Herbert Walter Levi (January 3, 1921 – November 3, 2014) was professor emeritus of

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

and curator of

arachnology Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly, the study of sp ...

at the

Museum of Comparative Zoology A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He was born in Germany, educated there and at

Leighton Park School, Reading Leighton Park School is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in Reading in South East England. The school's ethos is closely tied to the Quaker values, having been founded as a Quaker School in 1890. The school's e ...

in England. He then received his higher education at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

and the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. Levi authored about 150 scientific papers on

spiders Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species dive ...

and on biological conservation. He is the author of the popular Golden Guide ''Spiders and their Kin'', with Lorna Rose Levi (his wife) and Herbert Spencer Zim. Levi received the 2007 Eugene Simon Award from the

International Society of Arachnology The International Society of Arachnology (ISA) promotes the study of arachnids and the exchange of information among researchers in this field. It acts as an umbrella organisation for regional societies and individuals interested in spiders, and ...

"for his immense influence on US spider research". He was an elected honorary member of the

American Arachnological Society The American Arachnological Society (AAS) is a scientific organization founded in 1972 in order to promote the study of arachnids by seeking to achieve closer cooperation and understanding between amateur and professional arachnologists along with ...

. Levi was an editorial board member for the ''

Journal of Arachnology The American Arachnological Society (AAS) is a scientific organization founded in 1972 in order to promote the study of arachnids by seeking to achieve closer cooperation and understanding between amateur and professional arachnologists along with ...

''. The

pseudoscorpion Pseudoscorpions, also known as false scorpions or book scorpions, are small, scorpion-like arachnids belonging to the order Pseudoscorpiones, also known as Pseudoscorpionida or Chelonethida. Pseudoscorpions are generally beneficial to humans sin ...

genus ''Levichelifer'', the spider species ''Anisaedus levii'' and the whip spider species ''Phrynus levii''D. Quintero
The amblypygid genus Phrynus in the Americas (Amblypygi, Phrynidae)
Journal of Arachnology, vol. 9 (1981), no. 2, pp. 117-166; p. 143 are named in his honor.

Selected publications

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levi, Herbert Walter 1921 births 2014 deaths Arachnologists American arachnologists University of Connecticut alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni German expatriates in the United Kingdom German emigrants to the United States Harvard University staff