Adolpho Ducke (October 19, 1876 – January 5, 1959), (also referred to as Adolfo Ducke and occasionally misspelled "Duque"), was a notable

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 ...

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and

ethnographer Ethnography is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. It explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject of the study. Ethnography is also a type of social research that involves examining ...

specializing in Amazonia. According to family records, he was an ethnic German with roots in Trieste

Austro-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(now in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

). German was his first language; that is, the German commonly spoken in Trieste in the 19th century. Most of his books were written in German. Recruited by Emílio Goeldi, Ducke began his work in Amazônia as an

for the

Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi The Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, commonly shortened MPEG, is a Brazilian research institution and museum located in the city of Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. It was founded in 1866 by Domingos Soares Ferreira Penna as the Pará Museum of Natur ...

, but due to the influence of botanists

Jacques Hüber Jacques Huber (13 October 1867 Schleitheim – 18 February 1914 Belém) was a Swiss-Brazilian botanist who did pioneering work on the flora of the Amazon from 1895 until his death. He created and organized the herbarium and arboretum in Belém ...

and Paul Le Cointe, he switched to botany. He traveled throughout Amazônia to study the complicated

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

system of the rainforest. He published 180 articles and monographs, primarily on the

Leguminosae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

, and he described 900 species and 50 new genera. In 1918, while continuing his work for the Paraense Museum, he collaborated with the

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden or Jardim Botânico is located at the Jardim Botânico district in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The Botanical Garden shows the diversity of Brazilian and foreign flora. There are around 6,500 species ( ...

and the Instituto Agronômico do Norte. In the first half of the 20th century, he became one of the most respected authorities on the Amazonian

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

. In 1954, his concerns about the future of the Amazonian forest led him to make a suggestion to the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) for the creation of a nature reserve. He died in

Fortaleza Fortaleza ( ; ; ) is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador, Bahia, Salvador in 2022 census with a population of slightly over 2.4 mi ...

in 1959 before witnessing the fulfillment of his dream: In 1963, the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke was established and named in his honour. Also named in his honour is a botanical garden east of

Manaus Manaus () is the List of capitals of subdivisions of Brazil, capital and largest city of the States of Brazil, Brazilian state of Amazonas (Brazilian state), Amazonas. It is the List of largest cities in Brazil, seventh-largest city in Brazil, w ...

, and the phytochemical research laboratory at the museum in Belém. Ducke's entomological material is currently located at the

in Belém, the Natural History Museum of Bern, the Museu de Zoologia of the

University of São Paulo The Universidade de São Paulo (, USP) is a public research university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, and the largest public university in Brazil. The university was founded on 25 January 1934, regrouping already existing schools in ...

, and

The Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more ...

, in London. Ducke's general classification of the Neotropical social wasps is still used. Additionally, Ducke is known for his findings on the species ''

Melipona subnitida ''Melipona subnitida'' is a neotropical bee species in the Apidae family found in the dry areas of Northeastern Brazil. This species of stingless bees practices single mating, monogynous habits. This species nests in hollow trunks of living tr ...

'', a species which he discovered and did significant field research on.

Honours

Adolpho Ducke has been honoured in the naming of several

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

of plants including; '' Duckea'' (in 1958 ), '' Duckeanthus'' (in 1934 ), '' Duckeella'' (in 1939 ), '' Duckeodendron'' (in 1925 ) and '' Duckesia'' (in 1961 ).

Entomological publications

* Ducke, A. (1897). ''Ent. Nachr., 23'', 38–43. * Ducke, A. (1898). ''Ent. Nachr., 24'', 212–217, 257–262. * Ducke, A. (1899). ''Ent. Nachr., 25'', 211–215. * Ducke, A. (1900). ''Ber. Ver., 25'', 1–323. * Ducke, A. (1901). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 1'', 353–361. * Ducke, A. (1901). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 1'', 25–32, 49–67. * Ducke, A. (1901). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 1'', 241–242. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Bol. Mus. Paraense Emilio Goeldi, 3'', 561–577. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Allg. Zeitschr. Entomol., 7'', 321–325, 360–368, 400–404, 417–421. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zool. Jb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere, 17'', 285–328. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 2'', 91–93. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 2'', 102–103. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 2'', 141–144. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Verhandl. Zool. Bot. Ges., 52'', 575–580. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 2'', 204–207. * Ducke, A. (1902). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 3'', 97–104. * Ducke, A. (1903). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 3'', 176–177. * Ducke, A. (1903). ''Allgem. Zeitschr. Ent., 8'', 368–372. * Ducke, A. (1903). ''Allg. Zeit. Entomol., 8'', 368. * Ducke, A. (1903). ''Verhandlungen der kaiserlich-königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien, 53'', 265–270. * Ducke, A. (1903). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 3'', 129–136, 226–232. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 4'', 209–214. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 4'', 189–190. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 36'', 13–48. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Bol. Mus. Emílio Goeldi, 4'', 317–371. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 4''(3), 134–143. * Ducke, A. (1904). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 4'', 91–98. * Ducke, A. (1905). ''Zeitschr. wiss. Insektenbiol., 10/11'', 175–177, 117–121. * Ducke, A. (1905). ''Rev. Ent., 24'', 1-24. * Ducke, A. (1905). ''Bol. Mus. Emílio Goeldi, 4'', 652–698. * Ducke, A. (1905). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 36'', 99–109. * Ducke, A. (1905). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 5'', 227–229. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 38'', 3–19. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 6'', 394–400. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Zeitschr. wiss. Insektenbiol., 2'', 17–21. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Rev. Ent., 25'', 5–11. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr., 1906'', 163–166. * Ducke, A. (1906). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 2'', 51–60. * Ducke, A. (1906). (Second suppl.). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 38'', 3–19. * Ducke, A. (1907 (1908)). ''Rev. Ent., 26'', 73–96. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 7'', 80, 321–325, 361–368, 455–461. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Rev. Ent., 26'', 5–9. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Rev. Ent., 26'', 145–148. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., 76'', 28–30. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Bol. Mus. Paraense Emílio Goeldi, 5'', 152–199. * Ducke, A. (1907). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 7'', 137–141. * Ducke, A. (1908). ''Dt. ent. Zeitschr., 1908'', 695–700. * Ducke, A. (1908). II. Hyménoptères récoltés dans l'Etat de Ceará en 1908. ''Rev. Ent., 27'', 57–87. * Ducke, A. (1908). ''Rev. Ent., 27'', 28–55. * Ducke, A. (1908). ''Zeitschr. Syst. Hymenopterol. Dipterol., 8'', 44–47, 99–104. * Ducke, A. (1909 (1911)). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 41'', 89–115. * Ducke, A. (1909). ''Ann. Hist. Nat. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, 7'', 626–627. * Ducke, A. (1909). ''Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr., 18'', 306–309. * Ducke, A. (1909). ''Boll. Soc. Ent. Ital., 41'', 89–115. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Rev. Ent., 28'', 78–122. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Rev. Ent., 28'', 73–77. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Rev. Trimestral do Instituto do Ceará, 24'', 3-61. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Ann. Mus. Nat. Hungarici, 8'', 449–544. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Rev. Ent., 28'', 180–192. * Ducke, A. (1910). ''Deutsch. Ent. Zeitschr., 1910'', 362–369. * Ducke, A. (1912). ''Zool. Jb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere, 34'', 51–116. * Ducke, A. (1913). ''Catálogos da Fauna Brazileira, Museu Paulista, 4'', 1-31. * Ducke, A. (1913). ''Rev. Mus. Paulista, 5'', 107–122. * Ducke, A. (1913). ''Deutsch. Ent. Zeitschr., 1913'', 330–333. * Ducke, A. (1914). ''Zool. Jb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere, 36'', 303–330. * Ducke, A. (1916). ''Commissão de Linhas Telegráficas Estratégicas de Matto Grosso ao Amazonas, 35 (anexo 5)'', 1–175. * Ducke, A. (1918). ''Rev. Mus. Paulista, 10'', 314–374. * Ducke, A. (1925). ''Zool. Jb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere, 49'', 335–448.

Botanical publications

* Ducke, A. (1910). Explorações botânicas e entomológicas no Estado do Ceará. ''Rev. Trimestral do Instituto do Ceará, 24'', 3-61.

References

Other sources

* Egler, W. A. (1963). Adolpho Ducke-traços biográficos, viagens e trabalhos. ''Boletim do Museu Emílio Goeldi. Nova série. Botânica, 18'', 1–129. * Overal, W. L. (1978). Designação de lectótipos de onze espécies de vespas sociais descritas por Adolpho Ducke, e notas sobre a coleção Ducke (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). ''Bol. Mus. Paraense Emílio Goeldi, n.s., Zool., 94'', 1–14. * Nascimento, P. T. R., & Overal, W. L. (1979). Contribuições entomológicas de Adolpho Ducke: taxônomia e bibliográfia. ''Bol. Mus. Paraense Emílio Goeldi, n.s., Zool., 95'', 1-22. * Overal, W. L. (1979). The collection of Adolph Ducke. ''Sphecos, 1'', 17–19. * Overal, W. L., & Nascimento, P. T. R. (1979). Contribuições entomológicas de Adolpho Ducke: Taxonomia e bibliografia. ''Bol. Mus. Paraense Emílio Goeldi, n.s., Zool., 95'', 1–17. * Carpenter, J. M. (1999). Taxonomic notes on paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae; Polistinae). ''American Museum Novitates'' (3259), 1-44.

External links

Botanist of the Brazilian Rainforest
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ducke, Adolpho 1876 births 1959 deaths Brazilian ethnographers Hymenopterists 20th-century Brazilian botanists Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to Brazil 19th-century Brazilian botanists Brazilian entomologists