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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 57(4), 2003, 299-303
ALEXANDER DOUGLAS CAMPBELL FERGUSON (1926-2002)
Douglas C. Ferguson, 1926-2002 1979, National Museum of Natural Histoiy Staff Directory
Dr. Douglas C. Ferguson (Doug to everyone who knew him), a charter member, past president, and honorary member of The Lepidopterists' Society, died on 4 November 2002 following surgery on 16 October. Doug was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 February 1926, attended local schools, and received a B.S. from Dalhousie University in 1950. His M.S. (1956) and Ph.D. (1967) were awarded by Cornell University. His doctoral thesis was a revision of the green Geometridae.
He was a field assistant to J. H. McDunnough in 1946; Curatorial Assistant, Curator of Entomology, and Chief Curator (Science Division) at the Nova Scotia Museum (1949-63); Research Associate in Entomology (Peabody Museum of Natural History) then Research Staff Biologist and Lecturer (Department of Biology) and Curatorial Associate in Entomology (Peabody Museum of Natural History), Yale University (1963-69); and Research Entomologist, Systematic Entomology Laboratory U.S.D.A. at the National Museum of Natural History (1969-96). Upon retirement he continued as a Collaborator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution.
Doug's interest in natural history began in childhood when he seriously watched birds and discovered the
nests of most local species. After reading W. J. Hollands account of sugaring for moths in The Moth Book in 1941, he tried it on the trees around his home and was thrilled to catch five species of Catocala the first night. Halifax was a small city with many collecting sites within walking or cycling distance, and it had a museum with a collection of local Lepidoptera, a library, and a helpful director. Doug s initial involvement with the Lepidoptera increased exponentially and resulted in The Lepidoptera of Nova Scotia, part 1, Macrolepi-doptera in 1954. He was deeply influenced by McDunnough, W. T. M. Forbes, Charles Remington, and John Franc! emont during his formative years.
Throughout his career Doug was an avid, knowledgeable collector. Field trips were directed to learn and document the fauna of particular areas. He used black and incandescent light and bait as attractants, and In later years he used traps to augment the array of species sampled in an area. Despite being behind on spreading, sometimes he would collect butterflies during the day. Doug collected in the southern parts of the Provinces and all States but Hawaii. He spread and labelled an estimated 200,000+ specimens during his career. These specimens have augmented significantly the holdings of the U.S. National Museum of Natural
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Doug Ferguson and Paul Opler collecting at Pefia Blanca Lake, Arizona (August 1999). Photo courtesy Evi Buckner-Opler.
History, the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and the Nova Scotia Museum.
Doug and I had several joint field trips in South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska. We would stay in a "permanent" base and collect in several sites within reasonable driving distance. I was responsible for the evening meal while he handled the cleanup. During the day we would sit and spread moths, often in silence, until some chance thought, often about the tentative identity of a specimen, elicited conversation. Optimally, a public radio station was available that enabled us to enjoy classical music. Because Doug recognized so many moths, his collecting resulted in series of uncommon or unknown entities and three or four pairs of common species. He was extremely interested in learning the life history of species and reared to the adult stage more than 600 species, documenting many of them with 35 mm slides of the larvae and adults. Often, he would bring fertile females, which were collected late in a trip, home and effect the rearing there.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Doug Ferguson preparing plate for a MONA fascicle at Wedge Plantation (1978). Photo courtesy Charles V. Covell, Jr.
A chance meeting in 1967 with Richard B. Do-minick, a Yale alumnus and Lepidopteran enthusiast, at the Peabody Museum led to several collecting trips at The Wedge, Dicks estate near McClellanville, South Carolina. Here began the Moths of North America project and subsequently the establishment of the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, which funds and publishes the series. Doug enlisted the participation of John Franclemont, Eugene Munroe, and me for the project, originally projected to be a synoptic update of Holland s moth book. Studied consideration led to the project's present scope of an anticipated 130+ fascicles to treat the estimated 16,000+ species in the area. Doug contributed fascicles on the Saturniidae, Lymantriidae and Geometri-nae and had the text and line drawings completed for a major revision of the geometrid tribes Cassymini and Macariini before his death.
Doug was an excellent field biologist who interacted and collaborated with many Lepidopterists. As well, he aided many collectors by identifying specimens and occasionally describing species whose identity was needed for economic or biologic purposes. Doug had
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two students: Roger Heitzman (Ennominae) and Alma Solis (Pyraloidea). He was very generous with his knowledge and would drop what he was doing to answer their questions. Doug was a quiet, thoughtful, well-read person who had many interests, history, gardening, and music among them. He often brought a different and valued view to discussions.
Doug is survived by Charlotte, his wife of 49 years, daughters Stephanie and Caroline, and six grandchildren. Additionally, he is held in high esteem and is sorely missed by many friends and colleagues.
Ron Hodges, 85253 Ridgetop Drive, Eugene, Oregon 97405-9535, USA
Received and accepted for publication 3 June 2003.
Publications — D. C. Ferguson
Ferguson, D. C. 1950. Collecting a little-known Papilio (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae). Lepidopterists' News 4:11-12.
Ferguson, D. C. & L. R. Rupert. 1951. The results of a collecting trip to the Gaspe Peninsula. Lepidopterists' News 5:53-54.
Ferguson, D. C. 1953. On the identity and status of Eubaphe lamae Freeman (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Canadian Entomol. 85:371-373.
----------. 1953. Revision of the occiduaria-argillacearia complex of
the genus Itame, with descriptions of new races (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Canadian Entomol. 85:453-461.
----------. 1954. The Lepidoptera of Nova Scotia, part 1, Macrolepi-
doptera. Proc. Nova Scotian Inst. Sci. 23:161-375, pis. 1-16.
----------. 1954. A revision of the genus Hypenodes Doubleday, with
descriptions of new species (Lepidoptera: Phalaenidae). Canadian Entomol. 86:289-298.
----------. 1955. A nearctic race of Hiibner, with remarks on the status of montana Packard (Lepidoptera: Phalaenidae). Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 50:23-27.
----------. 1955. The status of Perizoma grandis Hulst (Lepidoptera:
Geometridae). Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 50:54-56.
----------. The North American species of Calocalpe Hiibner (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Canadian Entomol. 87:325-330.
----------. 1957. Investigations of the Lepidoptera of Newfoundland,
I, Macrolepidoptera (H. Krogerus, 1954, Acta Zoologica Fen-nica 82:1-80). Lepidopterists' News 10:175-176. (Book Review).
----------. 1958. Notes on Larentiinae—new records and corrections
(Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Canadian Entomol. 90:42-43.
----------. 1958. Entomology at the Nova Scotia Museum of Science.
Canada Dept. Agr. Science Serv, Entomol. Div. Newsletter 36 (4):l-2. (Popular Publication).
----------. 1963. Leucania comma in North America (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae). Canadian Entomol. 95:105-107.
----------. 1963. Taxonomic and biological studies of the noctuoid
and geometroid moths of Florida. American Phil. Soc. Yearbook, 1962:285-288. (Report).
----------. 1963. James Halliday McDunnough. Nova Scotia Museum
Newsletter 3 (4):44-46. (Obituary).
----------. 1963. Field work in the South. Nova Scotia Museum
Newsletter 3 (4):46-55. (Popular Publication).
----------. 1963. James Halliday McDunnough—a biographical obituary and bibliography. J. Lepid. Soc. 16:209-228.
----------. 1963. Immature stages of four nearctic Notodontidae
(Lepidoptera). Canadian Entomol. 95:946-953.
----------. 1965. A new North American noctuid of the genus
Anomogyna (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Postilla (Yale) 89:1-11.
----------. 1967. Insect studies in the Crazy Mountains, Montana.
Discovery (Yale Peabody Museum magazine) 2:11-20. (Popular Publication).
---------- 1969. A revision of the moths of the subfamily Geometri-
nae of America north of Mexico. Yale Peabody Museum Bull. 29:1-251, pis. 1-49. (PhD. thesis).
----------. 1971. Saturniidae (part 1), In Dominick, R. B. et al., The
moths of America north of Mexico, fasc. 20.2A, Bombycoidea. E.W. Classey Ltd. and RBD Publications, Inc., London. Pp. 1-153, pis. 1-11.
----------. 1972 Saturniidae (part 2), In Dominick, R. B. et al, The
moths of America north of Mexico, fasc. 20.2B, Bombycoidea. E.W. Classey Ltd. and RBD Publications, Inc., London. Pp. 154-275, xv-xxi, pis. 12-22.
----------. 1972. Two new conifer-feeding species of the genus
Semiothisa (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Canadian Entomol. 104:563-565.
----------. 1972. The occurrence of Chloroclystis rectangulata (L.) in
North America (Geometridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 26:220-221.
----------. 1972. New records of Lepidoptera from the United
States (Arctiidae, Geometridae, Epiplemidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 26:222-225.
----------. 1973. The identity of Macaria inaptata Walker and Itame
varadaria (Walker) (Geometridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 27: 288-290.
----------. 1973. An index to the described life histories, early stages
and hosts of the Macrolepidoptera of the continental United States and Canada (H. M. Tietz, 1972, 1041 pp. in 2 vols. Allyn Museum of Entomology, Sarasota, Florida). J. Lepid. Soc. 27:309-310. (Book review).
----------. 1973. The species of the genus Tacparia Walker (Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 75:467-478.
----------. 1974. The relationship oiHolomelina costata (Stretch) and
H. intermedia (Graef), with revised synonymy (Arctiidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 28:1-4.
----------. 1974. Moths of the Semiothisa signaria complex (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Canadian Entomol. 106:569-621, figs. 1-235.
----------. 1974. A new species of the genus Semiothisa from the
southeastern United States (Geometridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 28:297-301.
Blanchard, A. & D. C. Ferguson. 1975. Rostrolaetilia—a new North American genus of the subfamily Phycitinae, with descriptions of seven new species (Pyralidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 29:131-150.
Sabrosky, C. W & D. C. Ferguson. 1975. A challenge to the family name Attacidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera). Bull. Zool. Nomenclature 32:149-153.
Ferguson, D. C. 1975. Host records for Lepidoptera reared in eastern North America. U.S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bull. 1521:1-49.
----------. 1976. The correct name for the gypsy moth. U.S.D.A.
Coop. Plant Pest Report 1 (9):83-84.
----------. 1976. The butterflies of the Far East USSR (A.I. Kurent-
zov, 1970, Acad. Sci. USSR, Siberian Div.). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 78:490-491. (Book Review).
----------. 1977. A new North American species oiApamea formerly
confused with A. verbascoides (Guenee) (Noctuidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 31:57-62.
----------. 1978. Winter Moth, Operophtera brumata (L.) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)—a contribution to the series entitled Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited Distribution. U.S.D.A. Coop. Plant Pest Report 3:687-694.
----------. 1978. Lymantriidae. In Dominick, R. B. et al., The moths
of America north of Mexico, fasc. 22.2, Noctuoidea. E. W Classey and The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, London. 110 + x pp., 23 text figs., 9 pis.
----------. 1979. A new ghost moth from the southern Appalachian
Mountains (Hepialidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 33:192-196.
Fletcher, D. S., I. W B. Nye (British Museum) & D.C. Ferguson. 1980. Lymantriidae Hampson, 1893 (Insecta, Lepi-
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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
doptera). Proposed precedence over Orgyiidae Wallengren, 1861, and Dasychiridae Packard, 1864. Z.N. (S) 2216. Bull. Zool. Nomenclature 37:40-48.
Ferguson, D. C. 1980. Response to J.C.E. Riotte's review of the lymantriid fascicle of The Moths of America North of Mexico. J. Res. Lep. 17:265-267.
Ferguson, D. C. & V. A. Brou. 1981. A new species otAutomeris Hubner (Saturniidae) from the Mississippi River Delta. J. Lepid. Soc. 35:101-105.
Ferguson, D. C. 1982. The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 9, Sphingidae-Noctuidae (Part 1) (John Heath, A. Maitland Emmet et al., 1979. Curwen Books, North Street, Plaistow, London, E13 9HJ, England). J. Lepid. Soc. 35:331. (Book Review).
----------. 1982. First occurrence of Perizoma alchemillata (Lepi-
doptera: Geometridae) on the mainland of North America. Canadian Entomol. 114:543.
----------. 1982. Butterflies and moths of Newfoundland and
Labrador, the Macrolepidoptera. (R. F. Morris, 1980. Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Publ. 1691. 407 pp.). Bull. Entomol. Soc. Canada 14:56. (Book Notice).
Lafontaine, J. D., J. G. Franclemont & D. C. Ferguson. 1982. Classification and life history of Acsala anomala Benjamin (Arc-tiidae: Lithosiinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 36:218-226.
Ferguson, D. C. 1982. A revision of the genus Meropleon Dyar, with descriptions of a new species and subspecies (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Entomography 1:223-235.
----------. 1982. A revision of the genus Macrochilo Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Entomography 1:303-332.
----------. 1983. Families Thyatiridae, Drepanidae, Geometridae
(except Sterrhinae), Epiplemidae, Sematuridae, Uraniidae, Saturniidae, and Lymantriidae. Pp. 88-109, 119, 120 In Hodges, R. W, et al., A check list of the Lepidoptera of America north of Mexico. E. W Classey and The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, London. 284 pp.
----------. 1983. A new genus and species of geometrid moth from
Texas (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 37:24-28.
----------. 1983. The Cutworm Moths of Ontario and Quebec (E.W
Rockburne & J. D. Lafontaine, 1976. Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Publ. 1593). J. Lepid. Soc. 37:96. (Book Review).
----------. 1983. The identity of two monotypic geometrid genera
wrongly attributed to the nearctic fauna (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 37:146-147.
----------. 1983. On the status of Pseudothyatira expultrix (Grt.) and
Euthyatira pennsylvanica J.B. Smith (Thyatiridae). J. Lepid. Soc. 37:179-180.
----------. 1983. Butterflies and moths of Newfoundland and
Labrador, the Macrolepidoptera. (R. F. MORRIS, 1980. Agriculture Canada, Research Branch, Publ. 1691. 407 pp.). J. Lepid. Soc. 37:189-192. (Book Review).
Ferguson, D. C, A. Blanchard & E. C. Knudson. 1983. A new genus and species of Geometridae (Lepidoptera) from Big Bend National Park, Texas. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 85:552-556.
Ferguson, D. C. 1983. Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited distribution, No. 40: Bean Pod Borer, Maruca testulalis (Geyer). APHIS-PPQ, U.S. Dept. Agriculture. 6 pp.
----------. 1984. Two new generic names for groups of holarctic and
palearctic Arctiini (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 86:452-459.
Ferguson, D. C, A. Blanghard & E. C. Knudson. 1984. A new species of Neodavisia Barnes and McDunnough (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from southern Texas. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 86:769-772.
Ferguson, D. C. 1983. The preparation and use of fermented peach moth bait. Maryland Entomol. 2:52-53. (Technique).
----------. 1985. Geometridae, subfamily Geometrinae. In Domi-
nick, R. B., et al., The moths of America north of Mexico, fasc. 18.1. The Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, Washington. 131 + 5 unnumbered pp., 4 col. pis.
----------. 1985. Contributions toward reclassification of the world
genera of the tribe Arctiini, part 1—introduction and a revision of the Neoarctia-Grammia group (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae: Arc-tiinae). Entomography 3:181-275, 155 figs.
Covell, C. V., D. C. Ferguson & G. B. Straley. 1986. Ennomos alniaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), a European moth recently discovered in British Columbia. Canadian Entomol. 118:499-501.
Ferguson, D. C. 1986. Biogeography and ecology of the Island of Newfoundland (G. R. South et al, 1983. W Junk Publishers, The Hague, Netherlands). Bull. Entomol. Soc. America, Fall 1986, pp. 176-177. (Book Review).
----------. 1986. Mounting specimens, and parts of other chapters. In
G. C. Stayskal, W L. Murphy & E. M. Hoover (eds.), Insects and mites: techniques for collection and preservation. USDA Misc. Publ. 1443. (Technique).
Ferguson, D. C. & E. C. Knudson. 1987. Four new United States records of moths from Texas. J. Lepid. Soc. 40:353-354.
Ferguson, D. C. 1987. Xanthorhoe clarkeata (Geometridae), a new species and possible endemic of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia. J. Lepid. Soc. 41:98-103.
Davis, H. G., L. M. Mcdonnough & D. C. Ferguson. 1987. Sex attractant for Scoparia biplagialis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 89:500-501.
Whittle, K. & D. C. Ferguson. 1987. Melon Moth, Diaphania indica (Saunders). Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited distribution, No. 84. APHIS-PPQ. 8 pp.
Whittle, K. & D. C. Ferguson. 1987. Eggplant Fruit Borer, Leu-cinodes orhonalis Guenee. Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited distribution, No. 85. 9 pp.
Ferguson, D. C. 1988. Systematics of Stamnodes animata (Pearsall) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Pp. 7-10, In M. L. Fur-niss, D. C. Ferguson, K. W Voget, J. W Burkhardt, A. R. Tiede-mann & J. R. Oldemeyer, Life history and ecology of the geometrid moth, Stamnodes animata (Pearsall), on curlleaf mountain mahogany in Nevada. Fish and Wildlife Research 3:i-iv, 1-26.
----------. 1988. New species and new nomenclature in the American Acronictinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. Res. Lep. 26: 201-218.
----------. 1989. "Feature Photograph." J. Lepid. Soc. 43:79. [Represents first natural interfamilial mating recorded in the Lepidoptera] .
Tepedino, V. J., A. K. Knapp, G. C. Eichwort & D. C. Ferguson. 1989. Death Camas (Zigadenus nuttalli) in Kansas: pollen collectors and a florivore. J. Kansas Entomol. Soc. 62:411^112.
Whittle, K. & D. C. Ferguson. "1988" [1991]. Spotted Stalk Borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe). Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited distribution, No. 96. APHIS-PPQ. 10 pp.
Whittle, K. & D. C. Ferguson. "1988" [1991]. Asiatic Rice Borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker). Pests not known to occur in the United States or of limited distribution, No. 97. APHIS-PPQ. 10 pp.
Ferguson, D. C. 1991. Review of the genus Epimorius Zeller and first report of the occurrence of E. testaceellus Ragonot in the United States (Pyralidae: Galleriinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 45:117-123.
----------. 1991. The identity of Arctia obliterata Stretch (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 93:828-833.
----------. 1991. First record of the genus Acrapex from the New
World, with description of a new species from the Carolinas and Virginia (Noctuidae: Amphipyrinae). J. Lepid. Soc. 45:209-214.
Ferguson, D. C, D. J. Hilburn & B. Wright. 1991. The Lepidoptera of Bermuda, their food plants, biogeography, and means of dispersal. Mem. Entomol. Soc. Canada 158; 1-106, 1 col. pi., map, 204 figs.
Ferguson, D. C. 1991. An essay on the long-range dispersal and biogeography of Lepidoptera, with special reference to the
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Lepidoptera of Bermuda. Pp. 67-79, In Ferguson, Hilburn & Wright, The Lepidoptera of Bermuda . . . etc. Mem. Entomol. Soc. Canada 158.
—. 1991. Adult moths. Pp. 231-244 In Gorham, J.R. (ed.), Insect and mite pests in food, an illustrated key. Agriculture Handbook 655, U.S. Dept. Agr., Washington, D.C. 767 pp. in 2 vols.
—. 1992. Franclemontia interrogans (Walker), a new genus for an old species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. New York Entomol. Soc. 100:257-266. —. 1993. A revision of the species of Nematocampa
(Geometridae: Ennominae) occurring in the United States and Canada. J. Lepid. Soc. 47 (l):60-77.
Powell, J. A. & D. C. Ferguson. 1994. A new genus of winter moths (Geometridae) from eastern California and western Nevada. J. Lepid. Soc. 48:8-23.
Ferguson, D. C. 1997. Review of the New World Bagisarinae, with description of two new species from the southern United States (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. Lepid. Soc. 51:344-357.
Pogue, M. G. & D. C. Ferguson. 1998. A revision of the cypress-feeding moths of the genus Cutina Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 100:331-352.