IN MEMORIAM of ANDREI VLADIMIROVICH BOCHKOV: SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY Sergey V
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Acarina 27 (2): 117–144 © Acarina 2019 IN MEMORIAM OF ANDREI VLADIMIROVICH BOCHKOV: SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY Sergey V. Mironov1, Dmitry A. Apanaskevich1,2 and Sergey G. Medvedev1 1Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia 2United States National Tick Collection, James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, USA Slightly more than a year ago, the world aca- rological and parasitological community suffered from the loss of Andrei (André) Vladimirovich Bochkov (27 August 1968—9 May 2018)—an eminent acarologist, one of the greatest experts on systematics of parasitic acariform mites—as he died on the 50th year of his life, in the prime of his scientific career. Andrei’s death is an irretrievable loss for the national and world science. His col- leagues and friends dedicate this special issue of Acarina to the memory of this outstanding scientist and extraordinary man. The entire 32-year scientific career of Andrei Bochkov was associated with the Zoological Insti- tute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint Petersburg). At this institute, he undertook his long lection and looking after animals in the vivarium. and challenging academic path from Lab Assistant His interest in acarology prompted Andrei to ask to Head Researcher, becoming one of the greatest his supervisor, Dr. H.V. Dubinina, an expert on experts in acarology. mammal-associated acariforms and house dust From Laboratory Assistant to PhD (1986– mites, for an opportunity to work on a research 1999). Andrei Bochkov was born on 28 August project in this field. This request resulted in his 1968 in Novosibirsk (Russia). In the mid-1970s, first scientific works dealing with the systematics his family moved to a suburb of Leningrad (now of myobiid mites (Myobiidae) parasitizing on Saint Petersburg). Since his early years, Andrei murid rodents. expressed great interest in biology, which was in- Parallel with his work at the Institute, he was spired by his school teacher E.V. Kudryashov. In a part-time graduate student at the Department of 1986, after graduating from high school in a small Entomology of the Biological Faculty in St. Peters- town of Taitsy (Gatchina District, Leningrad Re- burg State University, from which he graduated in gion, Russia), he came to the Zoological Institute 1996. Later, Andrei declared that the Department with a naive desire “to study tigers”. However, at is where “the real systematists are formed”. By the that time, the Institute could only offer young An- time of his graduation from the university, his sci- drei a more prosaic position of a lab assistant at the entific interest was clearly focused on the system- Department of Parasitology. Nevertheless, he was atics of a particular category of acariform mites— delighted by the opportunity to work at the Institute permanent parasites of mammals. He remained with parasites of vertebrates. Although the labora- faithful to this group of arthropods until the end of tory assistant duties in the animal facility were not his life. Upon graduation, while still working as a particularly exciting, later in his mature years, lab assistant, he independently and enthusiasti- Andrei spoke with considerable pride of the fact cally began conducting research on his favorite that he had passed all of the steps of the scientific group of mites—myobiids (Myobiidae). hierarchy, starting from the very bottom. Gradually, his research began to expand to From the first days of his work at the Depart- other groups of parasitic mites associated with ment, Andrei was not willing to limit himself with small mammals, both Astigmata and Prostigmata. simple tasks, like technical work in the mite col- In particular, under the supervision of H.V. Du- 117 S.V. Mironov et al. Fig. 1. Andrei Vladimirovich Bochkov and some parasitic mite specimens. A—searching through feathers of a live eared owl Asio otus infected by quill mites (Syringophilidae) (“Rybachy” bird banding station, Kaliningrad Region, September 2006). B—European robin Erythacus rubecula with web huts of Bakericheyla chanayi (Chetyletidae). C—working tent near Kyzylkol Lake (expedition to Kazakhstan, October 2007). D—Ornithocheyletia sp. (Cheyletidae). E—Soricilichus scutisorex (Chirodiscidae), precopulatory guarding of tritonymph by male. F—in the office at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA (September 2003). binina, Andrei began studying fur mites Chirodis- scientific mindset was significantly broadened by cidae, Listrophoridae and Myocoptidae, mange contacts and collaborations with senior researchers psoric mites Psoroptidae, house dust mites Pyro- in the Department of Parasitology. Under the influ- glyphidae (Astigmata) and predatory mites Chey- ence of Dr. S.V. Mironov—a prominent expert on letidae (Prostigmata). The development of Andrei’s feather mites, who subsequently became his PhD 118 In memoriam of Andrei V. Bochkov advisor—scientific interests of Andrei have ex- and communicative person, Andrei has established panded to several groups of mites parasitic on birds; scientific contact with many researchers world- namely, the families Syringophilidae and Harpi- wide. His interests have expanded to include such rhynchidae (Prostigmata). Based on his long-term mites as bee-associated cheyletids (Cheletophyes), study of myobiids, in 1999, Dr. Bochkov success- skin-dwelling feather mites of the families Derma- fully defended his Candidate of Sciences thesis tionidae and Epidermoptidae (Astigmata) and even (Russian equivalent of PhD) “Mites of the family gamasid mites (Mesostigmata: Laelapidae). The Myobiidae (Acari: Prostigmata) and their position period of postdoc studies was crucial for Andrei’s in the system”. His thesis work resulted in a pub- development, when in less than a decade he became lication titled “New classification of myobiid mites a world expert in the systematics and phylogeny (Acari, Acariformes)” (Bochkov, 1997c), which is of parasitic acariform mites. Among his most im- considered a significant contribution to this sub- portant generalization works are those on the clas- field of acarology. sification and phylogeny of mites of the superfam- Foreign postdoc research (2000–2006). Post- ily Cheyletoidea (Bochkov 2002); on the phylog- doc fellowships at foreign museums and universi- eny and host associations of the fur mite subgenus ties played a huge role in Andrei’s subsequent Listrophoroides (Atopomelidae) (Bochkov and development as a world-class scientist. They al- OConnor 2005b); and, in collaboration with S.V. lowed him to work under the mentorship of world Mironov and A. Fain, on the phylogeny and evolu- leading acarologists and to gain access to rich tion of parasitism in feather mites of the families materials deposited in some of the largest world Epidermoptidae and Dermationidae (Analgoidea) collections. It is necessary to give Andrei credit for (Mironov et al. 2005). his determination and perseverance: his self-admit- Scientific peaks (2007–2012). After the post- ted less-than-mediocre knowledge of English did doc period of his life—being full of energy, enthu- not deter him from undertaking his first postdoc. siasm and creative plans—Andrei decisively fo- In 2000, Andrei participated in a study under cused on generalization studies and the preparation the supervision of Professor Alex Fain (the Institut of his Doctor of Sciences thesis (equivalent of a royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Brussels, Habilitation Degree in many European countries). Belgium)—the greatest taxonomist-acarologist of During six subsequent years, he published 64 works the 20th century. The project was titled “Phylogeny on astigmatan and prostigmatan mites associated and systematics of the family Cheyletidae (Acari: with mammals, including three monographs: on the Cheyletoidea),—Grant from the Belgian Office for phylogeny and systematics of the endoparasitic Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs”. For the astigmatids of the families Gastronyssidae, Lemur- first time, Andrei had access to the richest collec- nyssidae and Pneumocoptidae (Bochkov et al. tions of parasitic mites stored in Brussels and 2008); a review of mites of the parvorder Eleuther- Tervuren (at the Musee royale de l’Afrique central, engona, permanent parasites of mammals (Bochkov Belgium). As a result of this and other subsequent 2009a); and a monograph on host-parasite relation- collaborative works with Professor Fain, 49 joint ships between the mite subgenus Microtimyobia publications were produced, among which was the (Myobiidae) and cricetid rodents (Bochkov 2011a). reconstruction of the phylogenetic system of Among the most important works of this period are predatory and parasitic mites of the family Chey- generalization papers on the origin and evolution letidae (Bochkov and Fain 2001). of parasitism in mites of the infraorder Eleutheren- From 2003 to 2006, Dr. Bochkov held a three- gona (Bochkov 2008c, 2009a); works on the phy- year postdoc position at the Museum of Zoology logeny and evolution of parasitism in mammal- of the University Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, in associated psoroptidian mites (Astigmata) (Boch- the lab of Professor Barry M. OConnor—the great- kov 2011b; Bochkov and Mironov 2011); and works est expert on systematics of astigmatan mites. on the use of phylogeny and coevolutionary rela- There, Andrei participated in the project titled tionships of parasites in the study of the evolution “Phylogeny and Historical Ecology of Mite Para- of hosts, e.g., the