Hans Fruhstorfer | |
|---|---|
 Portrait photograph taken inBatavia, Dutch East Indies | |
| Born | 7 March 1866 |
| Died | 9 April 1922(1922-04-09) (aged 56) Munich, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Butterfly taxonomy |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Entomology,malacology |
| Institutions | Private collection |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Fruhstorfer |
Hans Fruhstorfer (1866 – 1922) was a German explorer, insect andshell trader andentomologist who specialised inLepidoptera. He collected and described new species of exotic butterflies, especially inAdalbert Seitz'sMacrolepidoptera of the World. He is best known for his work on the butterflies ofJava.
Fruhstorfer was born on 7 March 1866 inPassau,Kingdom of Bavaria. His career began in 1888 when he spent two years inBrazil. His expedition in Brazil was financially successful and led to his becoming a professional collector. After his successful endeavor, he spent some time inSri Lanka (then Ceylon), then in 1890 he went to Java for three years, visitingSumatra. Between 1895 and 1896 he collected inSulawesi,Lombok andBali. In 1899, he went on a three-year journey to the United States,Oceania,Japan,China,Tonkin,Annam andSiam, returning viaIndia.
Following his travels, he settled inGeneva where he wrotemonographs based on the specimens in his extensive private collection.[1] Many of these were incorporated into Seitz's work. In taxonomy he made extensive use of the structure of the male genitalia. Fruhstorfer, in these years also studiedPalearctic butterflies,Orthoptera andbotany. No longer travelling himself, Fruhstorfer employed the collectorsHans Sauter inTaiwan (then Formosa) andFranz Werner in New Guinea.
Fruhstorfer's collections are deposited at theMuseum für Naturkunde in Berlin, theNatural History Museum in London and theMuséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris,[2] as well as in many other museums.
Fruhstorfer died in Munich on 9 April 1922, following a failed operation forcancer.
Fruhstorfer is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of snake,Tetralepis fruhstorferi,[3] which is endemic to Java.[4]
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