539 The history of dipterology at the Canadian National Collection of Insects, with special reference to the Manual of Nearctic Diptera Jeffrey M. Cumming, Bradley J. Sinclair, Scott E. Brooks, James E. O’Hara, Jeffrey H. Skevington Abstract*The history of Diptera research at the Canadian National Collection of Insects is briefly outlined. Short biographic sketches of the coordinators of the Manual of Nearctic Diptera are given and the development of the Manual project is presented to provide background on their achievements. Lists of publications by each of the coordinators and of patronyms honouring them are provided. This Festschrift honours the remarkable contributions of the coordinators, J. Frank McAlpine, Bobbie V. Peterson, Guy E. Shewell, Herbert J. Teskey, J. Richard Vockeroth, and D. Monty Wood. Re´sume´*On de´crit brie`vement l’histoire de la recherche en dipte`re a` la Collection nationale canadienne d’insectes. On pre´sente de courtes biographies des coordonnateurs du Manuel de dipte`res ne´arctiques, ainsi que le de´veloppement du projet du manuel pour fournir de l’information sur leurs re´alisations. On fourni des listes de re´fe´rences publie´es par chaque coordinateur et des noms patronymiques en leur honneur. Ce nume´ro est en l’honneur des contributions remarquables des coordinateurs J. Frank McAlpine, Bobbie V. Peterson, Guy E. Shewell, Herbert J. Teskey, J. Richard Vockeroth, et D. Monty Wood. Introduction been taken from personal accounts, archived sources housed in the Diptera Unit, and This historical review treats the development publications on the history of systematic of the Diptera collection at the Canadian research in Canada and publications from the National Collection of Insects, Arachnids Research Branch of AAFC, including Gibson and Nematodes (CNC) and the individuals and McSwaine (1920), McDunnough (1926), responsible for its growth and curation. The Holland (1956), Spencer (1964), Vockeroth establishment of the Diptera Unit by Canada’s (1981), Anstey (1986), Cody et al. (1986), Department of Agriculture (now Agriculture Dang (1992), Riegert (1999), and Huber and and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)) in Ottawa Cumming (2008). led to numerous accomplishments, including the conception, coordination, and publica- tion of the monumental three-volume Manual History of the Diptera Unit of Nearctic Diptera (McAlpine et al. 1981a, 1987; McAlpine and Wood 1989) (Fig. 1), The CNC had its humble beginnings in one of the most significant achievements in 1886 with the donation of a personal collec- insect systematics during the last century. tion of insects and plants by James Fletcher, The information contained in this review has the first Dominion Entomologist and Botanist. Received 26 January 2011. Accepted 3 March 2011. J.M. Cumming,1 S.E. Brooks, J.E. O’Hara, J.H. Skevington, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Building, Central Experimental Farm, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIA OC6 B.J. Sinclair, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, and Ottawa Plant LaboratoryÁEntomology, Canadian Food Inpection Agency, K.W. Neatby Building, Central Experimental Farm, 960 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIA OC6 1Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]). doi: 10.4039/n11-029 Can. Entomol. 143: 539Á577 (2011) # 2011 Entomological Society of Canada 540 Can. Entomol. Vol. 143, 2011 Fig. 1. Covers of Volumes 1Á3 of the Manual of Nearctic Diptera (photograph by J.E. O’Hara). Fig. 2. The K.W. Neatby Building on the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, home of the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes; the Diptera Unit is located on the third floor (photograph by J.E. O’Hara). This marked the inauguration of the national Department of Agriculture. In 1919, Hewitt, biological collections in Ottawa. Fletcher was who now headed the Entomology Branch, assisted by Arthur G. Gibson, starting in formed the Division of Systematic Entomol- 1899, and by the time he was succeeded as ogy and appointed James H. McDunnough as Dominion Entomologist by C. Gordon Hewitt the Division’s first Chief. During his 28 years in 1909, the entomology collection had grown of service, McDunnough and his small staff to approximately 200 drawers. The national began building one of the best insect collec- insect collection continued to grow through tions in North America, along with a large the acquisition of several private collections reference library. George P. Holland replaced and the incorporation of the insect collection McDunnough as head of the Division in of the Biological Division of the Geological 1948 and ushered in a lengthy period of Survey of Canada. By 1917, 12 steel cabinets expansion in insect taxonomy. In 1949, under with 600 drawers were formally transferred Holland’s direction, the entire collection to the Entomology Branch of the national was moved to its current location in the # 2011 Entomological Society of Canada Cumming et al. 541 K.W. Neatby Building on the Central Experi- Fig. 3. Charles Howard Curran, New York, circa mental Farm in Ottawa (Fig. 2). 1955. Through the early collection activities, a considerable number of Diptera specimens were amassed. In 1922, C. Howard Curran (Fig. 3) was appointed as the first taxonomist in the Systematic Entomology Division to specia- lize on the order. Cecil R. Twinn, who studied black flies (Simuliidae) and mosquitoes (Culi- cidae), also joined the Department of Agricul- ture in Ottawa in 1922. Curran published prolifically, producing nearly 150 taxonomic papers on numerous families throughout Dip- tera before he left in 1928 for a position at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He was not replaced until 1937, when Guy E. Shewell (see below) (Figs. 4, 5, 12) was put in charge of what has now become known as the Diptera Unit. Guy identified all groups of Diptera and published on several families. He retired in 1976, but remained in the Unit for 20 more years as an Honorary Research Associate. Arthur R. Brooks joined Guy in 1938 as a biting-fly specialist, although he also published on Tachinidae. In 1948, Brooks Jim had already spent the summer of 1950 was transferred to Saskatchewan, his native in the Arctic at Chesterfield Inlet with Dick province, where he specialized on various Vockeroth, collecting flies and other insects for prairie insect groups, particularly grasshop- the Northern Insect Survey. It was in the pers (Orthoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera). Arctic, during several expeditions, that he J. Richard Vockeroth (see below) (Figs. 5, 6, developed a keen interest in Fanniidae, Musci- 8, 12, 13) officially joined the Diptera Unit in dae, and Empididae. Chillcott led the Diptera 1949, collecting all groups of Diptera for the Unit during much of the 1960s and initiated extensive Northern Insect Survey (initiated the project to revise Curran’s (1934) Families in 1947) and later publishing on numerous and Genera of North American Diptera, which families throughout his productive career. Dick later developed into the Manual of Nearctic retired in 1991, but contributed broadly Diptera (McAlpine 1967; McAlpine et al. to Diptera activities at the CNC as an Hono- 1981b). He also led a Canadian entomological rary Research Associate until 2009. J. Frank McAlpine (see below) (Figs. 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, expedition to the Himalayas in 1967, where 15, 17) joined the Diptera Unit in 1950 as part tragically he died of a heart attack, ending of a recruitment program associated with the his short but productive career (Shewell 1967). Northern Insect Survey. Frank published pri- Some of the staff at Agriculture Canada’s marily on families of acalyptrate Diptera and Medical and Veterinary Entomology Research on insect fossils in Canadian amber during Laboratory in Guelph were transferred his prolific career. He retired in 1985 but to Ottawa starting in 1959. The first was stayed on as an Honorary Research Asso- J. Antony Downes (Fig. 13), head of the Guelph ciate for a few years until the publication of laboratory at the time, who formed the Experi- the last volume of the Manual of Nearctic mental Biology Section at the CNC. He Diptera (McAlpine and Wood 1989). James published extensively on Diptera behaviour, G. Chillcott (Figs. 5B, 9) joined the Diptera evolution, and ecology during his career, as Unit a year after Frank, in 1951. As a student well as on the taxonomy of Ceratopogonidae. # 2011 Entomological Society of Canada 542 Can. Entomol. Vol. 143, 2011 Fig. 4. Guy Shewell. (A) In Ottawa, circa 1955. (B) At the 3rd International Congress of Dipterology in Guelph, Ontario, August 1994. Antony retired from the CNC in 1978 but Chironomidae until his retirement in 1995. D. continued working as a Research Associate at Monty Wood (see below) (Figs. 12, 13, 14) the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa joined the Diptera Unit in 1964. Monty until his death in 2003 at the age of 89. Bobbie studied many groups of Diptera throughout V. Peterson (Figs. 10, 12, 13) and Herbert his productive career with AAFC, but specia- J. Teskey (Figs. 11, 12) were also transferred to lized primarily on Simuliidae and Tachinidae. Ottawa in the early 1960s, after the Medical He retired in 1986, but continues an active and Veterinary Entomology Research Labora- research program in the Diptera Unit as an tory in Guelph closed. Bobbie (see below) Honorary Research Associate. After a pro- joined the Diptera Unit in 1963, continuing longed absence of hiring, Art Borkent was primarily with his research on black flies, until recruited in 1982 to study systematics of 1983, when he accepted a position in the Cecidomyiidae and Ceratopogonidae. He left United States Department of Agriculture at the Unit in 1989 to relocate in British Columbia, the National Museum of Natural History where he continues to conduct independent in Washington, D.C.