Raffaello Gestro (21 March 1845,

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

– 6 June 1936,

) was an Italian

entomologist Entomology (from Ancient Greek ἔντομον (''éntomon''), meaning "insect", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study") is the branch of zoology that focuses on insects. Those who study entomology are known as entomologists. In ...

who specialised in

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

. Gestro was the Director of the

Natural History Museum of Giacomo Doria Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

Genoa where his collection is conserved. He was a Member and President of the Italian Entomological Society.

Life and work

Gestro was born in Genoa, the son of Carlo Domenico and Luigia Semino. His full name was Luigi Ignazio Benedetto Raffaele but he always used just Raffaello. He studied at classical high school before joining the University of Genoa to study medicine. He became interested in botany under

Giuseppe De Notaris Giuseppe De Notaris (18 April 1805 – 22 January 1877) was an Italian botanist generally known for his work with cryptogams native to Italy. Biography Born 18 April 1805, in Milan, he studied medicine at the University of Pavia, obtaining his ...

and then in zoology thanks to G. Ramorino who was an assistant to Pietro Mansueto Ferrari. In 1864 he was introduced to

Giacomo Doria Marquis Giacomo Doria (1 November 1840 – 19 September 1913) was an Italian naturalist, botanist, herpetologist, and politician. He was the founder of the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Genoa in 1867, and director from then until his de ...

who got him to examine '' Pomatomus saltator'' from the Ligurian Sea. When Doria went to Borneo with

Odoardo Beccari Odoardo Beccari (16 November 1843 – 25 October 1920) was an Italian botanist famous for his discoveries in Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia. He has been called the greatest botanist to ever study Malesia. Life Youth and education (18 ...

in 1865, Gestro was made in-charge of the collections. In 1866 he graduated in medicine and volunteered with the Garibaldi medical corps during the third war of independence in Trentino. He then worked at Genoa. Doria returned with large collections which led the city to found a new museum of natural history in 1867. Doria served as director with Gestro as his deputy. He published notes from 1870 to 1935 on the collections serving as the editor for the museum journal. He also taught natural sciences at the A. D'Oria high school from 1879 to 1892. In 1913 he became director of the museum following the death of Doria. Gestro worked mainly on the insect collections and described nearly 936 new species. He took a special interest in the Italian cave Carabidae. Gestro was a member of the Italian entomological society from 1871. He was also appointed grand officer of the Crown of Italy and knight of the Order of Gustavus Vasa of Sweden. He married Anneta Verdone and they had three daughters.

Works

Expedition Insects - Indicating the amount and origin of insects collected for Genoa Natural History Museum from 1874-1895 *1874, 1876. Enumerazione dei Cetonidi raccolti nell´ Archipelago Malese e nella Papuasia dai signori G. Doria O. Beccari e L. M. D´Albertis e A. A. Bruyn. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' 6: 487-535,8: 512-524, 9: 83-100. *1878. Contribuzione allo studio dei Cetonidi della regione Austro-Malese.''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' 12: 26-31. *1881. Spedizione Italiana Africa Equatoriale (1880-1884). Annali del Museo ''Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 16: 204. *1888. Viaggio di

Leonardo Fea Leonardo Fea (Turin 24 July 1852 – Turin 27 April 1903) was an Italian explorer, zoologist, painter, and naturalist. Biography Fea was born in Turin, a son of Paolo Fea, who was professor of painting at Accademia Albertina, and Anna Roda. In ...

in Birmania e regioni vicine. IV. Nuove speciedi Coleotteri. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' 26: 87-132, figs. *1889 Viaggio ad Assab nel Mar Rosso dei Signori G. Doria ed O. Beccari con il R. Avviso “Esploratore” dal 16 Novembre 1879 al 26 Febbraio 1880. IV. Coleotteri. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' (Serie 2a) 7(27):5-72. *1890. Sopra alcune Cetonie dell´isola Nias e della costa occidentale di Sumatra raccolte dal Dott. Elio Modigliani. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'': 93-99. *1891. Viaggio di Leonardo Fea in Birmania e regioni vicine. XXXVII.Enumerazione delle Cetonie. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' ser. 2,vol. 10: 835-876. pl. II. *1893. Viaggio di Lamberto Loria della Papuasia orientale, X, Nuove specie di Coleotteri ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' ser. 2, vol. 13: 285-293. *1895. Esplorazione del Giuba. 16. Coleotteri. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova''(2a) 15 (35): 247-478. *1895 Esplorazione del Giuba e dei suoi affluenti compiuta dal Cap. V. Bottego (1892-93), Coleotteri XVI, Fam. Buprestidae. ''Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova'' (2) 15:247-478 (338-350). Taxonomic *1910. Pars 1. Rhysodidae and Pars 5. Cupedidae, Paussidae.in S. Schenkling (ed.), ''Coleopterorum Catalogus''. W. Junk, Berlin.

References

Other sources

* Conci, C. & Poggi, R. 1996: Iconography of Italian Entomologists, with essential biographical data. ''Mem. Soc. Ent. Ital.'' 75:159-382.

External links

Scarab Workers Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gestro, Raffaello Italian entomologists Coleopterists 1845 births 1936 deaths