History of Nematology with Photographs of Nematologists

History of Nematology
with photographs of nematologists

Khuong B. Nguyen (Armen C. Tarjan contributed many photographs)
Entomology & Nematology Department
University of Florida

This document was prepared for students in the class "Nematode Taxonomy and Systematics" at the Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida. We do not have photographs of all important nematologists and would welcome contributions so that we may add them to the website. (If you have any comments or contributions email me at kbn@ufl.edu)

Many scientists have contributed to the science of Nematology. Rudolphi is often named the "Father of Helminthology". Androvandus (1623), studied nematodes in grasshoppers and erected the name VERMES. Reaumur (1742) described a worm (later named as Sphaerularia bombi). Needham referred to a nematode, later called Anguina tritici (1744). Gould (1747) described a mermithid found in ants. Linnaeus (1758) listed eight genera in the VermesIntestini. Goeze (1782) made the first serious study of nematodes under a microscope and described the vinegar eelworm (1782).

Click on a picture to see a larger or another photograph of the same nematologist. Click on the name of a country to see photographs
of nematologists in that country. Click on the flags for the history of nematology from those countries.

United States United Kingdom Russia Belgium The Netherland Australia Canada Germany Hungary Poland
Italy New Zealand India France South Africa Brazil Japan Puerto Rico Estonia Portugal Spain

University of California Davis - UC-Riverside - University of Florida - USDA

Gallery of photographs

History of entomophilic nematodes

History of using nematicides

History of using molecular
techniques in Nematology

ONTA history

K. Rudolphi (1771-1832, from Germany). Often considered as "Father of Helminthology":

He gave the name Nematoidea and produced a publication "Entozoorum Synopsis" with 350 species belonging to 11 genera (1819).

C.von Siebold(1804-1885, from Germany). Developed the concept of a life cycle involving different kind of hosts (animal parasites enter through the mouth). He also gave the name Gordiacea (publications from 1842-1850)

H. C. Bastian(1837-1915, from England )

"Monograph of the Anguillulidae". He described 100 species of 30 genera in which 23 genera were new. Illustrations were fairly good . He also reported different ways to collect nematode, from soil, plant tissue, fresh and salt water (1866).

O. Butschli(1848-1920, from Germany?). The first detailed descriptions of the morphological characters used in taxonomy (1873). Perhaps, credit for founding the science of nematology should belong to him .

J. deMan (1851-1930 from The Neitherlands) He suggested the ratio alpha, beta, and gamma equivalent to a, b, and c that we use in taxonomy (1880).

L. Oerley. Excellent compilation of information on 202 species of 27 nematode genera with description and illustrations (1881). Very good source for references.

H. Micoletzky. (1883-1929, from Austria)He brought together all published species in his publication "Die freilebende Erd-Nematoden". He gave extensive keys to species including their habitats. This remains as the most valuable source of references to papers published up to that time (1922)

I. N. Filipjev(1889-1940, from Russia)"Manual of Agricultural Helminthology". This is a most comprehensive compendium of nematological information and is especially valuable as a reference source for plant parasitic, free- living, and insect parasitic nematodes described up to that time (1934, English version, 1941).

Nematology in the United States of America

J. Leidy: He reported the first record of free living nematodes in America: Anguillula Longa n.s.

(1851), later became Tobrilus longus.

Nathan Augustus Cobb

Father of USA Nematology
1859-1932. Joined the US
Department of Agriculture
in 1907, and nematology began to develop in the Unite States since. Excellent book: "Contribution to a Science of Nematology".

Gotthold Steiner. Began to work with Cobb from 1922. He worked with all forms of nematodes. He took Cobb's position after 1932. His publication: "Plant parasitic nematodes the growers should know" (1949) is one of his good contribution.

Albert L.Taylor

Taylor replaced Steiner who retired in 1956. Outstanding works in practical field nematology.
Book: "Biology, Identification and Control of Root-knot Nematodes (with J. N. Sasser), 1978

Jesse R. Christie. His most important works were: mermithid, parasite of grass-

hopper. He and Perry were the first to prove that Trichidorus spp. are plant parasites . An excellent book : "Plant Nematodes, their Bionomics
and Control" (1959).

Benjamin G. Chitwood. Excellent works in morphology of different groups of nematodes. His outstanding works were presented in the book

"An Introduction to Nematology", 1950.

Gerald Thorne. Many contributions to the science of nematology, especially on nematodes in the order Tylenchida, Dorylaimida and Rhabditida. His book

"Principles of Nematology" (1961) is an outstanding contribution.

International meeting of nematologists (FAO) September 3-14 1951

Nematology meeting,

University of Tennessee
July 1-5-1957

M. Allen

(Universityof California, Davis)

D. Raski

(University of California, Davis)

Other Nematologists from the University of California, Davis

Flag of the state of California
History of Nematology at UCD

Nematologists from California Department of Food & Agriculture

S. van Gundy

(University of California, Riverside)

S. A. Sher

(University of California, Riverside)

Other Nematologists from the University of California, Riverside

History of Nematology at the California Department of Food & Agriculture

M. Golden

(USDA, Beltsville)

Virginia and John Ferris

(Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana)

Other Nematologists from the USDA Nematology Lab

USDA Team 1951

USDA History

W. F. Mai

(Cornell University)

B. M. Zuckerman
(University of Massachusetts)

J. Sasser

(North Carolina State University)

K. R. Barker

(North Carolina State University)

Hedwig Hirschmann and A. C. Triantaphyllou

(N. C. State University)
Bob Jenkins
(Rutgers)

C. Drechsler

(USDA, Beltsville)
A. C. Tarjan
(Lake Alfred, FL.)

V. G. Perry

(University of Florida)

A. C. Tarjan

(University of Florida)

G. C. Smart

(University of Florida)

D. W. Dickson

(University of Florida)

J. O'Bannon

(DPI, Florida)

R. P. Esser

(DPI, Florida)

Gallery

Other Nematologists from the University of Florida

Flag the state of Florida
History of Nematology
at The University of
Florida

DPI Nematology

O. J. Dickerson

(Clemson University)

S. A. Lewis

(Clemson University)

Gallery

Nematology from other countries

United Kingdom

T. Goodey

Two important books:
"Plant Parasitic Nematodes and the Diseases they Cause" (1933) and
"Soil and Fresh Water Nematodes" (1951)

J. B. Goodey

Revised the book "Soil and fresh Water Nematodes" 1963

.M. T. Franklin

Conducted early works on Heterodera, Aphelenchoides and Seinura.

Russia

I. N. Filipjev"Manual of Agricultural Helminthology". This is a most comprehensive compendium of nematological information and is especially valuable as a reference source for plant parasitic, free- living, and insect parasitic nematodes described up to that time (1934, English version, 1941).