Ephraim Porter Felt
Encyclopedia
Ephraim Porter Felt was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera
Ephraim Felt worked mostly Nematocera
and particularly Cecidomyiidae
.However he was the State Entomologist New York State and so worked with all insects of economic
or medical significance. He wrote Insects affecting park and woodland trees. New York State Museum Memoir 8 (1905-1906) and Plant galls and gall makers Ithaca, N.Y., Comstock Pub. Co. (1940) as well as describing over 1,000 species
in scientific journals. The holotype
s of the Felt named insect species are in the National Museum of Natural History
.
Felt was the author of the mosquito genus Culiseta
.
Diptera
Diptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
Ephraim Felt worked mostly Nematocera
Nematocera
Nematocera , is a suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae, consisting of the mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, and midges....
and particularly Cecidomyiidae
Cecidomyiidae
Cecidomyiidae is a family of flies known as gall midges or gall gnats. As the name implies, the larvae of most gall midges feed within plant tissue, creating abnormal plant growths called galls.These are very fragile small insects usually only 2–3 mm in length and many are less than...
.However he was the State Entomologist New York State and so worked with all insects of economic
Economic entomology
Economic entomology is a field of entomology, which involves the study of insects that are of benefit or those that cause harm to humans, domestic animals, and crops. Insects that cause losses are termed as pests. Some species can cause indirect damage by spreading diseases and these are termed as...
or medical significance. He wrote Insects affecting park and woodland trees. New York State Museum Memoir 8 (1905-1906) and Plant galls and gall makers Ithaca, N.Y., Comstock Pub. Co. (1940) as well as describing over 1,000 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in scientific journals. The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
s of the Felt named insect species are in the National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
.
Felt was the author of the mosquito genus Culiseta
Culiseta
Culiseta is a genus of mosquitoes. Most Culiseta are cold-adapted species which only occur in warmer climates during the colder parts of the year or at higher elevations where temperatures are low...
.