal generalisation: "After rehearsal he used to leave the city to collect [butterflies and moths] in the vicinity and returned only shortly before the performance. When he had had a lucky day he played marvellously, moving his audience to frenetic applause. But when he had found little or nothing he was disgruntled and did not rise above mediocrity."
As an entomologist Ochsenheimer was one of the most influential lepidopterists of the early 19th century. His work "Die Schmetterlinge von Europa" was later continued by Friedrich Treitschke and grew to ten volumes. Although not accompanied by figures or plates it contains a wealth of information on the biology and ecology of the species and it includes careful and detailed descriptions of new taxa, among them Thymelicus lineola (Hesperiidae), Polyommatus eros
, Iolana iolas (Lycaenidae), Psilogaster loti (Lasiocampidae), Hyles zygophylli
(Sphingidae), Phalera bucephaloides
(Notodontidae), Hoplodrina superstes, Polia serratilinea (Noctuidae), Pyropteron doryliformis, Synanthedon cephiformis (Sesiidae), Pachythelia villosella (Psychidae), Zygaena hilaris, Zygaena punctum, Zygaena angelicae (Zygaenidae) and others.
The Linnean
Lepidoptera system had already begun to be subdivided by Fabricius in the late 18th century and Ochsenheimer further refined it by the creation of many new genera. Among them are well-known names like Zerynthia
, Charaxes
, Endromis, Aglia, Gastropacha
, Thyatira, Notodonta
, Acronicta
, Plusia
, Heliothis
, Amphipyra
, Caradrina
, Cosmia
, Xanthia
, Apamea
, Gortyna, Nonagria
, Euclidia
, Anarta, Mamestra
, Polia, Mythimna, Orthosia
, Agrotis
, Orgyia
, Colocasia
and others.
Several taxa have been named in Ochsenheimer's honour: the genus Ochsenheimeria Hübner, 1825 (Ypsolophidae) and the species Nemophora ochsenheimerella (Hübner, 1813), Pammene ochsenheimeriana (Lienig & Zeller, 1846) and Pieris ochsenheimeri Staudinger, 1886.
. After Treitschke's death his collection also came to the Budapest museum.
Lepidopterist
A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
).
Life
Ochsenheimer was born and brought up in in MainzMainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, Germany, and began to show an interest in butterflies and moths in his early youth. At the age of twelve he was apprenticed with a saddler but when his intellectual abilities were recognized friends of his father's enabled him to study natural history at the university. On 16 September 1788 he received his degree of Doktor der Philosphie. He found employment as an educator with Stadtkommandant von Dallwigh in Mannheim, then with Baron von Reipelt.
In Mannheim Ochsenheimer wrote his first stage comedies (Er soll sich schlagen, Der Brautschatz). At the age of 27 he decided to follow a career as an actor and entered into Quandt's troupe of actors in Bayreuth. His first appearance was on 12 November 1794 as Flickwort in Gotter's Schwarzer Mann. After trying his hand in several fields – he was engaged as an opera tenor for a while – he finally committed himself to acting after successes as Gebhard in Portrait der Mutter and as Fallbring in Dienstpflicht. In 1796 he responded to a call from the Döbbelinsche Bühne (Döbbelin stage) in Stargard. On his way he stayed in Leipzig where he performed at the kürfürstliches Hoftheater (prince-elector's court theatre) as Fallbring and as Stepanoff with the result that he was immediately engaged. So after fulfilling his obligations in Stargard and in Frankfurt/Oder he came to Dresden in early 1797 and became one of the most popular members of an actor company that played alternately in Leipzig and in Dresden. In 1798 symptoms of stress and overstrain began to manifest themselves and his doctor recommended more exercise. Taking long walks in the country Ochsenheimer's interest in lepidopterology was rekindled "and without noticing it he had, in seeking recovery from one task, taken over another, not less laborious one." Around this time he made the acquaintance of playwright Friedrich Treitschke
Georg Friedrich Treitschke
Georg Friedrich Treitschke was a German librettist, translator and lepidopterist....
who was returning from Switzerland to Leipzig and who shared both his interest in acting and in lepidopterology. In 1801 Ochsenheimer played Talbot in Schiller
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
's Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans) with Schiller attending the performance of 17 September and praising Ochsenheimer's accomplishment. He was now offered guest parts at most major theatres in the German-speaking countries.
In 1802 during a guest performance at the Königliches Hoftheater (royal court theatre) in Berlin he met Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres
Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres
Jakob Heinrich Laspeyres was a German entomologist especially interested in Lepidoptera. He was a Bürgermeister in Berlin...
who encouraged him to publish parts of his entomological journals. Although he went to work immediately he planned the book at such a scale that it was not until 1805 that the first part, the natural history of the butterflies of Saxony, was published. Due to problems with the editor he was forced to discontinue the work and began an even more detailed treatment under the title Die Schmetterlinge von Europa (The Lepidoptera of Europe). In the same year he made a tour to Mannheim and Mainz and also to Frankfurt where he used all his spare time to work in the famous collection of Johann Christian Gerning
Johann Christian Gerning
Johann Christian Gerning was a German banker, art collector, and entomologist.Gerning lived in Frankfurt. His insect collection was given to Museum Wiesbaden in 1829 by his son Johann Isaak von Gerning. It is beautifully conserved and contains insects given to the Gerning family by Maria Sibylla...
. In December he was invited to Berlin and again exchanged views and experiences with Laspeyres.
In May 1807 he played twelve guest parts in Wien (Vienna) where Treitschke meanwhile held a position at the k.-k. Hoftheater (imperial-royal court theatre) and would have liked to permanently engage Ochsenheimer. To achieve this Treitschke travelled to Dresden in July and succeeded in negotiating a discontinuation of Ochsenheimer's contract with the Dresden stage. In November 1807 Ochsenheimer came to Wien and that same year the first volume of Die Schmetterlinge von Europa appeared. Although it could be called a greatly enlarged and revised version of the Butterflies of Saxony it did contain many new facts and included several new species which Ochsenheimer had received from Portugal by Hoffmannsegg, found in Viennese collections (from southern France and Russia) and in the Gerning
Johann Christian Gerning
Johann Christian Gerning was a German banker, art collector, and entomologist.Gerning lived in Frankfurt. His insect collection was given to Museum Wiesbaden in 1829 by his son Johann Isaak von Gerning. It is beautifully conserved and contains insects given to the Gerning family by Maria Sibylla...
collection. As he was not fully employed from the start in Wien he could complete the second volume (Sphingidae, Zygaenidae, Sesiidae) in 1808. That year Treitsche was forced to cut down on his workload for reasons of health, began to take up lepidopterology again and became Ochsenheimer's companion on many excursions. In 1810 the third volume (larger "macro-moths" including Psychidae) was published. Ochsenheimer purchased the Radda collection, Treitschke bought a small collection, and both were combined. With this basis Ochsenheimer went to work at the next volumes "but from 1815 his powers were waning fast." Volume four was completed, with Treitschke's help, in 1816. It contains supplements to the preceding volumes and a draft system of the noctuid moths (Noctuidae) with many new genera. In 1817 Ochsenheimer was instructed to revise the Lepidoptera collections of the k.-k. Hofmuseum (imperial-royal court museum), a task which took him more than a year as he included all non-European taxa. His health was deteriorating steadily and in the next volume he wrote only part of the first genus (Acronicta); the main work was done by Treitschke. On 23 September 1822 he fainted after a performance in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
; on 2 November around 10 p.m. he died.
Actor and Entomologist
Ochsenheimer was an excellent character actor and was compared with IfflandAugust Wilhelm Iffland
August Wilhelm Iffland was a German actor and dramatic author. His father intended him to be a clergyman, but Iffland preferred the stage, and at eighteen ran away to Gotha in order to prepare himself for a theatrical career.He was fortunate enough to receive instruction from Hans Ekhof, and made...
for his facial expression and his pronunciation. In the roles of villains he is said to have been of staggering impact, and excellent as old fogies and pedants. Among his crowning achievements were Gottl. Koke in Parteiwut, Wurm in Kabale und Liebe
Intrigue and Love
Intrigue and Love , , is a five-act play, written by the German dramatist and writer Friedrich Schiller...
or Marinelli in Emilia Galotti
Emilia Galotti
Emilia Galotti is a play in five acts by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing , which premiered on 8 March 1772 in Brunswick . The work is a classic example of German bürgerliches Trauerspiel . Other works in this category include Schiller's Kabale und Liebe and Hebbel's Maria Magdalene...
. He also published plays, in part under the pseudonym Theobald Unklar. "In private life he was, like most comedians, melancholy, dry, bland, even boring, except when discussing entomological subjects; he also was a misogynist."
The following may be an anecdotal generalisation: "After rehearsal he used to leave the city to collect [butterflies and moths] in the vicinity and returned only shortly before the performance. When he had had a lucky day he played marvellously, moving his audience to frenetic applause. But when he had found little or nothing he was disgruntled and did not rise above mediocrity."
As an entomologist Ochsenheimer was one of the most influential lepidopterists of the early 19th century. His work "Die Schmetterlinge von Europa" was later continued by Friedrich Treitschke and grew to ten volumes. Although not accompanied by figures or plates it contains a wealth of information on the biology and ecology of the species and it includes careful and detailed descriptions of new taxa, among them Thymelicus lineola (Hesperiidae), Polyommatus eros
Polyommatus eros
The Eros blue Polyommatus eros is a species of blue butterfly found in Europe. It is also called as the Common Meadow Blue.-Range:The butterfly occurs in Europe, specifically along the Pyrenees, Alps and the Apennines.-Taxonomy:...
, Iolana iolas (Lycaenidae), Psilogaster loti (Lasiocampidae), Hyles zygophylli
Hyles zygophylli
The Bean-caper Hawkmoth is a moth of the Sphingidae family. It is found in western and eastern Turkey, Armenia, eastern Transcaucasia, Daghestan, northern Syria, northern Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan...
(Sphingidae), Phalera bucephaloides
Phalera bucephaloides
Phalera bucephaloides is a moth of the Notodontidae family. It is found in Europe, south of Tyrol, Hungary and the Balkans.The wingspan is 23-27 mm. The moths are on wing from May to August.The larvae feed on Quercus species and Arbutus unedo....
(Notodontidae), Hoplodrina superstes, Polia serratilinea (Noctuidae), Pyropteron doryliformis, Synanthedon cephiformis (Sesiidae), Pachythelia villosella (Psychidae), Zygaena hilaris, Zygaena punctum, Zygaena angelicae (Zygaenidae) and others.
The Linnean
Linnaean taxonomy
Linnaean taxonomy can mean either of two related concepts:# the particular form of biological classification set up by Carl Linnaeus, as set forth in his Systema Naturæ and subsequent works...
Lepidoptera system had already begun to be subdivided by Fabricius in the late 18th century and Ochsenheimer further refined it by the creation of many new genera. Among them are well-known names like Zerynthia
Zerynthia
Zerynthia is a genus of swallowtail butterflies placed in the subfamily Parnassiinae. The genus has a complex history; a multiplicity of names have been applied to its species.- Species :Zerynthia consists of the following species:...
, Charaxes
Charaxes
Charaxes has several meanings:*Charaxes, the genus of pasha and radjah butterflies*The name taken by the comic book villain Killer Moth after his transformation into an actual killer moth-like creature....
, Endromis, Aglia, Gastropacha
Gastropacha
Gastropacha is a genus of Moth in the family Lasiocampidae.-Species:*Gastropacha acutifolia Roepke, 1953*Gastropacha caesarea Zolotuhin & Witt, 2005*Gastropacha clathrata Bryk, 1948*Gastropacha deruna Moore, 1859...
, Thyatira, Notodonta
Notodonta
Notodonta is a genus of moths of the Notodontidae family.-Selected species:*Notodonta dromedarius *Notodonta torva **Notodonta torva simplaria Graef, 1881...
, Acronicta
Acronicta
Acronicta is a genus of noctuid moths containing about 150 species distributed mainly in the temperate Holarctic, with some in adjacent subtropical regions. Caterpillars of most Acronicta species are unmistakable, with brightly colored hairy spikes, and often feed quite visibly on common foliate...
, Plusia
Plusia
Plusia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Plusia contexta Grote, 1873* Plusia festucae - Gold Spot Linnaeus, 1758* Plusia magnimacula D. Handfield & L. Handfield, 2006* Plusia manchurica Lempke, 1966...
, Heliothis
Heliothis
Heliothis is a genus of moths, whose larvae are agricultural pests on crop species such as tobacco, cotton, soybean and pigeon pea. Several of the species formerly placed in this genus are now in the genus Helicoverpa.-Species:...
, Amphipyra
Amphipyra
Amphipyra is a genus of moths. It is currently the only genus remaining in the subfamily Amphipyrinae, the others having been removed e.g...
, Caradrina
Caradrina
Caradrina is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family. It consist of the species of the Paradrina and Platyperigea subgenera, although some authors treat these as separate.-Species:* Caradrina abruzzensis...
, Cosmia
Cosmia
Cosmia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family. It is also the name of a song by musician Joanna Newsom off her sophomore album Ys.-Species:* Cosmia achatina Butler, 1879* Cosmia affinis – Lesser-Spotted Pinion...
, Xanthia
Xanthia
Xanthia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Xanthia approximata * Xanthia aurantiago * Xanthia austauti Oberthür, 1881* Xanthia basalis Walker, 1862...
, Apamea
Apamea (moth genus)
Apamea is a genus of moths in the Noctuidae family.-Selected species:* Apamea acera * Apamea albina * Apamea alia * Apamea alpigena * Apamea alticola...
, Gortyna, Nonagria
Nonagria
Nonagria is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Nonagria fumea * Nonagria grisescens * Nonagria intestata Walker, 1856* Nonagria leucaneura...
, Euclidia
Euclidia
Euclidia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Subgenus Euclidia** Euclidia ardita Franclemont, 1957 – Erebid Moth** Euclidia consors Butler, 1878** Euclidia cuspidea Hübner, 1818 – Toothed Somberwing...
, Anarta, Mamestra
Mamestra
Mamestra is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family. Perhaps the best known species is the Cabbage Moth, M. brassicae.-Species:* Mamestra brassicae * Mamestra configurata Walker, 1856* Mamestra curialis...
, Polia, Mythimna, Orthosia
Orthosia
Orthosia is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Orthosia achsha* Orthosia acutangula* Orthosia addenda* Orthosia agravens* Orthosia albescens* Orthosia albiceps Hampson, 1894* Orthosia albomarginata...
, Agrotis
Agrotis
Agrotis is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family. A number of the species of this genus are extinct.Many of the species are of great importance as cutworms, major agricutural pests whose larvae hide by day and emerge at night to feed. The name cutworm refers to the habit of the larvae, of...
, Orgyia
Orgyia
Orgyia is a genus of moths.-Species:*Orgyia albofasciata *Orgyia amphideta *Orgyia anartoides *Orgyia antiqua *Orgyia antiquoides...
, Colocasia
Colocasia
Colocasia is a genus of 25 or more species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia. Common names include Elephant-ear, Taro, Cocoyam, Dasheen,Chembu, and Eddoe...
and others.
Several taxa have been named in Ochsenheimer's honour: the genus Ochsenheimeria Hübner, 1825 (Ypsolophidae) and the species Nemophora ochsenheimerella (Hübner, 1813), Pammene ochsenheimeriana (Lienig & Zeller, 1846) and Pieris ochsenheimeri Staudinger, 1886.
Collection
Ochsenheimer's collection, comprising 3772 specimens, went to the Hungarian National Museum in 1824. During a flood in 1838 it remained submerged for almost two days. Afterwards it was restored and recurated by Emerich von FrivaldszkyImre Frivaldszky
Dr Emerich Frivaldszky von Frivald was a Hungarian botanist and entomologist.-Biography:...
. After Treitschke's death his collection also came to the Budapest museum.
Entomological Works
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1806): Die Schmetterlinge Sachsens, mit Rücksichten auf alle bekannte europäische Arten. Teil 1. Falter, oder Tagschmetterlinge. – Leipzig (Schwickert). IV (recte VI) + 493 pp.
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1807): Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. 1. Leipzig (Fleischer). 2 + 323 pp.
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1808): Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. 2. Leipzig (Fleischer). 30 + 241 pp.
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1810): Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. 3. Leipzig (Fleischer).
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1816): Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. 4. Leipzig (Fleischer). X + 212 pp.
- Ochsenheimer, F. & Treitschke, F. (1825): Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, vol. 5/1. Leipzig (Fleischer). 414 pp.
Plays and other Works (incomplete list!)
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1791): Das Manuskript.
- Ochsenheimer, F. (1792): Er soll sich schlagen.
- Ochsenheimer, F. (179?): Der Brautschatz.
- [Ochsenheimer, F.?] (1795): Streifereien durch einige Gegenden Deutschlands. Vom Verfasser der Szenen aus Fausts Leben. – Leipzig (Voß.). 311 pp. This book was formerly attributed to A. W. Schreiber.
Biographical Sources
- Kuhn, R. (1893): Aus dem Leben eines berühmten Entomologen. – Entomologische Zeitschrift, 7: 97-100.
- Kürschner, J. (1875–1912) Ochsenheimer. – In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vol. 24: 144. – Leipzig (Duncker & Humblot)
- Treitschke, F. (1841): Naturgeschichte der europäischen Schmetterlinge. Schwärmer und Spinner. – Pesth (Hartleben). – [9] + XIV + [2] + 222 pp., frontispiece, 30 pls.
- Zaunick, R. (1922): Ein naturforschender Schauspieler. – Dresdner Anzeiger, No. 472 of 2.11.1922, p. 2.