Marianne Horak AO (born 1944) is a Swiss-Australian entomologist who specialises in Australian Lepidoptera, particularly the phycitine and tortricid moths,[1] and is considered one of the worldwide leading experts on the systematics of Tortricidae.[2][3]

Education and career

edit

Horak studied at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, earning her M.Sc. in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1983. She did extensive field work in New Zealand (1967–69), New Guinea (1971–73), and Indonesia (1985) before settling permanently in Australia.[4] Horak has discovered several new species of Lepidoptera, including multiple species of Cadra,[5] Heterochorista,[6] and Ogmograptis,[7] and did research on the scribbly gum moths,[8] during which eleven new species of Ogmograptis were discovered.[7] She also is the taxon authority for several genera, including Aglaogonia, Atriscripta, and Cnecidophora.[9] She is the current editor-in-chief of Monographs of Australian Lepidoptera,[8] chairperson of the Australian Lepidoptera Research Endowment,[8] and honorary research fellow in Lepidoptera systematics at the Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO,[1] where she works as Lepidoptera curator[10] and was head of Lepidoptera research until her retirement in 2010.[8]

Awards and dedicated species

edit

Horak was the first recipient of the J. O. Westwood Medal for excellence in insect taxonomy for "her outstanding monograph entitled The Olethreutine Moths of Australia (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)",[11] and appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to entomology, to taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and to philanthropic endeavours".[12] The moth species Coleophora horakae,[13] Hilarographa mariannae,[14] and Myrtartona mariannae[15] are dedicated to her.

Personal life

edit

Horak was born in Glarus, Switzerland in 1944. She was previously married to the Austrian mycologist Egon Horak.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Marianne Horak". The Conversation. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Book Review" (PDF). TORTS: Newsletter of the Troop of Reputed Tortricid Systematists. 8 (1): 2. 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  3. ^ Robinson, Gaden S. (2 November 2005). "Book Review". Systematic Entomology. 31 (2): 369. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2005.00318.x.
  4. ^ a b Hoch, Hannelore (26 May 2009). "Taxonomy Profile: Marianne Horak". Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 56 (1): 5–6. doi:10.1002/mmnd.200900001. ISSN 1435-1951.
  5. ^ Horak, Marianne (1 August 1994). "A Review of Cadra Walker in Australia: Five New Native Species and the Two Introduced Pest Species (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Phycitinae)". Australian Journal of Entomology. 33 (3): 245–262. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1994.tb01226.x. ISSN 1440-6055.
  6. ^ Horak, Marianne (October 1984). "The Papuan tortricine genus Heterochorista and the systematic position of the Sparganothini (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae)". Systematic Entomology. 9 (4): 383–433. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.1984.tb00517.x. S2CID 84264797.
  7. ^ a b Horak, M; Day, M.F.; Barlow, C.; Edwards, E.D.; Su, Y.N.; Cameron, S.L. (2012). "Systematics and biology of the iconic Australian scribbly gum moths Ogmograptis Meyrick (Lepidoptera : Bucculatricidae) and their unique insect–plant interaction". Invertebrate Systematics. 26 (4): 357. doi:10.1071/IS12022. S2CID 84787335. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d "Scientific Advisory Committee". Australian Lepidoptera Research Endowment. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  9. ^ Horak, Marianne; Komai, Furumi (2006). Olethreutine moths of Australia. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0643090934. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  10. ^ "ANIC Curators". CSIRO. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  11. ^ "J.O. Westwood Medal". Royal Entomological Society. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Dr Marianne Horak". Australian Honours Search Facility. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  13. ^ Baldizzone, G. (1996). "A taxonomic review of the Coleophoridae (Lepidoptera) of Australia. Contribution to the knowledge of the Coleophoridae, LXXXV". Tijdschrift voor Entomologie. 139: 105. ISSN 0040-7496. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  14. ^ Razowski, Józef (2009). "Descriptions and notes on Neotropical Hilarographa Zeller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)" (PDF). Polish Journal of Entomology. 78: 212. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  15. ^ Tarmann, Gerhard M. (2004). Zygaenid moths of Australia : a revision of the Australian Zygaenidae, (Procridinae: Artonini). CSIRO. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-0-643-06798-1. Retrieved 2 September 2016.