Arturs Neboiss

Arturs Neboiss was a Latvian entomologist. He was considered a world authority on the classification of aquatic insects. In 1986, he would publish the Atlas of Tricoptera of the SW Pacific-Australian region which is considered to be a major achievement and a key reference for Australian species. For fieldwork, Neboiss would regularly travel to Tasmania including to the region of Lake Pedder in 1965 and 1966 when he collected over 3,000 specimens. During specimen collection, he would often be in the company of artist and entomologist Charles McCubbin. His work on Trichoptera (caddisflies) would result in the National Museum of Victoria having the largest and most comprehensive collection of caddisflies in the southern hemisphere.

Life Arturs Neboiss was born in Riga, Latvia (the capital and largest city of the country) on the 20th of September, 1924. He was the only child of Jänis and Matilde Neboiss. His father worked in the stock exchange of the city. During childhood, his interest in insects would begin while collecting butterflies. This started when his first year high school teacher before the summer vacations suggested to the students that they should collect natural objects and discuss them when they came back. He decided to collect butterflies when he noticed a number of strange butterflies flying about. By the end of the holidays, he would have around 30 butterfly specimens struck on some cardboard (insect collecting). When shown, the teacher was so impressed that a meeting between Arturs Neboiss and an entomology was arranged where he would be taught the basics of entomology.

At the start of the Second World War, Neboiss, like many Latvians during the war, would seek refuge in The West. After the war, he would complete his master's degree at the Baltic University of Hamburg in Germany where he worked on lizards. He would marry Aina Vfrmane in 1947 while in Hamberg, Germany. Due to being occupied by the Soviet Union, they would not return to Latvia. Deciding that there little future in Germany due to being ravaged during the Second World War,he would migrate to Victoria, Australia in 1950. Five years later in 1955, their daughter, Ilze Neboiss, would be born.

After joining the National Museum of Victoria in January 1954, he would for a short time begin studying blood-sucking insects that were vectors of myxomatosis for the Victorian Department of Crown Lands and Survey. After 25 years of being the Curator of Entomology, he would retire in 1989. His research would then focus on caddisflies (Tricoptera) and stoneflies (Plecoptera) endemic to Australia.

He would die on the 11th of June, 2011 in Melbourne, Victoria, Western Australia.

Publications Neboiss, A. 1957: The genera Hapatesus Candèze and Toorongus, gen.nov. (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Australian journal of zoology, 5(4): 496–520. DOI: 10.1071/ZO9570496 Neboiss A. 1967. The genera Paracalais gen. nov. and Austrocalais gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Elateridae). Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 80(2): 259–287 Neboiss, A. 1971. Australian Panopinae (Diptera: Acroceridae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 10(3): 205–222. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1971.tb00031.x

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