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 51 vided the description of Sphex radula hungarica Christ, 1791 from Hungary which is now synonym of. Radumeris radula (Fabricius, 1775). According to Christ's description and interpretation, Apis fiusca Scopoli, 1763 sensu Christ, 1791 is identical with Osmia bicolor Schrank. The other species he described from Hungary was Bombus monacha Christ, 1793 which is known as Bombus barbutellus (Kirby, 1802) but nobody supressed this name (monacha has priority 1791 vs. 1802). János Keresztély Grossinger (27th September 1728 Komárom (now Komámo) — 1803 Komárom, Jesuit friar, director (praefectus) of Nagyszombat (now Tmava) seminary and professor of linguistics and grammar, later director of Kassa (now Kosice) convict and professor of theology) established the first public natural history collection in Kassa. János Grossinger started his studies in his hometown, Komárom and continued in Nagyszombat and finished in Trencsén. At his age of 16, he entered to the Jesuit Order at Besztercebánya. He taught humanities at Ungvár. His superiors recognized his talent therefore they sent Grossinger to Graz to continue his study where he passed his doctoral exams. In the next year, he taught at Nagyszombat seminary where he became praefectus. From 1743, Grossinger traveled around Hungary collecting natural objects and doing observations and researches. After Nagyszombat, he taught several places: Győr, Kassa, Szalonca, Pozsony, Trencsén and also in Wien Theresianum. After the dissolution of the Jesuit Order by Maria Theresia, he joined to the Haller regiment as army chaplain. In this way, he had possibility to travel around in Italy, Austria and Hungary (visiting the museums of Milano, Cremona, Mantova, collecting in Tolna and Bács counties, Zilah, Szilágyság, Meszes Mts, Világos, Borosjenő, Pétervárad, Neszmély, Csókavár, Balaton etc.). In 1780, he left the army, moved back to his hometown, Komárom and started to put together his notices and write his observations. His major work in nature history is the monograph series titled Universa História Physica Regni Hungária. The first four books described the fauna of Hungary including insects in the 4th book. The fifth book discussed dendrology. The other 5 books (botany and geology) remained in manuscript and preserved in the manuscript-collection of the Hungarian National Museum. Grossinger accurately described the morphology and life history of insects including genera of Hymenoptera known in his time and divided the Hymenoptera into the following genera which were discussed in different chapters in this way: Hymenopterorum Ordo I. Hymenoptera generali II. Crabrones et Vespae III. Tenthredo et Cynips IV. Ichneumon V. Sirex, Sphex et Chrysis VI. Vesparum indoles VII. Multiciplitas Vesparum VIII. Apis et Mutilla He discussed these genera (life history, morphology) in details but only few species are mentioned, these are: Vespa crabro, Bombus terrestis (as Apes terrestis). This monograph is the first academic level zoological and dendrological textbook written in Latin and completed with Hungarian and German names therefore it became significant resource of the old Hungarian zoological names (technical words before the neology of the Hungarian Language in the reform era, in the early 19th century).
