Mary Esther Murtfeldt (6 August 1839,
New York City – 23 February 1913,
Kirkwood) was an American
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 ...
, botanist, botanical collector, writer and editor. She undertook research on the life histories of insects, describing several species new to science and wrote extensively on entomology. Murtfeldt created a collection of plant specimens that contributed to the scientific knowledge on the plants of Missouri.
Life
Murtfeldt was born in New York City on the 6th of August 1839 to Esther and Charles W. Murtfeldt.
She grew up in
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
but lived most of her adult life with her family in
Kirkwood, Missouri.
She was partially paralysed by
polio in her youth and as a result her ability to walk was restricted.
Murtfeldt was educated at home but went on to study at
Rockford College from 1858 to 1860. She developed an interest in entomology and botany.
This interest was encouraged by the then Missouri state entomologist
Charles Valentine Riley who lived with the Murtfeldt family around 1870.
Murtfeldt began publishing scientific papers in 1872.
She was employed as the assistant to the Missouri State entomologist from 1876 to 1877.
Murtfeldt then became a field agent at the Bureau of Entomology of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
She served in that position from 1880—1893.
From 1896 She was employed at the ''
St Louis Republic'', becoming the staff contributor in botany and entomology, and editing the journal ''Farm Progress''.
During the 1870s Murtfeldt investigated the life histories of insects, particularly moths, and described several new species. The work was used by the Missouri State entomologist (Riley) in his much admired reports.
She published a significant body of work including texts used to introduce farmers and horticulturalists to entomology as well as a text book on insects used to educate school children.
She also worked at the interface between
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 ...
and
botany researching the pollination of the ''
Yucca'' plant by moths. She created a significant collection of plant species from the
St Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...
area. These specimens assisted
Samuel Mills Tracy Samuel Mills Tracy (1847–1920) was an American botanist.
Biography
Samuel Tracy was born in 1847 in Hartford, Vermont. He lived in Illinois with his parents, and later moved to Wisconsin. When the Civil War broke out, he enlisted with the Union ...
when writing his ''Flora of Missouri''.
Murtfeldt was a member of the
Entomological Society of America
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) was founded in 1889 and today has more than 7,000 members, including educators, extension personnel, consultants, students, researchers, and scientists from agricultural departments, health agencies, ...
.
Murtfeldt died at her home in Kirkwood on the 23 February 1913.
Several species have been named in her honor, including ''
Andricus murtfeldtae''
and ''
Caloptilia murtfeldtella
''Caloptilia murtfeldtella'' is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is known from Missouri, Washington, California, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio in the United States.
The wingspan is about 18 mm.
The larvae feed on '' Pentstem ...
''.
Works
* 'New species of
Tineidae', ''
Canadian Entomologist'' 13 (1881). pp. 242–246.
* ''Outlines of entomology'', 1891
* 'Report on Present Status of American Women in Entomology', ''Proceedings of the National Science Club'', 3 (April 1897), pp. 11–14
* ''Stories of insect life : second series, summer and autumn'', 1900
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murtfeldt, Mary
1839 births
1913 deaths
American entomologists
Women entomologists
American botanists
American women botanists
Scientists from Missouri