Anton Handlirsch or Anton Peter Josef Handlirsch (20 January 1865,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

– 28 August 1935, Vienna) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

. He worked on many groups including

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

and

Neuroptera The insect order Neuroptera, or net-winged insects, includes the lacewings, mantidflies, antlions, and their relatives. The order consists of some 6,000 species. Neuroptera can be grouped together with the Megaloptera and Raphidioptera in th ...

. His most significant work was in the study of fossil insects. Anton was born to Peter (1831–1873) and Rosina Handlirsch (born 1841). His father worked as a

cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * ...

of the

Schwarzenberg Schwarzenberg may refer to: People * House of Schwarzenberg, Franconian and Bohemian aristocratic family which was first mentioned in 1172 ** Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg (1771–1820), Field Marshal in Austrian service during the Napol ...

family. His

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

Handlirsch came from cs, handlíř "

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

". He went to study at the Gymnasium in Vienna in 1875. Although he began to show an interest in zoology, his father wished that he obtain a degree in pharmacy. Anton obtained a master's degree in pharmacy in 1885. After working for a while as a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

, Anton and his brother Adam met the entomologist

Friedrich Moritz Brauer Friedrich Moritz Brauer (12 May 1832, Vienna – 29 December 1904) was an Austrian entomologist who was Director of the Naturhistorisches Hofmuseum, Vienna, at the time of his death. He wrote many papers on Diptera and Neuroptera. From an assis ...

and Anton later became an assistant to him in the department of entomology of the

Natural History Museum of Vienna The Natural History Museum Vienna (german: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) is a large natural history museum located in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most important natural history museums worldwide. The NHM Vienna is one of the largest museum ...

in 1892. In the same year he married Martha Allounek. He became the director of this department in 1922, a function which he held until his retirement. He specialised in the

and the

, his work concerning the

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

of these and other insects. His principal work, which appeared between 1906 and 1908, was on insect fossils and he was the founder of insect

palaeontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

. The

University of Graz The University of Graz (german: link=no, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, ), located in Graz, Austria, is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria. History The unive ...

gave him the title of

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

and he was made a member of the Academy of Science of Vienna. He is best known for ''Die Fossilen Insekten'' (1906–1908) – 1,433 pages and 51 plates – and his contributions to the third volume of Christoph Schröder's ''Handbuch der Entomologie'' (1920–1925) – 1,201 pages with 1,040 figures. Handlirsch's fossil collection is mostly in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna. Other parts are in the Ernst-Moritz-Universität in

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostoc ...

References

Sources

Guido Nonveiller Guido Nonveiller (5 June 1913, Rijeka Belgrade – 7 April 2002) was a Croatian entomologist, FAO expert and professor at the University of Belgrade. He fought in the International Brigades and French Forces of the Interior during World War II. I ...

(2001). ''Pioneers of the Research on the Insects of Dalmatia.'' Croatian Natural History Museum (Zagreb) : 390 p. * Evenhuis, N. L. 1997 ''Litteratura taxonomica dipterorum (1758-1930)'' Leiden, Backhuys. Austrian entomologists Hymenopterists Dipterists 1865 births 1935 deaths {{Austria-scientist-stub