Dr Barry James Donovan

Abstract

Dr Barry Donovan died from a heart attack on 13 May 2022 aged 81. He forged a long and distinguished career in entomology, specialising in bees. Barry worked for the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) for 22 years, and then for 5 months with Landcare Research when the Crown Research Institutes were formed, before eventually becoming an independent entomologist in 1992 based at Lincoln. He worked in entomological research under contract, primarily to Plant & Food Research where he became an honorary research fellow, and continued with this work until shortly before his death. Barry gained national and international recognition for his expertise in insect pollination, bee taxonomy and biological control of vespid wasps. Barry had an outstanding career and fruitful life. As a past member of the New Zealand Skeptics, Barry would have seen the irony of dying on a black Friday. Barry’s entomological interests began while growing up in Piriaka near Taumarunui in the North Island, New Zealand. He became hooked on bees at primary school when, unprotected, he transferred a swarm of honey bees, Apis mellifera ligustica, into a wooden apple crate and was intrigued to see the colony establish there. Barry gained experience in apiculture while working with a local beekeeper on the weekends throughout his school years, eventually acquiring 12 beehives of his own. He enjoyed observing insects visiting flowers and this introduced him to bees other than the more familiar honey bees or bumble bees. At this time, these bees could not easily be identified and Barry saw a career opportunity and a role in identifying these species. On completing his school studies at Taumarunui High School in 1959, where he was a prefect and Head Boy, Barry undertook a study for a BSc in Zoology from the University of Auckland, which he completed in 1964. He continued with postgraduate studies at Auckland, completing his MSc (Honours) thesis in 1967 on the nesting biology of a native bee, Leioproctus boltoni, on Barry Donovan with a bumble bee specimen from his bee collection (left), and collecting bumble bees (right). Photos, used with permission, from Robert Lamberts (L) and Nikki Gammans (R).