Centuria Insectorum

The contents of the work were published twice, under two slightly different titles. {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum Rariorum}} ("one hundred rare insects") was published as a standalone thesis, while {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum}} was published as part of Linnaeus' series of {{lang|la|Amoenitates Academicæ}} ("academic delights"). Both bear the date June 23, 1763, although the latter was printed later, in September 1763.

file:Carl von Linné.jpg, the probable author of Centuria Insectorum]]

Since {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum Rariorum}} was a thesis presented and defended by one of Linnaeus' students, Boas Johansson (1742–1809) from Kalmar, it has been argued that authorship of the taxa named in it should be assigned to Johansson. The authorship, however, has been the subject of some controversy.{{cite journal |title=The orthopteroid insects described by Linnaeus, with notes on the Linnaean collection |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |author=Judith A. Marshall |year=1983 |volume=78 |issue=4 |pages=375–396 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1975.tb02266.x}}

Several lines of argument have been used to suggest that Linnaeus should be considered the author. The role of the person defending the thesis at Swedish universities at the time was to prove his command of Latin, and responsibility for the text of the thesis rested mainly, if not entirely, with the professor. Linnaeus appeared to consider himself the author, referring in his later works to {{lang|la|Amoenitates Academicæ}} without including an abbreviation for the author, as he did for works written by other people. Works presented by students of other taxonomists of the era (such as Carl Peter Thunberg, Adam Afzelius and Elias Magnus Fries) are generally credited to their supervisors, and not the students themselves. Finally, most zoologists, and "Scandinavian authorities on Linnaeana" consider Linnaeus the author; in the interests of nomenclatural stability, it is preferable to continue doing so. The issue was raised in a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and, although a large majority voted in favour of recognising Linnaeus as the author, the one dissenting vote caused the commission to defer its decision.{{cite journal |author=R. V. Melville |year=1973 |title=Opinion 998. Gryllus Locusta succinctus Linnaeus, 1763 (Insects, Orthoptera): neotype designated under the plenary powers |journal=Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature |volume=30 |pages=77–79 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/44472|doi=10.5962/bhl.part.6393 |doi-access=free }}

The specimens used by Linnaeus or Johansson in writing {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum}} include some provided by Dr Alexander Garden, a horticulturist from Charles Town in the Province of South Carolina,{{cite book |author=Ray Desmond |year=1994 |title=Dictionary of British and Irish botanists and horticulturists: including plant collectors, flower painters, and garden designers |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-85066-843-8 |chapter=Garden, Alexander (1730–1791) |pages=269 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=thmPzIltAV8C}} by Carl Gustav Dahlberg in Suriname,{{cite book |author=A. M. Husson |year=1978 |title=The mammals of Suriname |series=Issue 2 of Zoölogische monographieën |publisher=Brill Publishers |isbn=978-90-04-05819-4 |chapter=Introduction |pages=xvii–xxxiv |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1s8UAAAAIAAJ}} by Hans Johan Nordgren in Java, and from the collection of Baron Charles De Geer from the Province of Pennsylvania.

The dissertation begins by discussing improvements that the Linnaean system of taxonomy has brought to the study of insects, before describing the new species.{{cite web |title=The Linnaean Dissertations |publisher=Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation |url=http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD/Departments/Library/LinnaeanDiss.shtml |access-date=June 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616073944/http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD/Departments/Library/LinnaeanDiss.shtml |archive-date=2010-06-16 |url-status=dead}}

File:Papilio ecclipsis.jpg: a specimen with spots painted on was named Papilio ecclipsis in Centuria Insectorum]]

One of the species described in {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum}} was "Papilio ecclipsis". This was based on a specimen sent by William Charlton to James Petiver in 1702, who wrote: "It exactly resembles our English Brimstone Butterfly (R. Rhamni), were it not for those black spots and apparent blue moons on the lower wings. This is the only one I have seen."{{cite web |url=http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/archive/permalink/the_charlton_brimstone_butterfly/ |title=The Charlton Brimstone Butterfly |publisher=The Museum of Hoaxes |access-date=June 16, 2010}} Carl Linnaeus examined the butterfly, and named it Papilio ecclipsis in Centuria Insectorum Rariorum, including it in his {{lang|la|Systema Naturae}} from the 12th edition (1767) onwards. It was not until 1793 that the hoax was discovered by Johan Christian Fabricius, who recognised that the dark patches had been painted on, and that the specimen was a common brimstone butterfly (now called Gonepteryx rhamni). Although the curator at the British Museum "indignantly stamped the specimen to pieces" when he found out, William Jones created two replicas to replace the lost specimen.

The 102 species described in {{lang|la|Centuria Insectorum}} were divided into seven sections, broadly corresponding with modern insect orders. Exceptions are that thrips (Thysanoptera), mantises (Mantodea) and Orthoptera were included in the Hemiptera, dragonflies (Odonata) were included in the Neuroptera, and the section called "Aptera" contains crustaceans rather than insects in the modern sense. Most of the names introduced in Centuria Insectorum are still in use, albeit in different genera; in a few cases, it is not clear what animal the name refers to.{{#tag:ref|Linnaeus' orthography has been preserved here as far as possible, including the use of ſ – the long s.|group=Note}}

file:Sitophilus.oryzae.7438.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Curculio oryza]]

file:Stagmomantis carolina Kaldari 05 cropped.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Gryllus carolinus]]

file:Arilus cristatus Kaldari 02.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Cimex cristatus]]

file:AmathusiaPhidippus146 1.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Papilio phidippus]]

file:Anartia jatrophae (white peacock).jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Papilio Jatrophæ]]

file:Argyreus hyperbius sep01sai.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Papilio Hyperbius]]

file:Manduca sexta MHNT CUT 2010 0 104 Caranavi, La Paz Bolivia male dorsal.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Sphinx sexta]]

file:Rhyothemis variegata.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Libellula variegata]]

file:baldie.jpg, named in Centuria Insectorum as Vespa maculata]]

file:Efferia aestuans1.JPG, named in Centuria Insectorum as Asilus æstuans]]

file:Ucides cordatus Martinique.JPG, named in Centuria Insectorum as Cancer cordatus]]

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{{reflist|24em}}

{{portal|Arthropods}}

• {{cite book |author=Carl Linnaeus|author-link=Carl Linnaeus |language=la |title=Amoenitates Academicæ. Vol. 6 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/15498 |year=1763}}
• {{cite book |author=Carl Linnaeus |author-link=Carl Linnaeus |language=la |title=Centuria Insectorum Rariorum |year=1763 |url=http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD-PDF/LinnaeanDiss/Liden-129.pdf |access-date=2010-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728063627/http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/HIBD-PDF/LinnaeanDiss/Liden-129.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-28 |url-status=dead}} (also available at [https://archive.org/details/ddcenturiainsect00linn Biodiversity Heritage Library], [http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?PPN499712056 SUB Göttingen] and [https://books.google.com/books?id=i3YZAAAAYAAJ Google Books])

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category:1763 non-fiction books

category:1763 in science

category:Carl Linnaeus

Category:18th-century books in Latin

Category:Taxonomy (biology) books

Category:Theses

Category:Entomology books