James Francis Stephens

James Francis Stephens (16 September 1792 - 22 December 1852) was an English entomologist.

Biography

Stephens was born in Shoreham-by-Sea and studied at Christ's Hospital. He was employed in the Admiralty office, Somerset House, from 1807 to 1845. In his spare time he assisted William Elford Leach in arranging the insect collection at the British Museum (In 1818 he was seconded to the British Museum, and on completion of his work returned to the Admiralty).He made a large insect collection, which contains many type specimens. After his retirement this collection was purchased by the British Museum.

In 1833, he was a founder of what became the Royal Entomological Society of London.

Works

Stephens was the author of

• General zoology, or Systematic natural history London, Printed for G. Kearsley in part with George Shaw and sole author of the last 6 volumes of the 16 volumes after the death of George Shaw (1800–1826) - I-II Mammalia (1800), III- Amphibia (1802), Pisces (1803-4), VI Insecta (1806), VII-VIII Aves (1809-120, IX-XIV, pt. 1. Aves (J. F. Stephens alone) (1815–26), XIV, pt. 2 General index to the zoology by G. Shaw and J. F. Stephens (1826)
• Nomenclature of British Insects: Being a Compendious List of Such Species (1829).
• A systematic Catalogue of British insects: being an attempt to arrange all the hitherto discovered indigenous insects in accordance with their natural affinities. Containing also the references to every English writer on entomology, and to the principal foreign authors. With all the published British genera to the present time(1829.)

Illustration of Trichoptera from Stephen’s British Entomology

• Illustrations of British Entomology; or, a synopsis of indigenous insects, containing their generic and specific distinctions; with an account of their metamorphoses, times of appearance, localities, food, and economy, as far as practicable.In ten volumes. (1828–1846). Click for pdf: [1]

This work, following an older system of classification, consists of 7 volumes of Mandibulata (insects with chewing mouthparts/mandibles), 4 volumes of Haustellata (insects with sucking mouthparts, such as the Lepidopteran haustellum), and 1 supplementary volume. The plates are coloured by hand, after drawings by C.M. Curtis and John Obadiah Westwood

Dispute with Curtis

Stephen’s Illustrations of British Entomology, often entitled simply British Entomology was in immediate competition with John Curtis’ British Entomology (1824–1839). This gave rise to an acrimonious dispute which split the British entomological establishment into opposing factions for over thirty years. They were never reconciled despite Stephen’s close friend John Obadiah Westwood’s attempt to heal the rift.

Charles Darwin

While at the University of Cambridge, the student Charles Darwin became an enthusiastic insect collector. He sent Stephens records of the rarer insects he had captured, and was delighted when Illustrations of British entomology gave him credit for capturing insects described in 33 entries, quoting his words in all but two of the cases. Darwin recalled in his autobiography "No poet ever felt more delight at seeing his first poem published than I did at seeing in Stephen's Illustrations of British Insects the magic words, 'captured by C. Darwin, Esq.' ", though the closest wording as published actually appeared slightly differently, as "captured by the Rev. F. W. Hope and C. Darwin, Esq., in North Wales" and "Taken in North Wales by C. Darwin, Esq.".

External links

• BHL Illustrations of British Entomology
• BHL A systematic Catalogue of British insects
• BHL General Zoology