Thomas Bainbrigge Fletcher (25 March 1878 – 30 April 1950) was an English

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 ...

. Although an amateur

lepidopterist Lepidopterology ()) is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies. Someone who studies in this field is a lepidopterist or, archaically, an aurelian. Origins Post- Renaissance, t ...

who worked in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

, he became an expert on "

microlepidoptera Microlepidoptera (micromoths) is an artificial (i.e., unranked and not monophyletic) grouping of moth families, commonly known as the 'smaller moths' (micro, Lepidoptera). These generally have wingspans of under 20 mm, and are thus harder to ...

" and was appointed as the second Imperial Entomologist in India to succeed Harold Maxwell Lefroy. Although only an amateur entomologist, he is credited with reorganizing entomological research in India by coordinating and directing research, efficient sharing of findings and a reduction in duplication of research work. Entomology 1923

Fletcher's father William Bainbrigge Fletcher was a fleet surgeon in the Royal Navy (retired 1890). Thomas became a naval paymaster until he retired in 1915. While in the navy, he joined the Percy Sladen Trust Expedition to the Indian Ocean and was appointed Imperial Entomologist in India, succeeding Harold Maxwell-Lefroy at the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa. Although lacking academic qualifications in entomology, he was a meticulous naturalist and very careful on matters of systematics and taxonomic nomenclature. His work as head of entomological research in India was initially on identifying work that had already been done and that which was ongoing. By conducting meetings of researchers he ensured that duplication was avoided. At the third entomological meeting in 1919 he made a call for a boycott of German tools and a call to ignore German publications from 1914 citing a practice called for by Sir

George Hampson Sir George Francis Hampson, 10th Baronet (14 January 1860 – 15 October 1936) was an English entomologist. Hampson studied at Charterhouse School and Exeter College, Oxford. He travelled to India to become a tea-planter in the Nilgiri Hills o ...

. He produced a ''List of Publications On Indian Entomology'' and a ''Catalogue of Indian Insects''. He also worked out the life-histories of many moth species in the families Gelechidae, Cosmopterygidae, Neopseutidae and

Tortricidae The Tortricidae are a family of moths, commonly known as tortrix moths or leafroller moths, in the order Lepidoptera. This large family has over 11,000 species described, and is the sole member of the superfamily Tortricoidea, although the genus ...

and produced ''A List of Generic Names used for Microlepidoptera'' (1929). He also wrote several more general works on entomology including ''Some South Indian Insects'' (1914), ''Tentative Keys to the Orders and families of Indian insects'' (1926), ''A Veterinary Entomology for India'' and ''Hints On Collecting and Preserving Insects''. His knowledge of classical Greek, Latin and French and a popular style of writing also allowed him to write for lay audiences. His book ''Birds of an Indian Garden'' with Charles M. Inglis was meant for non-specialist readers. Fletcher was a fellow of the

Linnean Society The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

, the

Royal Entomological Society The Royal Entomological Society is devoted to the study of insects. Its aims are to disseminate information about insects and improving communication between entomologists. The society was founded in 1833 as the Entomological Society of Londo ...

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

and a president of the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club. He married Esme Violet Hollingbery at Saidpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 17 February 1917. His wife left India and was hospitalized in London for many years and in 1947, he suffered from a stroke that left him partly paralysed on the right side. He donated the bulk of Rodborough Common in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...

to the

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

in 1937 (after the National Trust declined an earlier offer in 1935). In 1949 he filed for bankruptcy but his assets were valued at £4762, enough to pay off his debts of £1119. His position as Imperial Entomologist was succeeded by Hem Singh Pruthi. Species named after him include: * '' Basilia fletcheri''

Publications

* Fletcher, T. B. (1926).
Tentative Keys to the Orders and Families of Indian Insects
'' Bull. Agric. Res. Inst. Pusa, No. 162, *Fletcher, T. B. and Charles M. Inglis, C. M. Inglis (1924). iarchive:BirdsOfAnIndianGarden, ''Birds of an Indian Garden''. Calcutta & Simla: Thacker, Spink & Co. * Fletcher, T. B. (1914)
''Some South Indian Insects''
By Superintendent Government Press, Madras. * ———— (1910)
"The Orneodidae and Pterophoridae of the Seychelles Expedition"
''Transactions of the Linnean Society of London''. 13: 397-403. * ———— (1920)
''Life-Histories of Indian Insects: Microlepidoptera''. Pterophoridae
* ———— (1933)
''Life Histories of Indian Microlepidoptera''
Scientific Monograph No.4: 1-169. * ———— (1916). iarchive:OneHundredNotesIndianInsects, "One Hundred Notes On Indian Insects". Bulletin No. 59. Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa.

References

External links

"Fletcher, Thomas Bainbrigge (1878-1950) Entomologist"
The National Archives.
Birds of an Indian garden
(with C.M. Inglis, 1924) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Thomas Bainbrigge 1878 births 1950 deaths English lepidopterists Royal Navy logistics officers