Fabricius, Johann Christian

born Jan. 7, 1745, Tøndern, Den.

died March 3, 1808, Kiel

Danish entomologist.

He studied at Uppsala University with Carolus Linnaeus and from 1775 taught not only natural history but also economics and finance at the University of Kiel. He advanced theories progressive for his time, particularly the view that new species and varieties could arise through hybridization and by environmental influence on anatomical structure and function. His taxonomic research was based on insect mouthparts rather than their wings.

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▪ Danish entomologist

born Jan. 7, 1745, Tøndern, Den.

died March 3, 1808, Kiel

 Danish entomologist known for his extensive taxonomic research based upon the structure of insect mouthparts rather than upon their wings. He also advanced theoretical propositions that were progressive for his time, particularly his view that new species and varieties could arise through hybridization and by environmental influence on anatomical structure and function.

      After studying at Altona and Copenhagen, Fabricius went to Uppsala, Swed., to become a student of Carolus Linnaeus (Linnaeus, Carolus), who admired his work. Although famous for his entomological studies, Fabricius was appointed professor not only of natural history but also of economics and finance at the University of Kiel in 1775. His most important works include Systema Entomologiae (1775), Genera Insectorum (1776), Philosophia Entomologica (1778), Betrachtungen über die allgemeinen Einrichtungen in der Natur (1781; “Considerations upon the Universal Arrangements in Nature”), Species Insectorum (1781), Entomologia Systematica (1792–98), and Resultate natur-historischer Vorlesungen (1804; “Results of Natural History Lectures”).

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