Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

) was a German

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 was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology.

Scientific career

Hübner was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of

entomology Entomology () is the science, 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 ...

. He was one of the first specialists to work on the European

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

. He described many new

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, for example ''

Sesia bembeciformis ''Sesia bembeciformis'', the lunar hornet moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in Europe. The wingspan is 32–42 mm. The length of the forewings is 15–19 mm. ''Sesia bembeciformis'' is hardly distinguishable from it ...

'' and ''

Euchloe tagis ''Euchloe tagis'', the Portuguese dappled white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It ranges through southern Europe where it is found from Portugal to northwestern Italy and northern Africa (there are local populations in Morocco and Alge ...

'', many of them common. He also described many new

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

. He was a designer and engraver and from 1786 he worked for three years as a designer and engraver at a

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

factory in

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. There he collected butterflies and moths including descriptions and illustrations of some in ''Beiträge zur Geschichte der Schmetterlinge'' (1786–1790) along with other new species from the countryside around his home in Augsburg. Hübner's masterwork "Tentamen" was intended as a discussion document. Inadvertently published, it led to subsequent confusion in

classification Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes. It may also refer to: Business, organizat ...

. His publications were issued in sections, some after his death, often without associated publication dates.

Arthur Francis Hemming Arthur Francis Hemming, CMG, CBE (9 February 1893 – 22 February 1964) was an English entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He was mostly known, both professionally and socially, by his middle-name as Francis Hemming. Hemming was a Br ...

, secretary of the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

, summarized all the citations of Hübner's proposed taxonomic names, thereby constraining the possible dates of publication leading to the acceptance of Hübner's works as valid taxonomic publications.

Works

* 1786–1790: ''Beiträge zur Geschichte der Schmetterlinge'' Contributions to the history of butterflies" Augsburg * 1793: ''Sammlung auserlesener Vögel und Schmetterlinge, mit ihren Namen herausgegeben auf hundert nach der Natur ausgemalten Kupfern'' Collection of choice birds and butterflies, issued with included names on 100 naturally colored copperplate prints"* 1796–1805: ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' Collection of European butterflies"* 1806: ''Tentamen determinationis, digestionis atque denominationis singularum singularum stirpium Lepidopterorum, peritis ad inspiciendum et dijudicandum communicatum'' Preliminary examination, an attempt to fix, arrange and name the individual races of Lepidoptera to experts for examination and the expression of an opinion"* 1806–1824: ''Geschichte europäischer Schmetterlinge'' History of European butterflies"* 1806–1834 (with C. Geyer and G.A.W. Herrich-Schäffer): ''Sammlung exotischer Schmetterlinge'' Collection of exotic butterflies"(2 vols.), Augsburg * 1816
''Verzeichnis bekannter Schmetterlinge''
Directory of known butterflies" Augsburg. * 1822
''Systematisch-alphabetisches Verzeichnis aller bisher bey den Fürbildungen zur Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge angegebenen Gattungsbenennungen''
Systematic-alphabetic directory of all genus names hitherto issued with the depictions of European butterflies" Augsburg: published by the author.

References

Francis Hemming Arthur Francis Hemming, CMG, CBE (9 February 1893 – 22 February 1964) was an English entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He was mostly known, both professionally and socially, by his middle-name as Francis Hemming. Hemming was a Brit ...

. ''Hübner: A bibliographical and systematic account of the entomological works of Jacob Hübner, and of the supplements thereto by

Carl Geyer Peter Carl Friedrich Geyer (1802–1889) was a German entomologist who wrote and illustrated various supplements to Jacob Hübner's works on Lepidoptera. Carl Geyer was by profession an artist. He is not to be confused with Karl Andreas Geyer (180 ...

, Gottfried Franz von Frölich, and Gottlieb August Wilhelm Herrich-Schäffer.'' London: Royal Entomological Society of London, 1937. 2 volumes.

Bibliography

* (Essays on Jacob Hübner, Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm,

Christian Friedrich Freyer Christian Friedrich Freyer (25 August 1794, Wassertrüdingen – 11 November 1885, Augsburg) was a German entomologist mainly interested in Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterfl ...

Johann Friedrich Leu Johann, typically a male given name, is the German language, German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin language, Latin form of the Greek language, Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew language, Hebrew name ''Johanan (name ...

Jakob Friedrich Caflisch Jakob Friedrich Caflisch (3 March 1817 – 9 May 1882) was a German botanist born near Memmingen. He spent the years 1836–1838 at a teaching seminar in Altdorf, followed by teaching assignments in Leipheim, Neu-Ulm and Augsburg. He prematurely ...

and Andreas Wiedemann)
Calhoun, J. V. (2018). ''John Abbot, Jacob Hübner, and Oreas helicta (Nymphalidae: Satyridae)''. News of the Lepidopterists' Society. 60:159-163.

External links

Biolib Stueber
Scans of ''Nachtschmetterlinge''
taxa described by Jacob Hübner
at

Encyclopedia of Life The ''Encyclopedia of Life'' (''EOL'') is a free, online encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It is compiled from existing trusted databases curated by experts and with the assistance of non ...

Type Hubner into the search box *"ITIS" Taxon author
Hübner
for another list
Jacob Hübner
Works by Jacob Hübner at

Biodiversity Heritage Library The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is the world’s largest open access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives. BHL operates as worldwide consortiumof natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries working toge ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hubner, Jacob German lepidopterists 1761 births 1826 deaths German taxonomists 18th-century German zoologists 19th-century German zoologists 18th-century German writers 18th-century German male writers 19th-century German writers 19th-century German male writers