Vadim Zaitzev & Don Colless. R.I.P.
Posted by Nosferatumyia on 21 February 2012 09:58:35
Two great dipterists are gone in the last two weeks.
Vadim Filippovich Zaitsev, former Deputy Director of the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, the most for his studies of Palaearctic Bombyliidae, died on February 5, 2012 at the age of 77, in Saint Petersburg.
Donald Henry [Don] Colless, former Senior Research Officer and Chief Curator, ANIC in 1960-1987, known for his Diptera chapters in "The Insects of Australia" (with D. K. McAlpine) and his papers on Australian Cyclorrhapha, peacefully passed away at night of February 16/17, 2012 at the age of 90 years in Canberra.
Rest in Peace.
Extended News
This message below was passed on the Dan Bickel by David Yeates, CSIRO Entomology:
Donald Henry Colless
24 August 1922 to 16 February 2012
Don started with CSIR0 in 1947 for a period of 3 months followed by roles in North Borneo and Malaya where he conducted mosquito research. In April 1960 he returned to CSIRO and was promoted to chief research scientist in the 70's. Don was the chief curator of the ANIC from 1971-1977 and worked with CSIRO until his retirement in 1987. He returned to CSIRO soon after his retirement as an Honorary Fellow and remained as such for the remainder of his life. Don was a noted systematist and a world authority on the taxonomy and biology of true flies (Diptera).