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Stephen E. Thorpe

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Stephen Ernest Thorpe (27 January 1970 – 24 August 2024) was an English-born entomologist in New Zealand. He contributed vast amounts of data and analysis in many contexts, particularly to iNaturalist. Thorpe was a member of the research group that described the beetle genus Neodoxa in 2003. In 2011, he helped with describing the New Zealand marsh beetle species Stenocyphon neozealandicus by recognising the species among unsorted insect specimens at Auckland War Memorial Museum while he was volunteering. Thorpe was murdered on 24 August 2024 during his daily walk to search for insects and plants. Thirteen species were named after Thorpe.

Stephen E. Thorpe
Thorpe at the University of Auckland in 2012
Born(1970-01-27)27 January 1970
Coventry, UK
Died24 August 2024(2024-08-24) (aged 54)
Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
Alma mater
Scientific career
FieldsEntomology
Institutions

Early life and education

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Stephen Ernest Thorpe was born in England on 27 January 1970.[1] He held a degree in chemistry and an MA in philosophy from the University of Auckland.[2][1][3]

Career

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Thorpe became an independent entomologist from the late 1990s.[2] He worked as a Research Associate at the University of Auckland from 2008 to 2011[1] and did contract work for Landcare Research and other organisations.[3] In his latter years he was based at the Whau River Catchment Trust offices at the Blockhouse Bay Tennis Club in Auckland,[1] and had told acquaintances that he thought he was on the autism spectrum.[3]

Thorpe contributed 12,000 specimens to Auckland War Memorial Museum.[2] He was a part of the research group who described the beetle genus Neodoxa in 2003.[4] A new species of New Zealand beetle, Cyparium thorpei, was named after him in 2004.[5] In 2011, Thorpe was instrumental in describing the New Zealand marsh beetle species Stenocyphon neozealandicus, having recognised the species among unsorted insect specimens at Auckland War Memorial Museum as a volunteer.[6] He contributed to biosecurity in New Zealand by reporting 39 species not previously found in the country to the Ministry for Primary Industries.[7] He was a contributor to a number of taxonomic projects, including iNaturalist, Taxacom, Wikispecies, and ZooBank.[1]

Death

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On 24 August 2024 Thorpe was murdered by an apparent intruder at the Blockhouse Bay Tennis Club and recreation area where he used an office for his work as he left on his daily walk to look for insects and plants. Police said that there was a "violent struggle" between Thorpe and his attacker. Thorpe was aged 54 at the time of his death.[1][8][9] His only living family was his elderly father who lived in Brisbane.[10] A 26-year-old local man was arrested on 28 August 2024 and charged with the murder.[11] A karakia that was attended by dozens of community members was held at the scene where Thorpe was killed.[12]

Thorpe's funeral service was held on 2 September 2024 at the same tennis club where he had worked and died. It was attended by around 200 people.[13]

Eponymy

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Thorpe had thirteen species named in his honour.[7]

Selected publications

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Scholia has an author profile for Stephen E. Thorpe.
  • Klimaszewski, J.; Marris, J. W. M.; Thorpe, S. E. (January 2003). "The aleocharine rove beetle fauna of the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with descriptions of two new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 30 (2): 115–126. doi:10.1080/03014223.2003.9518330. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54555452.
  • Leschen, R.A.B.; Lawrence, J.F.; Kuschel, G.; Thorpe, S.; Wang, Q. (December 2003). "Coleoptera genera of New Zealand". New Zealand Entomologist. 26 (1): 15–28. doi:10.1080/00779962.2003.9722105. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q54588073.
  • Ewers, Robert M.; Thorpe, Stephen; Didham, Raphael K. (1 January 2007). "Synergistic interactions between edge and area effects in a heavily fragmented landscape". Ecology. 88 (1): 96–106. doi:10.1890/0012-9658(2007)88[96:SIBEAA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0012-9658. PMID 17489458. Wikidata Q33284109.
  • Ruta, Rafał; Thorpe, Stephen; Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki (29 November 2011). "Stenocyphon neozealandicus, a new species from New Zealand of a previously monotypic subfamily from Chile (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Stenocyphoninae)". Zootaxa. 3113 (1): 65–68. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3113.1.4. ISSN 1175-5334. Wikidata Q129806544.
  • Campbell, Rebecca E.; Harding, Jon S.; Ewers, Robert M.; Thorpe, Stephen; Didham, Raphael K. (December 2011). "Production land use alters edge response functions in remnant forest invertebrate communities". Ecological Applications. 21 (8): 3147–3161. doi:10.1890/10-2390.1. ISSN 1051-0761. Wikidata Q54588064.
  • Thorpe, Stephen E. (26 January 2017). "Is photography-based taxonomy really inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences? A reply to Ceríaco et al. (2016)". Zootaxa. 4226 (3): 449–450. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4226.3.9. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 28187627. Wikidata Q28938028.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "In memory of Stephen Thorpe". iNaturalist NZ. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Morton, Jamie (29 August 2024). "Slain Blockhouse Bay scientist: Why would anyone have killed Stephen Thorpe?". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Davison, Isaac (25 August 2024). "Blockhouse Bay homicide: Victim was killed in attack on his daily walk to look for insects". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  4. ^ Klimaszewski, J.; Marris, J. W. M.; Thorpe, S. E. (January 2003). "The aleocharine rove beetle fauna of the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), with descriptions of two new species". New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 30 (2): 115–126. doi:10.1080/03014223.2003.9518330. ISSN 0301-4223. Wikidata Q54555452.
  5. ^ Collins, Simon (27 January 2004). "Hillary caught up in scientists' beetle mania". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ Ruta, Rafał; Thorpe, Stephen; Yoshitomi, Hiroyuki (29 November 2011). "Stenocyphon neozealandicus, a new species from New Zealand of a previously monotypic subfamily from Chile (Coleoptera: Scirtidae: Stenocyphoninae)". Zootaxa. 3113 (1): 65–68. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3113.1.4. ISSN 1175-5334. Wikidata Q129806544.
  7. ^ a b Oliver, Katie (28 August 2024). "Blockhouse Bay homicide: Victim Stephen Thorpe remembered by fellow entomologists as an inspiration with rare talent". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. ^ Davison, Isaac (25 August 2024). "Blockhouse Bay homicide: Victim was a 'beautiful soul', tennis club says". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  9. ^ Franks, Raphael (26 August 2024). "Blockhouse Bay homicide: Police formally identify Stephen Thorpe, 54, as victim". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  10. ^ Franks, Raphael (2 September 2024). "Blockhouse Bay stabbing victim's funeral: Scientist Stephen Thorpe remembered at tennis club". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  11. ^ Clark, Poppy (29 August 2024). "Man arrested over death of Auckland bug expert in Blockhouse Bay". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Stephen Thorpe death: Police investigating how offender left Blockhouse Bay". Radio New Zealand. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Funeral for Blockhouse Bay victim Stephen Thorpe today, elderly father to watch on livestream". NZ Herald. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  14. ^ Ferrer-Suay, Mar; Paretas-Martínez, Jordi; Selfa, Jesús; Pujade-Villar, Juli (22 February 2012). "Charipinae fauna from New Zealand with descriptions of two new species of Alloxysta Förster (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae)". Austral Entomology. 51 (4): 7–8. doi:10.1111/J.1440-6055.2012.00859.X. ISSN 1326-6756. Wikidata Q54630873.
  15. ^ Olmi, Massimo (2007). "New Zealand Dryinidae and Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea): New Records and Description of Bocchus thorpei New Species". Records of the Auckland Museum. 44: 5–16. ISSN 1174-9202. JSTOR 42905891. Wikidata Q58623356.
  16. ^ Berry, J. A. (7 September 2007). "Alysiinae (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Braconidae)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 58. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.58. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 690463781. Wikidata Q44986211.
  17. ^ Shaw, Scott Richard; Berry, Jocelyn A. (2005). "Two new Cryptoxilos species (Hymenoptera : Braconidae : Euphorinae) from New Zealand and Fiji parasitising adult Scolytinae (Coleoptera)". Invertebrate Systematics. 19 (5): 371. doi:10.1071/IS05021. ISSN 1445-5226. Wikidata Q29031757.
  18. ^ Löbl, Ivan; Leschen, Richard A. B. (18 November 2003). "Scaphidiinae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)" (PDF). Fauna of New Zealand. 48. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research: 17–18. doi:10.7931/J2/FNZ.48. ISSN 0111-5383. OCLC 494194341. Wikidata Q45009830.
  19. ^ Winterton, Shaun L.; Irwin, Michael E. (30 May 2008). "Kaurimyia gen. nov.: discovery of Apsilocephalidae (Diptera: Therevoid clade) in New Zealand". Zootaxa. 1779 (1): 38. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.1779.1.3. ISSN 1175-5334. Wikidata Q97483398.
  20. ^ Park, J.-S.; Carlton, C. E. (December 2014). "A Revision of the New Zealand Species of the Genus Sagola Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Faronitae)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. 68 (mo4): 1–156. doi:10.1649/072.068.0MO4.1. ISSN 0010-065X. Wikidata Q54554278.
  21. ^ Masunaga, Kazuhiro (27 September 2017). "Saltmarsh flies of the genus Scorpiurus Parent from New Zealand (Insecta: Diptera: Dolichopodidae)". Zootaxa. 4324 (3): 581–591. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4324.3.11. ISSN 1175-5334. Wikidata Q42294009.
  22. ^ Magnacca, K. (2 January 2019). "Two new species of Sierola Cameron (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from New Zealand and Australia". New Zealand Entomologist. 42 (1): 13–20. doi:10.1080/00779962.2019.1602899. ISSN 0077-9962. Wikidata Q104453748.
  23. ^ Belokobylskij, Sergey A; Austin, Andrew D (29 August 2013). "New species of flightless doryctine parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) from Australia and New Zealand". Austral Entomology. 52 (4): 338–355. doi:10.1111/AEN.12042. ISSN 1326-6756. Wikidata Q54623218.
  24. ^ Kontschán, Jenő (August 2012). "Three new Uropodina mites from New Zealand (Acari, Mesostigmata)" (PDF). Spixiana. 35 (1): 9–17. ISSN 0341-8391. Wikidata Q129809014.
  25. ^ Roháñek, Jindřich (5 September 2007). "Zealantha thorpei gen. et sp. nov. (Diptera: Anthomyzidae), first family representative from New Zealand". Zootaxa. 1576 (1): 1–13. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.1576.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334. Wikidata Q97481491.
  26. ^ Buhl, Peter N. (2017). "New species and a key to species of the New Zealand genus Zelostemma Masner & Huggert, 1989, (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae)". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 153 (1): 59–72. ISSN 0013-8908. Wikidata Q129861891.
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