Peter Johns (entomologist)
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Peter Malcolm Johns | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 June 1935 Wanganui, New Zealand |
| Alma mater | University of Canterbury |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Entomology |
Peter Malcolm Johns (born 3 June 1935) is a New Zealand entomologist and taxonomist who has made significant contributions to the field of entomology. He is a leading expert in various groups, including cockroaches[1], craneflies, wētā[2] and millipedes.[3][4]
Born in Wanganui, he is the second son of Malcolm Johns, a surveyor and Hattie Johns, a research assistant.[5] He was educated at Wanganui East Primary School and Wanganui Collegiate School. Johns started attending the University of Canterbury in 1953, majoring in chemistry and zoology.[6] He gained a masters degree in Zoology with a thesis focused on snakeskin chiton.[7]
Career
Johns began lecturing in Zoology at the University of Canterbury in 1959 at the age of 24, and was appointed to a permanent position in 1964 as an assistant lecturer and later as lecturer.[8] Over his 57 year career, Johns interest slowly shifted towards terrestrial invertebrates, eventually amassing a large collection of 140,000 specimens held at Canterbury Museum.[9]
Johns is currently a research fellow at Canterbury Museum and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of New Zealand.[10][11]
Taxa named by Johns
- Celatoblatta (1966)
- Celeriblattina (1966)
- Parellipsidion (1966)
- Ornatiblatta (1966)
- Eumastigonus hallelujah (2009)
- Eumastigonus waitahae (2009)
- Motuweta isolata (1997)
- Transaevum laudatum (1997)
- Maotoweta virescens (2014)