Max Barclay
| Maxwell V. L. Barclay | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Fields | Entomology |
| Institutions | The Natural History Museum, London |
Maxwell V L Barclay, usually known as Max Barclay, is a British entomologist, and Curator and Collections Manager of Coleoptera and Hemiptera at the Natural History Museum in London.[1] He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society,[2] and a member of the Editorial Board of The Coleopterist journal.[3] He has been described as ‘one of Britain’s leading entomologists’ [4]
Barclay is one of the four virtual ‘Scientist Guides’ of the Natural History Museum’s new Darwin Centre and was among the group that showed the building to Prince William at its 2009 opening. He is a frequent public speaker and media spokesman for entomology and for the Museum, most notably appearing in three of the six episodes of the 2010 BBC Series 'Museum of Life' [5] presented by Jimmy Doherty. He believes that public speaking is important ‘to enthuse the next generation of scientists and naturalists, and to legitimise what we do in the eyes of the public”.[6] In 2008 he was involved in the identification of a species of bug new to Britain in the Museum’s garden which led to a great deal of media interest.[7][8]
In the scientific world, Barclay is best known for his work on beetles (Coleoptera), and is author of numerous scientific papers and co-editor of a text book on the subject.[9] A lifelong entomologist, He worked as a volunteer in the Department of Entomology for several years before being offered the post of Curator in 2001.[10] The collection of the Natural History Museum that he manages includes more than 20,000 drawers of beetles, including specimens collected by Joseph Banks, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.[11] He has travelled extensively in search of specimens, including to Bolivia, Peru, Taiwan and Thailand,[12] and has discovered numerous new species. More than 20 beetles have been named in his honour by fellow scientists, including:
Carabidae
- Pachyteles barclayi Deuve, 2005
- Platynus barclayi Schmidt, 2009
- Ixorida (Pseudomecinonota) barclayi Legrand, 2008
- Gynaecoserica barclayi Ahrens, 2009
- Clinterocera barclayi Legrand & Chew, 2010
- Copris (Sinocopris) barclayi Ochi, 2010
- Protaetia (Macroprotaetia) maxwelli Jakl, 2011
- Madecorphnus barclayi Frolov, 2012
Cantharidae
- Themus (Haplothemus) barclayi Svihla, 2006
- Tropicus maxwelli Skalicky, 2010
Limnichidae
- Phalacrichus max Ribera & Hernando, 2001
- Scirtes maxi Yoshitomi & Ruta, 2010
Psephenidae
- Falsodrupeus barclayi Lee, 2011[13]
- Endelus barclayi Kalashian, 2011
- Sulabanus barclayi Dvorak & Bocak, 2007
- Alyculus barclayi Palata & Bocak, 2012
- Serratibia barclayi Gordon, Canepari & Hanley, 2013
Nitidulidae
- Pocadius barclayi Cline, 2005
- Cartodere barclayi Rücker, 2012[14]
- Tomoderus barclayi Telnov, 2005
Ischaliidae
- Ischalia barclayi Young, 2011
Tenebrionidae
- Eurychora barclayi Ferrer, 2003
- Amarygmus barclayi Bremer, 2004
- Pseudopodhomala barclayi Medvedev, 2004
- Ulomina barclayi Grimm, 2004
- Enicmosoma barclayi Ferrer, 2005
- Chariotheca barclayi Masumoto 2006
- Tauroceras barclayi Ferrer, Soldati & Delatour, 2005
- Goniadera barclayi Ferrer, 2007
- Pseudonautes barclayi Ando, 2007
- Laena barclayi Schawaller, 2009
- Othryoneus barclayi Ferrer, 2010
- Phylan barclayi Ferrer, 2010
- Hexarhopalus (Leprocaulus) barclayi Purchart, 2010
- Phymatosoma barclayi Masumoto & Akita, 2010
- Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) apicipennis barclayi Svihla, 2011
Cerambycidae
- Trypogeus barclayi Vives, 2007
- Melanesiandra barclayi Santos-Silva, 2011
- Acutandra barclayi Bouyer, Drumont & Santos-Silva, 2012
- Colobeutrypanus barclayi Monné & Monné, 2012
Chrysomelidae
- Cyrtonota maxhowardi Sekerka, 2011 (named for Max and his colleague Howard Mendel)
- Rubroinvolvulus barclayi Legalov, 2009
- Stereodermus barclayi Mantilleri, 2004
- Tychius barclayi Caldara, 2011
- Heisonyx barclayi Borovec, Colonelli & Osella, 2009
- Pachycerus barclayi Meregalli, 2009
as well as the wasp Platygaster barclayi Buhl, 2011
Personal life
Barclay is married with children.[15] As a teenager he worked as a volunteer at the Durrell Wildlife Park[16] and he cites Gerald Durrell as a significant influence.
References
- ↑ http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/entomology/m-barclay/index.html
- ↑ http://www.royensoc.co.uk/onlineforum/member.php?action=profile&uid=16
- ↑ http://www.coleopterist.org.uk/
- ↑ http://shop.amentsoc.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=187
- ↑ IMDB Page for Max Barclay accessed April 2011: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3348926/
- ↑ http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/staff-directory/entomology/m-barclay/index.html
- ↑ http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1822936,00.html
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSupmiNlaY&playnext=1&list=PLD83F21642C3F38BE
- ↑ Cooter J. & Barclay M.V.L. (eds.) (2006) A Coleopterist’s Handbook. Amateur Entomological Society. 439 pages. ISBN 0-900054-70-0
- ↑ http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5030038.ece
- ↑ http://blogs.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/about/dr-max-barclay/
- ↑ Barkham, P. 2010. Meet The Beetles. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/mar/18/beetles-natural-history-museum
- ↑ Lee, Chi-Feng, 2011. Aquatic Insects 33: 165-169
- ↑ Rucker, W. 2012. Vier neue Arten der Gattung Cartodere (Aridius) C. G. Thomson, 1859 aus Papua-Neuguinea und Neuseeland (Coleoptera: Latridiidae) http://www.latridiidae.de/zeitschrift-journal/heft-9---2012/heft-9-2019.php
- ↑ Crewe, C. 2008. How an obsession can become a career. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5030038.ece
- ↑ http://blogs.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/about/dr-max-barclay/