PATRICIA VAURIE
|
|
Pat Vaurie had a long association
with the Department of Entomology of the American Museum of
Natural History in New York city. She began as a volunteer during
the second world war and was appointed as a Research Associate
in 1957. From the very beginning she was a beetle specialist.
She was funded four times by the National Science Foundation
for her work with Diplotaxis (Melolonthinae) and Metamasius
(Curculionidae). She conducted research in several families
of beetles although most of her studies were with weevils. Her
monographs on Scarabaeidae, however, are outstanding. She revised
(in two volumes) the Diplotaxis of North America as
well as the Troginae (as then configured) for both North America
and South America. She published a total of 77 taxonomic papers
dealing mostly with Scarabaeidae and Curculionidae. Upon her
death she bequeathed a substantial sum to the Coleopterists
Society (the Vaurie fund) to be used for its publications.
Reference:
Herman, L. H. 1982. Obituary: Patricia Vaurie (1909-1982). The
Coleopterists Bulletin 36: 453-457. |
