Roy Snelling
Encyclopedia
Roy R. Snelling was an internationally renowned American entomologist who studied Hymenoptera
, mainly ant
s, wasp
s and bee
s. He was the emeritus collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
where he worked for over 30 years, joining the museum in 1963 and retiring in 1993. He dedicated his professional life to making insect biodiversity better known and appreciated.
As a foremost myrmecologist, he is credited with many important finds of rare or new ant species, such as the first Nobomessor cockerellis colony in California, Myrmecocystus tenuinodis Snelling 1976 (the honeypot ant), Neivamyrmex wilsoni Snelling & Snelling 2007, and Myrmecocystus wheeleri, named by Snelling after the noted myrmecologist William Morton Wheeler
, who was also William Steele Creighton's academic advisor. Snelling wrote that he was much influenced by W. S. Creighton's important 1950 volume The Ants of North America. In his career, Snelling would collaborate many times with Creighton, whose ant collection is now housed at the Los Angeles county museum.
Snelling studied at junior college in Modesto, California
, but dropped out to become self-educated. Before going to the Los Angeles County museum, he spent time in the United States Army
(1959) and as an inspector with the California Department of Food and Agriculture
. Snelling also studied briefly at the University of Kansas
but did not complete the graduate program.
Hymenoptera
Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
, mainly ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s and bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s. He was the emeritus collections manager at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA in 1913 as the Museum of History, Science, and Art. The moving force behind it was a museum association founded in 1910. Its distinctive main building, with fitted marble walls and domed and...
where he worked for over 30 years, joining the museum in 1963 and retiring in 1993. He dedicated his professional life to making insect biodiversity better known and appreciated.
As a foremost myrmecologist, he is credited with many important finds of rare or new ant species, such as the first Nobomessor cockerellis colony in California, Myrmecocystus tenuinodis Snelling 1976 (the honeypot ant), Neivamyrmex wilsoni Snelling & Snelling 2007, and Myrmecocystus wheeleri, named by Snelling after the noted myrmecologist William Morton Wheeler
William Morton Wheeler
William Morton Wheeler, Ph.D. was an American entomologist, myrmecologist and Harvard professor.-Early life:...
, who was also William Steele Creighton's academic advisor. Snelling wrote that he was much influenced by W. S. Creighton's important 1950 volume The Ants of North America. In his career, Snelling would collaborate many times with Creighton, whose ant collection is now housed at the Los Angeles county museum.
Snelling studied at junior college in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, but dropped out to become self-educated. Before going to the Los Angeles County museum, he spent time in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
(1959) and as an inspector with the California Department of Food and Agriculture
California Department of Food and Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture , is a cabinet-level agency in the government of California. Established in 1919 by the California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor William Stephens, the Department of Food and Agriculture is responsible for ensuring the state's...
. Snelling also studied briefly at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
but did not complete the graduate program.