Haris Attila: Hymenoptera Research in the Carpathian Basin - Natura Somogyiensis 29. (Kaposvár, 2016)

Early History of the Aculeata research in Hungary from the 16th till the 19th century (1560–1800)

Haris, A.: Hymenoptera Research in the Carpathian Basin

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Giovanni Antonio Scopoli (13th June 1723 Cavalese - 8th May 1788 Pavia) was the next polymath after Nicolaus Poda who studied the bees and wasps of the Carpathian Basin. His mother was Claudia Catharina Gramola, his father Francesco Antonio Scopoli. The young Scopoli started his studies in Cavalese, continued it in Trento and finished the high school in Hall. He studied medical sciences at Innsbruck University and started his medical practice in the public hospital of his hometown. Soon, Scopoli traveled from home to have further medical practice in Trento than in Venezia. During his stay in Venezia, he read firstly the Systema Naturae from Linné which work became determinative for his further career and for his whole life. In the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Vienna University, Scopoli took his final exam. After his successful exam, he received the medical doctor position of Idria. During his travel to Idria, the ship on which they traveled bumped against to a log swimming on the flooded River Inn and the ship sank. His equipment, books and collection lost in the river. In Idria, Scopoli was forced to provide medical supply for 2000 people for low payment from the management of the mines. Furthermore there was 2 fires on his house in Idria in which his collection burnt 2 times. His wife and son died in Idria. On the top of these, the manager of the mines, councillor Sartori, could not accept Scopoli's passion and commitment to natural history and did not provide him time enough to do this. After these, - it was no wonder, - Scopoli felt Idria as his prison. When Nicolaus Jaquin was appointed to professor of Wien University, his position in Selmecbánya Academy in North Hungary became vacant and Scopoli received his former position: lecturer and senior professor at the Metallurgical, Chemical and Mineralogical Department of the Selmecbánya Academy (Now Sopron University of Forestry, the Academy was relocated to Sopron after the First World War). (Scopoli choose himself this position although this time he had other 2 options: one of them was the private medical doctor position of the archbishop of Passau, the other was professor status at Sankt Petersburg Academy in Russia). In Selmeczbánya, Scopoli married to Carolina von Freyenam. She was his third wife and mother of Giovanni Scopoli junior who became the maintainer of his name. During his professorship in Selmecbánya (1769-1779) he wrote 7 important books: the Crystallographia Hungarica, the Introductio ad históriám naturalem and the Anni i-v historico naturális series. In the 4th and 5th volumes, namely Dissertatio de Apibus and Observationes Zoologicae he discusses those species which he described from Hungary. These are:

In Dissertatio de Apibus 1770:

Eucera curvicornis sp. n. "Cremnizium (Körböcbánya) in Hungária"

Apis fasciata sp. n. unknown locus typicus Camiola or Hungary Apis luctuosa sp. n. "Inveni in Hungária circa Scheminizium et denuo in collibus Cremnitzensibus"

Apis vespiformis sp. n. "circa Cremntizium in Hungária"

Apis agilissima sp. n. "In Hungária inferiore"

Apis fuliginosa sp. n. "In Hungária"

Nomada squalida sp. n. unknown locus typicus Camiola or Hungary Nomada ranunculi sp. n. unknown locus typicus Camiola or Hungary

In Observationes Zoologicae 1772

Sphaex hemiptera sp. n. "circa Cremntizium in Hungária"

Chrysis hungarica sp. n. "circa Cremntizium"

Vespa pacicephala sp. n. "circa Cremntizium"

Vespa pteropoda sp. n. "circa Cremntizium"