Antonio
Martinez about 1982.
Photo by Henry Howden.
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Antonio Martinez was South America's
most prolific worker on scarab beetles, and he produced a large
body of work. Although already retired, his career came to a
premature end when both he and his wife were killed in an automobile
accident in Bolivia while on a scientific excursion.
He worked as chief of the Catedra de Microbiologia y Parasitologia
of the Universidad de Buenos Aires and as a Principal Investigator
with the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas. After
retirement, he worked as a volunteer with the Instituto de Investigaciones
Entomologicas Salta (Argentina). He produced approximately 270
publications on medical entomology (Reduviidae and Culicidae),
Meloidae, Ptinidae, Anobiidae, and Mutillidae, although the
vast majority of his works dealt with scarabs.
His large collection was purchased by Henry Howden who is gradually
transferring it to the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.
Most of the Martinez's types remain in Argentina.
Reference:
Fritz, Manfredo A. 1994. Necrologio. Antonio Martinez (1922-1993).
Revista Brasileira da Entomlogia 38: 781-791. |