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 45 published in Wittenberg. The main topic of his small book is insect physiology (haemo- lympha, respiratory system). Regéczi also discussed in details the moving of cut insects (reasoned by their special non-central nervous system). Species, distribution, faunistic and systematics are hardly discussed but he provides detailed description of life history of honey bees and ants. The other hymenoptera, he mentioned only wasps in the following way: "If we cut a wasp, separating the head from the thorax and also the abdomen, the wasp still stays alive: it is still true, when we cut the insect not only into two parts but even into numerous parts." On the cover of this monograph, the name of Johannes Sperling is also printed, who were the dean of university and also the professor of András Horvát, when he submitted this work as his doctoral thesis. The next Hungarian work is written by János Apáczai Csere (10th June 1625 Apáca - 31 st December 1659 Kolozsvár) titled Magyar encyclopaedia (Hungarian encyclopaedia) published in 1653. János Apáczai Csere was Hungarian philosopher, theologian, writer and scientist. During his studies in the Netherlands, he completed and published his main work in Utrecht. This encyclopedia comprises the whole knowledge of art, history, teology and science of his age. The 7th part of the encyclopedia discusses the "things of the earth" including geography, geology, zoology and botany. In this part, he details the life history of honeybees but about the other hymenoptera, he only mentioned wasps only in one short sentence: "A darázsnak mérges fullánkja vagyon", "Wasp has venomous sting". In 1673, two important monographs from two authors were published, on entomology, namely Vilmos Dániel Möller or Daniel Wilhelm Möller or Daniel Gulielmi Molleri (26th May 1642 Pozsony - 25th February 1712 Altdorf bei Nürnberg): Meditatio de Insectis quibusdam Hungaricis prodigiosis. Which is a small, 120 pages booklet. The English translation: Meditation on some horrible insects of Hungary. In these "horrible insects" we hardly find any hymenoptera, also not easy to identify these insects correctly. The major part dealing with spiders and other arthropods which are also hard to identify (beetles, Collembolans (?), centipedes and even antiion larvae) see the figure. Bees and ants are only mentioned on page 100, as "Formica et apes: utraque deponit innanum/Hane sedulitas hanc Studium facit virilem/ huic alveus, illi satis e satis, et dies, et annus". Möller was polymath and European traveler and also very fruitful author, during his life he published 184 books (!). The other monograph that is published in 1673, was written by Simon Friedrich Frenzel (or M. Simone Friderico Frenzelio) (1638 Cottbus - ?), titled "Insecta Novisolii in Superiori Hungária die xx. Novembris Elapsi Anni Cum Nive Delapsa". Frenzel was a German theologian and philosopher. During his life, he completed 10 books mainly on theology but he wrote book on physica and meteorology as well. The reason, he completed a work on the insects of Hungary remain mystery as his whole life. "Apes denid ex floribus plantarum succum dulcem ac tenuem ad conficiendum mel, tenacem magis ac glutinosum ad parandam ceram extrabunt: circa Apiarum extendunt ceram quae ad instar tecti sit subtecto consiciunt cellás maximé sexangulares mira arte in issa mel recondunt, quae materia mox instar musti aut cerevisiae recens cocta effer- vescit, donee crassescat et dulcescat de qvibus fusius.." In the end of the 17th century Gáspár Miskolczi Csulyak (1627 Miskolc - 1699 Székelyudvarhely) completed his book with title: "Egy Jeles Vad-kert" (A fine menagerie). Miskolczi was calvinist Protestant priest, studied in Sárospatak, Utrecht than in
