- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Dr. Maurice J. Tauber, a visiting professor/scientist and associate with the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, died Oct. 6 at the age of 82. Dr. Tauber was also an emeritus professor, and Graduate School professor, in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
Dr. Tauber earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Manitoba, Canada. In 1966 he received his doctorate in entomology from the University of California, Berkeley. He was on the faculty of the Cornell University Department of Entomology, from 1966 to 2000, and chaired the department from 1981 to 1986. At Cornell, his research and teaching focused on biological control of insects and insect behavior, with emphasis on experimental studies of insect seasonal cycles. In 2000, he retired from Cornell and became associated with UC Davis, where his research emphasis shifted to the comparative biology of New World green lacewings.
For nearly 50 years, Dr. Tauber shared a prolific scientific career with his wife, Dr. Catherine (Kady) Tauber, whom he met at UC Berkeley. The scope of his research embraced ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral questions, and involved both beneficial and pest species from eight insect orders. The research yielded fundamental insights into insect photoperiodism, dormancy, development, and speciation. The findings have a broad impact on applied problems, for example in the management of diverse crop production systems and natural ecosystems. He published approximately 200 papers, many with Kady, in entomological journals, as well as in Nature, Science, and Annual Reviews. He had two paper in press, and was working on several manuscripts in the weeks before his passing.
He also wrote numerous book chapters, and a textbook Seasonal Adaptations of Insects (1986, co-authored with Kady and Dr. Sinzo Masaki of Japan). The book continues to serve as a stimulus and resource for research on insect seasonality: the underlying ecophysiological and genetic mechanisms; its role in the evolution of insect life histories and speciation; and its importance to insect pest management.
Dr. Tauber was major professor for a number of graduate students who have continued their careers in entomology, including Drs. Jim Nechols, John Obrycki, John Ruberson, Gilberto Albuquerque, Lindsey Milbrath, Yin-Fu Chang, and José I. Lopez-Arroyo. He was a dedicated mentor and enthusiastic supporter of his graduate students, as well as undergraduates who worked in the Blauvelt Lab at Cornell University. At UC Davis, he advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students in an informal capacity.
Dr. Tauber was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Entomological Society of Canada, and the California Academy of Sciences. He served on the Governing Board and several editorial boards of the Entomological Society of America. For more than 20 years he was active on the editorial board of the European Journal of Entomology. He was also a research associate of the B.P. Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and a member of numerous scientific societies.
The International Organization of Biological Control (IOBC) recognized his work with two awards that he shared with his wife: the IOBC/Nearctic Regional Section Distinguished Scientist Award (2002) and Honorary Membership – Global IOBC (2012).
Dr. Maurice Tauber is survived by his wife, and their sons and daughter (Paul, Michael, and Agatha).
No immediate services are planned, but a memorial may take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made to a University of California library, or the Cornell University Library.
Tributes:
"When I joined the faculty at Davis in 1973, Maurice was the first to welcome me to the biological-control community and he served as my mentor for several years while I developed my research program. Following his retirement from Cornell, I was absolutely delighted to host both Maurice and Kady in my laboratory at Davis. It's been a wonderful collaboration. Maurice was a outstanding scientist, colleague, and friend. His passing is a great loss for our profession."--Les Ehler, emeritus professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Related Links:
Noted Scientists Maurice and Catherine Tauber Honored by California Academy of Sciences
Nov. 13, 2009
Taubers Receive International Honor
Dec. 31, 2012
The Fascinating Behavior of Debris-Carrying by Green Lacewing Larvae
March 26, 2014
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
It is the work of entomologists Catherine and Maurice Tauber, visiting professors and affiliates of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, collaborating with their former Ph.D student Gilberto Albuquerque on an extensive review of the widely scattered literature on the topic, as well as an analysis of the habit's evolution in lacewings.
The abstract for "Debris-Carrying in Larval Chrysopidae: Unraveling Its Evolutionary History":
Larval debris-carrying, which occurs in many insect taxa, is a remarkable behavioral trait with substantial life history significance. For the Chrysopidae, information on the topic is scattered, and the habit's diversity and evolutionary history are unassessed. Here, we compile a comprehensive, annotated catalog on chrysopid debris-carrying and its associated larval morphology, and we identify emerging systematic patterns of variation, from larval nakedness to the construction of elaborate packets. Then, we examine these patterns in the context of available phylogenies with two objectives: 1) to begin unraveling the evolutionary history of chrysopid debris-carrying and 2) to evaluate the current and potential role of larval morphology (including debris-carrying modifications) in classification and phylogeny of this family. Debris-carrying: the literature revealed that debris-carrying occurs in the chrysopoid fossil record and in all three extant chrysopid subfamilies, including those proposed as basal (Nothochrysinae, Apochrysinae). Nevertheless, the family's ancestral state remains unresolved. The habit may have evolved at least once in Nothochrysinae or been lost several times. Larvae from only one genus of Apochrysinae are known, and they are debris-carriers. Each of the four tribes of the third subfamily, Chrysopinae, has distinctive debris-carrying characteristics. In ankylopterygine larvae, debris-carrying modifications seem relatively conserved. Among the ant-associated belonopterygine genera, debris-carrying is either highly evolved or, in one case, possibly absent. Within the large chrysopine tribe, nakedness and debris-carrying appear to have evolved independently numerous times; also, some reversals may have occurred. With one possible exception, leucochrysine genera have debris-carrying larvae. Larval morphology: scrutiny of the literature showed that all chrysopid genera whose larvae are known exhibit characteristic suites of anatomical structures related to carrying debris. Moreover, larval morphology provides strong (synapomorphic) evidence for the monophyly of four of the seven suprageneric chrysopid taxa: the subfamily Nothochrysinae and three of the four tribes of Chrysopinae (Ankylopterygini, Belonopterygini, and Leucochrysini). Larval morphological and debris-carrying characteristics appear to support some, but not all, previously proposed generic relationships within the tribe Chrysopini. Given the demonstrated potential advantages for including larval characters in chrysopid phylogenetic studies, it is essential to enhance the pool of available larval data. Therefore, we propose that citizen-scientists be involved in gathering verifiable data and that systematists develop comprehensive data matrices for comparative larval studies.
Publication
C. A. Tauber, M. J. Tauber, and G. S. Albuquerque. 2014. Debris-carrying in larval Chrysopidae: Unraveling its evolutionary history. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 107: 295-314.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Entomologists Catherine and Maurice Tauber, visiting scientists with the UC Davis Department of Entomology, are newly selected honorary members of the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) for their outstanding contributions to biological control.
The IOBC coordinates biological control activities worldwide through its six regional sections (Africa, Asia, East Europe, North America, South America, and West Europe) and many working groups. IOBC is affiliated with the International Council of Scientific Union as the section of Biological Control of the International Union of Biological Sciences. A recent edition of IOBC newsletter welcomed them as honorary members.
Both earned their doctorate degrees in entomology at UC Berkeley; Catherine in 1968 and Maurice in 1966. From the newsletter: “Since then, they have represented one of the most successful collaborative teams in entomology, if not all of biological science. The impact of their research goes well beyond their collective expertise in insect seasonality, behavior, evolutionary biology, systematics, and biological control. For the Taubers have demonstrated the rare ability to blend what they have learned in multiple areas of insect biology to reveal complex life histories and biological relationships involving beneficial and pest insects, and to apply that knowledge to improve biological control programs.
“Maurice Tauber served for many years as a professor in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University where he was also department chair for two terms. Catherine served as senior research associate.”
“…Their contributions to entomology and science are recognized internationally, and individually and together they have received numerous awards and distinctions, including American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow (Maurice Tauber), honorary fellows of the California Academy of Science, and the IOBC/Neartic Regional Section Distinguished Achievement Award, which they received in 2002. Prolific researchers, Maurice and Catherine have published more than 200 papers in the major journals in entomology, zoology, and biological science, including nine in Science and Nature as well as two annual review articles and more than twenty book chapters. Owing to their strong commitment to biological control, which they have instilled in all of their graduate students, Maurice and Catherine Tauber have devoted a significant part of their careers to applying fundamental knowledge to enhance biological control and pest management in general.
“For example, their landmark book, Seasonal Adaptations of Insects, published in 1986, contains chapters that illustrate the importance and practical use of information about seasonal adaptations for biological control and integrated pest management. Most of the Taubers' work has focused on the Neuroptera, specifically the families Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae, which represent important predators of several groups of arthropod pests. However, the breadth of their research encompasses eight insect orders representing both pest and beneficial species in diverse cropping systems.
“The Taubers have significantly advanced our knowledge of enemy-pest synchrony, host/prey selection, tri-trophic interactions, mass-rearing of predators, biological control of weeds, and the taxonomy and systematics of lacewings. In so doing, their work has strengthened classical, conservation and augmentative biological control programs worldwide. In addition to their research, the Taubers have provided exemplary service serving on numerous university and professional society committees, boards, and task forces.”
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
"This is a prestigious honor and well deserved," said Michael Parrella, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology who earlier welcomed them to the department as visiting professors, scientists and associates. "Drs. Catherine and Maurice Tauber represent one of the most successful collaborations in the history of entomology-both personally and scientifically."
The couple met in graduate school in the 1960s at UC Berkeley, where they received their doctorates in entomology. Maurice Tauber served as a professor and chair of the Cornell University Department of Entomology. He continues to serve as a graduate school professor. Catherine Tauber served as a senior research associate. At Cornell, they conducted research in the areas of insect seasonality, evolutionary biology and speciation, biological control, and systematics.
"The Taubers have had impressive research careers and have continued pursuing their research interests even after retirement,” said Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum of Entomology and professor and vice chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology. “Having them in Davis has been fabulous for us. They've been great contributors to the Bohart Museum and can always be counted on to provide their expertise and experience.”
The Taubers have had a long association with the California Academy of Sciences, and returned to California from Cornell in 2000 to continue their research. Although "officially" retired, they continue their research on the comparative biology and systematics of New World lacewings, which are in the insect order Neuroptera or net-winged insects, which includes lacewings, mantid flies and antlions.
Last November the Taubers were honored at the Entomological Society of America's 56th annual meeting held in Reno. A four-hour seminar, titled "Metamorphisis Through Merger: Celebrating the Diverse Entomological Accomplishments of Maurice and Catherine Tauber," included tributes by a host of scientists throughout the country, including UC Davis entomology professor Les Ehler, now retired. Drawing on their work, Ehler discussed "Manipulating Lacewings in Agriculture: Past Problems and Future Directions."
The California Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Golden Gate Park, is an international center for scientific education and research. It conducts research in 11 scientific fields: anthropology, aquatic biology, botany, comparative genomics, entomology, geology, herpetology, ichthyology, invertebrate zoology, mammalogy and ornithology.
Its roster includes more than 300 Fellows, including three UC Davis Department of Entomology professors: integrated pest management specialist Frank Zalom; ant specialist Phil Ward; and native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, an emeritus professor who continues his research on native pollinators at his office in the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility at UC Davis.