Brian L. Fisher (born 1964/65) is a field

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

who works on the systematics of arthropods, with a particular focus on

ants Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Creta ...

. He has discovered over 1000 species, including 900 species of ants in Madagascar. He mainly conducts field work in Madagascar and Africa.

Career

After working with the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in Panama Fisher did a PhD on ant systematics at UC Davis. He is the curator and chairman of the entomology department of the

California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...

. Fisher is also the present executive director of the Bibikely Biodiversity Institute and the Madagascar Biodiversity Center. He is known for naming ''

Proceratium google ''Proceratium google'', also known as the Google ant, was discovered in Madagascar by Brian L. Fisher, Associate Curator of Entomology at the California Academy of Sciences. The ant has an oddly shaped abdomen, adapted for hunting its exclusive ...

'' after Google Inc.Fisher, B. L. 2005. A new species of ''Discothyrea'' Roger from Mauritius and a new species of ''Proceratium'' Roger from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). ''Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences'' (4)56:657-667. [2005-12-30
PDF
131285 The ant genus ''Fisheropone'' is named in his honour.

IPSIO

In 2016, Fisher launched IPSIO (Insects and People of the Southwest Indian Ocean). IPSIO was launched to develop a team approach to solving current conservation issues.

Personal life

Fisher grew up in Normal, Illinois, and was inducted into the Pioneer Hall of Fame at Illinois State University Laboratory School.

References

External links

AntwebBibikely Biodiversity InstituteVideo interviews by California Academy of Sciences
American entomologists Living people Myrmecologists University of California, Davis alumni 21st-century American zoologists Year of birth missing (living people) Smithsonian Institution people People associated with the California Academy of Sciences American curators {{US-entomologist-stub