G. B. Edwards (arachnologist)

Last updated

G. B. Edwards
Born
Glavis Bernard Edwards Jr.

(1948-11-24)November 24, 1948
Aberdeen, Maryland, U.S.
Nationality American
Alma mater
Scientific career
InstitutionsFlorida State Collection of Arthropods

Glavis Bernard Edwards Jr. (born 1948) is an American taxonomic entomologist specializing primarily in spiders, with broader interests in butterflies, centipedes, millipedes, and thrips. [1] [2] He was the Curator of Arachnida and Myriapoda for the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (FSCA), Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. [1] His curatorial responsibilities included Arachnida (except Acari): spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, and relatives; Crustacea (terrestrial species only): pillbugs, sowbugs; Myriapoda including centipedes, millipedes, and symphylans; Onychophora; and Thysanoptera. [1] He has authored more than 100 scientific publications in his fields of research. He retired in August, 2015, after over 38 years of state service. He became a Curator Emeritus at the FSCA and continues his research on jumping spiders. [3]

Contents

Early life

Glavis Bernard (G. B.) Edwards Jr. was born in Aberdeen, Maryland on November 24, 1948. In his teen years, he became interested in the behavior of spiders, especially jumping spiders, which were usually victorious when pitted against other spiders of similar size. He graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he was well known for his interest in "bugs." [2]

Education

Edwards earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1971. [2] While in undergraduate school, he worked in the Entomology Department as a part-time curator of the arachnid collection developed by Martin H. Muma, which provided him his first opportunity to examine many kinds of identified spiders. He also developed an interest in the use of spiders for biological control. [2]

During his undergraduate years, Edwards learned that a professor doing research on the use of spiders for biological control, Dr. Willard H. Whitcomb, was at the University of Florida. After graduation, he took a graduate assistantship at the university, and completed the Master of Science degree in Entomology (1975) studying the life history of Phidippus regius while working on spiders in soybeans. He later obtained the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Entomology (1980) conducting research on the life history, ecology, mimicry, predatory behavior, courtship behavior, and taxonomy of the jumping spider genus Phidippus . [2]

Research and professional affiliations

Edwards' early research interests focused on the use of spiders as biocontrol agents, and the behavior, biodiversity, biogeography, ecology, and systematics of the spider family Salticidae, the jumping spiders. His later research focused mainly on the systematics of jumping spiders. [1]

His professional activities and affiliations include charter member and membership secretary of the Peckham Society and editor of its publication, Peckhamia ; editorial board member of the American Tarantula Society; charter member, Director, and chair of the Committee on Common Names, American Arachnological Society; Secretary and President, Center for Systematic Entomology; and Courtesy Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphyla</span> Class of many-legged arthropods

Symphylans, also known as garden centipedes or pseudocentipedes, are soil-dwelling arthropods of the class Symphyla in the subphylum Myriapoda. Symphylans resemble centipedes, but are very small, non-venomous, and only distantly related to both centipedes and millipedes. They can move rapidly through the pores between soil particles, and are typically found from the surface down to a depth of about 50 centimetres (20 in). They consume decaying vegetation, but can do considerable harm in an agricultural setting by consuming seeds, roots, and root hairs in cultivated soil.

<i>Phidippus</i> Genus of spiders

Phidippus is a genus in the family Salticidae. Some of the largest jumping spiders inhabit this genus, and many species are characterized by their brilliant, iridescent green chelicerae. Phidippus is distributed almost exclusively in North America, with the exception of two exported species. As of January 2021, there were about 80 described species in the genus. Species previously described in Phidippus which are found in India and Bangladesh do not belong in this genus.

<i>Phidippus audax</i> Species of arachnid (type of jumping spider)

Phidippus audax is a common jumping spider of North America. It is commonly referred to as the bold jumping spider or bold jumper. The spider belongs to the genus Phidippus, a group of jumping spiders easily identified both by their relatively large size and their iridescent chelicerae.

<i>Phidippus octopunctatus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus octopunctatus is a jumping spider that occurs in the United States and Mexico, mostly in the Great Basin Desert. It is among the largest jumping spiders found in North America, approaching 25 millimetres (0.98 in) in body length. They are gray to brownish-gray in color.

<i>Phidippus otiosus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus otiosus is a species of jumping spider that is found in southeastern North America. It is primarily a tree-living species. Females reach a body length of about 16 mm. Its iridescent chelicerae can range in color from purple to green.

<i>Phidippus pius</i> Species of spider

Phidippus pius is a species of jumping spider that is found in Central America and North America. Its range extends from the Eastern United States, west to Arizona, and south to Costa Rica. The color pattern of this species varies. Females are yellow to orange while males are orange to red.

<i>Phidippus clarus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus Clarus, also known as the Brilliant Jumping Spider, is a species of jumping spider found in old fields throughout eastern North America. It often waits upside down near the top of a plant, which may be useful for detecting prey, and then quickly jumps down before the prey can escape. The spider is one of 60 species in the genus Phidippus, and one of about 5,000 in the Salticidae, a family that accounts for about 10% of all spider species. P. clarus is a predator, mostly consuming insects, other spiders, and other terrestrial arthropods.

<i>Lyssomanes viridis</i> Species of spider

Lyssomanes viridis, commonly known as the magnolia green jumper, is a species of jumping spider of the genus Lyssomanes, for which it is the type species. The species is native to the United States, being found in much of the Southeastern United States and Texas. It has also been reported from parts of Mexico, with sightings as far south as Guatemala and as far north as Maryland.

Phidippus bidentatus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in a range from the United States to Costa Rica.

<i>Phidippus carneus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus carneus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

Phidippus ardens is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

<i>Phidippus insignarius</i> Species of spider

Phidippus insignarius is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States.

<i>Phidippus texanus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus texanus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

<i>Phidippus carolinensis</i> Species of spider

Phidippus carolinensis is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

<i>Phidippus nikites</i> Species of spider

Phidippus nikites is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

Phidippus comatus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in North America.

Phidippus tux, the jumping spider, is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Mexico.

Phidippus cryptus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States and Canada.

<i>Phidippus apacheanus</i> Species of spider

Phidippus apacheanus is a species of jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is found in the United States, Mexico, and Cuba.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Florida State Collection of Arthropods: Curatorial Staff, archived from the original on February 21, 2020, retrieved October 20, 2014
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Edwards, J.B. (2001). "Jerzy Proszynski: Salticidae (Aranae) of the World by 2003, Supplement: Biographies of Arachnologists". Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Glavis Bernard (G.B.) Edwards, Jr.: Published Photographs and Publications". Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
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