This board is intended for general notifications or questions that do not fit into any of the other boards with more specific topics.
Concerning the Chironomidae species with formal scientific names and the corresponding type material held in the Diptera Section of the ZSM in Munich, Germany, a listing (in PDF; latest update 4 March 2019) may be downloaded from:
https://www.zsm.mwn.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Chiro_Web.pdf (https://www.zsm.mwn.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Chiro_Web.pdf)
Please see also the "Important Notice" on the corresponding webpage (https://www.zsm.mwn.de/sammlung/bestands-und-faunen-listen/?lang=en (https://www.zsm.mwn.de/sammlung/bestands-und-faunen-listen/?lang=en)).
Dear all,
I would like to inform you that Dr. Tadashi Kobayashi passed away on 10 January, at age 88 years.
Masaru Yamamoto
† L. C. (Clive) V. Pinder
6 December 1943 - 31 July 2021
Dear all,
sadly, the chironomid research community has lost another very influential and respected colleague, Clive Pinder, who passed away aged 77 in his adopted and beloved county of Dorset (UK).
In Dr. Pinder's honour, the CHIRONOMUS Journal of Chironomidae Research has just published an appreciation by Peter S. Cranston; please see https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/4101/3752 (https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/4101/3752).
† Leonard Charles ('Len') Ferrington, Jr
28 July 1948 - 11 September 2021
Very sadly, we are having to bid farewell to yet another long-standing and distinguished member of our community, Len Ferrington, whose passing is an unexpected blow.
From Minnesota I have been sent links to two online notices,
a longer one (surely authorized by the family) https://www.holcombhenryboom.com/obituary/leonard-ferrington-jr (https://www.holcombhenryboom.com/obituary/leonard-ferrington-jr)
and a shorter one in a major newspaper https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000402917/?fullname=dr-leonard-c-ferrington,-jr (https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/0000402917/?fullname=dr-leonard-c-ferrington,-jr)
ADDENDUM 31.xii.2021. Just published: Bouchard, R. W. Jr, Kranzfelder, P., Anderson, A. M. (2021) Leonard C. Ferrington, Jr. (1948-2021): Chironomid cognoscente and modern-day Renaissance man. CHIRONOMUS J. Chironomidae Res. 34: 51-66. https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/4598/4189 (https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/4598/4189)
† Henk J. Vallenduuk
8 March 1943 - 6 November 2021
It is with increasing sadness that I have to report the third loss to our research community within just a few months.
At least here in Europe, many macroinvertebrate workers trying to identify chironomid larvae will remain grateful to Henk Vallenduuk for his long and laborious efforts to help with such tasks, e.g. by regularly performing individual larva-to-adult rearings and then publishing his findings in keys.
A memorial paper (in Dutch language) can be found at: https://www.helpdeskwater.nl/publish/pages/195829/macrofaunanieuwsmail-157-18-november-2021.pdf (https://www.helpdeskwater.nl/publish/pages/195829/macrofaunanieuwsmail-157-18-november-2021.pdf)
† Patrick J. Ashe
18 March 1954 - 19 June 2022
For those of you who have not heard this already, I am extremely sad but have to report that Paddy Ashe passed away on 19 June after fighting illness for three quarters of a year.
A memorial paper by Declan Murray has been published in the CHIRONOMUS Journal of Chironomidae Research, vol. 35 for 2022; please see https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/5034/4570 (https://www.ntnu.no/ojs/index.php/chironomus/article/view/5034/4570).
Many among us will painfully miss and never forget Paddy's presence as a kind human being and friendly colleague always ready to cooperate or share his findings. In the scientific record of chironomid research, he has earned an eternal place by investing decades of often very tedious work in finding thousands of more or less hidden data items and compiling them in standard references fundamentally essential to our field (e.g., his World Catalogue volumes with James O'Connor 2009 and 2012).
Farewell, dear friend - may we meet again, in the garden of a stream-side pub in the sky !
† Mauri Hirvenoja
1928 - 10 July 2023
Yesterday I received the sad news that Mauri Hirvenoja from Finland, one of the longest-standing members of our research community, passed away on 10 July 2023. So far, I have not received any further details that could be communicated here.
The "Bibliography of the Chironomidae" (https://literature.vm.ntnu.no/Chironomidae/ (https://literature.vm.ntnu.no/Chironomidae/)) contains references to 36 works authored or coauthored by Hirvenoja between 1960 and 2015. His magnum opus, the 1973 revision of Cricotopus and neighboring genera, a more than 350 pages strong result of his doctoral dissertation, is likely to be remembered as one of the peak efforts in the chironomid literature.
† Maria Grzybkowska
August 15th 1948 – June 18th 2023
Dear Colleagues,
to Martin's news, unfortunately - one more sad message that I received during my leave, thus I think that this information has already reached some of you, however, I pass it on. This is all the more sad for chironomidologists from Poland, Łódź, but also from Gdańsk. Professor Maria Grzybkowska was the author and the reviewer of a number of works on Chironomidae, including my doctoral dissertation. Later, Maria was my sincere colleague, with whom the exchange of thoughts at meetings, calls, or in correspondence, for over 20 years, always inspired...
Wojciech Giłka
† Masaru Yamamoto
11 December 1948 – 8 October 2023
Today I received the very sad news that our esteemed Japanese colleague, Dr Masaru Yamamoto, has passed away after a long bout with heart disease.
His many excellently illustrated contributions to the knowledge of Chironomidae in Japan deserve a special place in the collective memory of our research community.