Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (19 November 1775 – 10 May 1813) 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 ara ...

and

zoologist 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 kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

. Illiger was the son of a merchant in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

. He studied under the entomologist Johann Hellwig, and later worked on the zoological collections of Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg. Illiger was professor and director of the "zoological museum" (which is the Natural History Museum of Berlin in the present day) from its formation in 1810 until his death. He was the author of ''Prodromus systematis mammalium et avium'' (1811), which was an overhaul of the Linnaean system. It was a major influence on the adoption of the concept of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

. He also edited the ''Magazin für Insektenkunde'', widely known as "Illiger's Magazine". In 1811 he introduced the taxonomic order

Proboscidea The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family ( Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Fr ...

for

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantida ...

s, the American mastodon and the woolly mammoth. He also described the subspecies '' Odobenus rosmarus divergens'', commonly known as the Pacific walrus. Illiger's macaw (''Promolius maracana'';

Vieillot Louis Pierre Vieillot (10 May 1748, Yvetot – 24 August 1830, Sotteville-lès-Rouen) was a French ornithologist. Vieillot is the author of the first scientific descriptions and Linnaean names of a number of birds, including species he collecte ...

, 1816) and Illiger's saddle-back tamarin (''Saguinus fuscicollis illigeri''; Pucheran, 1845) commemorate his name. The botanical genus ''Illigera'' (family Hernandiaceae) also bears his name.Medicinal Plants of China, Korea, and Japan
by Christophe Wiart

Published works

* Beschreibung einiger neuer Käfer, in: ''Schneider's entomologisches Magazin'' (1794) – Description of a new beetle. *Nachricht von einer in etlichten Gersten- und Haferfeldern um Braunschweig wahrscheinlich durch Insecten verursachten Verheerung, in: ''Brauschweigisches Magazin'' 50 (1795) – News about barley and oat fields near Braunschweig likely devastated by insects. *''Verzeichniß der Käfer Preußens''; outlined by Johann Gottlieb Kugelann (1798) – Directory of beetles found in Prussia. *Die Wurmtrocknis des Harzes, in: ''Braunschweigisches Magazin'' 49-50 (1798) –

Bark beetle A bark beetle is the common name for the subfamily of beetles Scolytinae. Previously, this was considered a distinct family (Scolytidae), but is now understood to be a specialized clade of the "true weevil" family (Curculionidae). Although the ...

s found in resin. *Die Erdmandel, in: ''Braunschweigisches Magazin'' 2 (1799) – The nutsedge. *''Versuch einer systematischen vollständigen Terminologie für das Thierreich und Pflanzenreich'' (1800) – About a systematic complete terminology for the animal and plant kingdoms. *Zusätze und Berichte zu Fabricius Systema Eleutheratorum. ''Magazin fur Insektenkunde'' 1. viii + 492 pp. (1802) – Additions and comments on Fabricius' "Systema Eleutheratorus". *Über die südamerikanischen Gürtelthiere, in: ''Wiedemann's Archiv für die Zoologie'' (1804) – About the South American

armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, alo ...

. *''Die wilden Pferde in Amerika'', in: Braunschweigisches Magazin 7/(1805) – Wild horses in America. *Nachricht von dem Hornvieh in Paraguay in Südamerika, in: ''Braunschweigisches Magazin'' 15-16 (1805) – On horned cattle of

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...

. *Nachlese zu den Bemerkungen, Berichtigungen und Zusätzen zu Fabricii Systema Eleutheratorum; ''Mag. fur Insektenkunde''. 6:296-317 (1807) – Information regarding the comments, corrections and additions to Fabricius' "Systema Eleutheratorum". *Vorschlag zur Aufnahme im Fabricischen Systeme fehlender Käfergattungen. ''Magazin für Insektenkunde'' 6:318-350 (1807). *''Prodromus Systematis Mammalium et Avium'' (1811). *Überblick der Säugthiere nach ihrer Vertheilung über die Welttheile. ''Abh. K. Akad. Wiss. Berlin'', 1804-1811: 39-159 (1815) – Overview of quadrupeds according to their distribution throughout the world.

References

*Wilhelm Heß: Illiger, Johann Karl Wilhelm. In: ''

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, german: Universal German Biography) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Ac ...

. Band 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, S. 23–27.

External links

* *
Gaedike, R.; Groll, E. K. & Taeger, A. 2012: Bibliography of the entomological literature from the beginning until 1863 : online database - version 1.0 - Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut.
��Bibliography. {{DEFAULTSORT:Illiger, Johann Karl Wilhelm 18th-century German zoologists German entomologists 1775 births 1813 deaths German ornithologists German mammalogists Scientists from Braunschweig People from the Duchy of Brunswick 19th-century German zoologists