Charles Robertson (American entomologist)
| Charles Robertson | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 12, 1859 Carlinville, Illinois |
| Died | 1935 |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Blackburn University |
| Spouse(s) | Alice Robertson, née Alice McDonald Venable |
| Children | Mary Robertson |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Entomology |
Charles Robertson (1858–1935) was an American entomologist specializing in bees. He carried out what is still the single most intensive study of flower-visiting insects of a single locality, culminating in a 221-page book published in 1928 under the title Flowers and Insects.
Charles Robertson was born to parents Dr. William Robertson (1803 -1880) and Nancy Robertson, née Halliday (b.1821), married October 18, 1842. His father, William, was a physician turned farmer and general merchandiser, and his mother, Nancy, was the daughter of a reverend. Charles married Alice McDonald Venable in November 1879 and they had one child, Mary.
Charles Robertson carried out what is still the single most intensive study of flower-visiting insects of a single locality, culminating in a 221-page book published in 1928 under the title Flowers and Insects. From among the specimens he collected in the process of doing this study, he named over 100 new species of bees and wasps. Scientists in 1970–1972 did a similar survey, and found that most of the bees noted by Robertson were still present. This is presumably due to the existence of bee habitat in hedgerows, on slopes, and in other non-agricultural land in the survey area. The rare bee Andrena lauracea is known only from these two surveys (one bee specimen each) and from two specimens from Texas. Biologists from Washington University in St Louis are currently studying changes in pollinator activity by comparing these older data sets to new data. Study was published in Science, February 2013, Plant-Pollinator Interactions over 120 Years: Loss of Species, Co-Occurrence and Function by Laura A. Burkle1, John C. Marlin, Tiffany M. Knight.[5]
ITIS records citing taxon author "Robertson, 1903"
Kingdom Animalia
Publications
1896: Notes on bees of the genus Prosopis
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Wikipedia