Hartford Hammond Keifer (24 January 1902 – 20 August 1986) was a world authority on eriophyid mites. Based in California, he initially studied the local microlepidoptera before turning to mites in 1937.
Keifer was born 1902 in Oroville, California, to John McCarl Keifer (1861–1928) and Elizabeth Burt (née Leggett; 1863–1922). As a child he had an interest in natural history and insects, and was encouraged by an aunt, Dr. Cordelia Burt Leggett. From 1920 to 1924, he attended the University of California, Berkeley and gained a Bachelor of Science degree in entomology.[1] He married Mary Isabelle (née Ost; 1906–1990) in August 1928 and moved to Sacramento to work at the California State Department of Agriculture.
Biography
After graduation, Keifer worked for the Forest Service before accepting a position as an assistant to the curator at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco where he mounted and labelled a backlog of material. In 1925 he joined the Academy's expedition to the Mexican islands of Revillagigedo and Tres Marias, collecting 10,000 specimens. Turning to microlepidoptera, Keifer's first species described was Recuvaria bacchariella, which he reared from larvae, and his approach was to describe life histories. In a letter to Annette Braun he stated that because of the climate (fog and cool winds), San Francisco was not the ideal place for running a light or net collecting.[1]
Following his marriage in August 1928, he moved to Sacramento to become first laboratory assistant in charge of identifications and the collection of the California Department of Agriculture. As California's agriculture expanded, identification of species averaged 2,300 per year in 1928 and increased to 45,000 per year with the discovery of the Oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta) in 1942. Identifications increased to 188,000 by the 1960s. By then, there were eight taxonomists and over the years they handled infestations by Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium), pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella), and carried out fruit fly surveys.[1]
In 1937, there was an infestation of citrus bud mite (Aceria sheldoni) in southern California and Keifer was assigned to the identification of eriophyid mites. His descriptive work of this economically important group, spanned thirty years and describing 630 new taxa in 56 publications led to Keifer becoming a world expert on the group. In his 39 years at the Department of Agriculture, his expertise covered all orders of insects, recording the biologies, geographical distributions and first occurrences. He published his results in the Bulletin of the California Department of Agriculture and also published papers on more than 150 species of moths.[1] His collection of mites was donated to the National Museum of Natural History Entomological Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Honorary positions and awards
Secretary of the California Entomology Club for 30 years and president in 1964.
President of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society in 1943.
^ abcdPowell, Jerry A (1990). "Hartford H Keifer – Pioneer California Microleptopterist" (PDF). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 44 (4): 273–84.
March 06, 2023
hartford, keifer, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november,. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Hartford H Keifer news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hartford Hammond Keifer 24 January 1902 20 August 1986 was a world authority on eriophyid mites Based in California he initially studied the local microlepidoptera before turning to mites in 1937 Hartford Hammond KeiferBorn24 January 1902Oroville California USDiedAugust 20 1986 1986 08 21 aged 84 Sacramento California USAlma materUniversity of California BerkeleyScientific careerFieldszoologyeriophyid mitesmicrolepidopteraInstitutionsCalifornia Academy of SciencesCalifornia Department of Agriculture Contents 1 Personal life 2 Biography 2 1 Honorary positions and awards 3 ReferencesPersonal life EditKeifer was born 1902 in Oroville California to John McCarl Keifer 1861 1928 and Elizabeth Burt nee Leggett 1863 1922 As a child he had an interest in natural history and insects and was encouraged by an aunt Dr Cordelia Burt Leggett From 1920 to 1924 he attended the University of California Berkeley and gained a Bachelor of Science degree in entomology 1 He married Mary Isabelle nee Ost 1906 1990 in August 1928 and moved to Sacramento to work at the California State Department of Agriculture Biography EditAfter graduation Keifer worked for the Forest Service before accepting a position as an assistant to the curator at the California Academy of Sciences San Francisco where he mounted and labelled a backlog of material In 1925 he joined the Academy s expedition to the Mexican islands of Revillagigedo and Tres Marias collecting 10 000 specimens Turning to microlepidoptera Keifer s first species described was Recuvaria bacchariella which he reared from larvae and his approach was to describe life histories In a letter to Annette Braun he stated that because of the climate fog and cool winds San Francisco was not the ideal place for running a light or net collecting 1 Following his marriage in August 1928 he moved to Sacramento to become first laboratory assistant in charge of identifications and the collection of the California Department of Agriculture As California s agriculture expanded identification of species averaged 2 300 per year in 1928 and increased to 45 000 per year with the discovery of the Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta in 1942 Identifications increased to 188 000 by the 1960s By then there were eight taxonomists and over the years they handled infestations by Khapra beetle Trogoderma granarium pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella and carried out fruit fly surveys 1 In 1937 there was an infestation of citrus bud mite Aceria sheldoni in southern California and Keifer was assigned to the identification of eriophyid mites His descriptive work of this economically important group spanned thirty years and describing 630 new taxa in 56 publications led to Keifer becoming a world expert on the group In his 39 years at the Department of Agriculture his expertise covered all orders of insects recording the biologies geographical distributions and first occurrences He published his results in the Bulletin of the California Department of Agriculture and also published papers on more than 150 species of moths 1 His collection of mites was donated to the National Museum of Natural History Entomological Collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D C Honorary positions and awards Edit Secretary of the California Entomology Club for 30 years and president in 1964 President of the Pacific Coast Entomological Society in 1943 Presented with the C W Woodward Award by the Pacific branch of the Entomological Society of America in 1972 References Edit a b c d Powell Jerry A 1990 Hartford H Keifer Pioneer California Microleptopterist PDF Journal of the Lepidopterists Society 44 4 273 84 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hartford H Keifer amp oldid 1062975012, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
