An accomplished entomologist, field ecologist, collector of beetles
and bees, and researcher and teacher of biological control and
integrated pest management, Dr Michelbacher contributed significantly
to myriapodology through his publications on Symphyla, on which
he became a leading authority. He published 11 papers on the taxonomy,
ecology and control of Symphyla, and described 18 new species,
9 in Symphylella, 7 in Scutigerella, and 1 each in Hansienella
and Symphyllelopsis.
He was born in riverside, California, received his bachelor's
degree at the University of California at Riverside and his Master's
and Ph.D. degrees at UC-Berkeley, subsequently joining the Entomology
department at the latter university.
He collected insects extensively in California and Mexico, particularly
Baja California, and occasionally collected larger myriapods,
including the types of Californiulus dorsovittatus Verhff
and 4 other species for which he received patronyms: Onychelus
michelbacheri Verhoeff, 1938, now in Atopetholus (Diplopoda,
Spirobolida, Athopetolidae); Scolopendra michelbacheri
Verhoeff, 1938 (Chilopoda, Scolopendromorpha, Scolopendridae);
Californibolus michelbacheri Verhoeff, 1944, now a synonym
of Tylobolus uncigerus (Wood) (Diplopoda, Spirobolida,
Spirobolidae); and Incorya michelbacheri Chamberlin, 1955
(Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Oryidae).
Dr Michelbacher had retired and become inactive when I began working
on California myriapods in 1984, so I never had the pleasure of
meeting him and thus do not know why he sent specimens to Verhoeff
in Germany during the 1930's-40's and only later to Chamberlin
in Utah, when both Chamberlin and Loomis were active during the
earlier years and publishing profusely on American Myriapods.
Judging from the biography by Chemsak et al. (1992, Pan-Pacific
Entom., 68 : 225-242), Dr Michelbacher was a broad, dedicated
entomologist and a warm friendly person, a scholar and a gentleman.
Rowland M. Shelley, March 1994