Wilson R. Lourenço

Wilson R. Lourenço is a French-Brazilian arachnologist specializing in scorpions.

Biography

Wilson R. Lourenço is a French-Brazilian arachnologist who has specialized in the study of scorpions. He obtained his PhD in evolutionary biology in 1978 from the Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris, followed by a doctorate in population biology from the same institution in 1985.[1]

Since 1971, Lourenço has focused on the taxonomy, biology, biogeography, and ecology of scorpions. He has described numerous taxa, contributing significantly to the understanding of scorpion diversity and classification.[2] Lourenço is currently an emeritus research fellow at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, where he has collaborated with international research teams from South America, Africa, and Asia.[1]

He has published over 600 scientific papers on scorpions, addressing various aspects of their taxonomy, distribution, and ecology.[1][2] His notable works include the book Scorpions of Brazil (2002), which serves as a comprehensive guide to the scorpion fauna of Brazil.[3]

In addition to his academic publications, Lourenço has held positions as an Invited Professor at the Vietnam Academy of Sciences and the University of Ghardaïa in Algeria. Several scorpion taxa have been named in his honor.

Dedicated taxa

Other zoologists have named the following taxa after Lourenço:

Described taxa

Lourenço has described the following taxa:

Lourenço named Afghanobuthus naumanni and its monotypic genus.
Lourenço has described the genus and many species of Microcharmus, including Microcharmus cloudsleythompsoni.
Protobuthus elegans, a Triassic scorpion described by Lourenço & Gall

References

  1. ^ a b c Lourenço, Wilson R. (2014). "A historical approach to scorpion studies with special reference to the 20th and 21st centuries". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 20 (1): 8. doi:10.1186/1678-9199-20-8. ISSN 1678-9199. PMC 3995703. PMID 24618067.
  2. ^ a b "Lourenço, Wilson R." ZooBank. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  3. ^ Lourenço (2002). Scorpions of Brazil. Paris: Éd. de l'If. ISBN 978-2-914449-03-8. OCLC 470146814.
  4. ^ Ojanguren Affilastro, Andres Alejandro; Mattoni, Camilo Ivan; Ochoa, José A.; Prendini, Lorenzo (February 2012). "Rumikiru, n. gen. (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae), a new scorpion genus from the Atacama Desert". Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.