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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Terry Erwin

(1940 - 2020) Former Curator of Coleoptera
Department / Division
Entomology
Education
  • M.A., San Jose State College
  • B.A., San Jose State College
  • Ph.D., University of Alberta
Research Interests

Research specialties: Systematics, natural history, and zoogeography of world ground beetles (Carabidae); biodiversity aspects of Neotropical forest canopy insects and their allies; conservation of tropical forests.

Publications
Journal Article
Book Chapter
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Zamorano, L. S. 2017. "Monitoreando Cambios a Nivel del Dosel y el Suelo en las Poblaciones de Carabidos a lo Largo del Tiempo en la Llanura Amazonica Occidental, Area del Yauni, Ecuador." In Los Secretos del Yasuni: Advances en la Investigacion del Bosque Tropical--Estacion de Biodiversidad San Francisco de Quito. Romo, D. and Mosquera, D., editors. 181–195.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Zamorano, L. S. 2017. "Forest Canopies, Animal Diversity." In Reference Module in Life Sciences. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809633-8.02293-7.
  • Erwin, Terry L., Zamorano, L. S., and Geraci, C. J. 2017. "Amazonian Rainforests and Their Richness and Abundance of Terrestrial Arthropods on the Edge of Extinction: Abiotic–Biotic Players in the Critical Zone." In Insect biodiversity: science and society. Second ed. Foottit, R. and Adler, Peter H., editors. 65–94. Hoboken, New Jersey: Blackwell Publishing.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2013. "Forest Canopies, Animal Diversity." In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. 2nd ed. Levin, S. A., editor. 511–515. Waltham, MA: Academic Press. 3
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2012. "Documenting biodiversity at different scales." In Yasuni, Tiputini & the web of life. Swing, Kelly, Oxford, Pete, and Bish, Reneé, editors. 231. Quito, Ecuador: Ingwe Press.
  • Adis, Joachim A., Erwin, Terry L., Battirola, L. D., and Ketelhut, S. M. 2010. "The importance of floodplain forests for animal biodiversity: Beetles in canopies of floodplain and upland forests." In Amazonian Floodplain Forests. Ecophysiology, Biodiversity and Sustainable Management.. Junk, W. J., Fernandez Piedade, M. T., Wittmann, F., Schongart, J., and Parolin, P., editors. 313–328. Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8725-6_16.
  • Erwin, Terry L., Toledano, L., and Maddison, D. R. 2010. "New enigmatic species of ground beetles from stream margins and scree in the Andes of South America (Carabidae: Trechitae: Andinodontis gen. n.)." In Contributions to Biology and Systematics of Beetles. Entomologische Blätter. Klaudnitzer, B., Schmidt, J., and Erwin, Terry L., editors. 73–88. Entomologische Blätter.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Geraci, Christy J. 2009. "Amazonian rainforests and their richness of Coleoptera, a dominant life form in the critical zone of the Neotropics." In Insect biodiversity: science and society. Footit, Robert G. and Adler, Peter H., editors. 49–67. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Geraci, Christy J. 2008. "New genera of Pseudomorphini (Insecta: Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the Western Hemisphere." In Back to the Roots and back to the future: towards a new synthesis between taxonomic, ecological, and biogeographical approaches in carabidology. Proceedings of the XIII European Carabidologists Meeting, Blagoevgrad, August 20-24, 2007.. Penev, L.,, Erwin, Terry L., and Assmann, T. , editors. 77–100. Sofia, Bugaria: Pensoft Publishers.
  • Will, W. W., Erwin, Terry L., Maddison, D. R., and Liebherr, J. K. 2008. "Forward." In Contributions to carabidology: A celebration of Professor George E. Balls 80th birthday. Liebherr, J. K. and Rawlins, J. E., editors. v–vi. Pittsburg, PA: Carnegie Museum.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2007. "Forest Canopies, Animal Diversity." In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, Volume 3. Levin, S., editor. 1–7. Amsterdam: Academic Press.
  • Baker, Timothy R., Phillips, Oliver L., Malhi, Yadvinder, Almeida, Samuel, Arroyo, Luzmilla, Di Fiore, Anthony, Erwin, Terry L., Higuchi, N., Killeen, Timothy J., Laurance, Susan G., Laurance, William F., Lewis, S. L., Monteagudo, A., Neill, David A., Núñez-Vargas, P., Pitman, Nigel C. A., Natalino, J., Silva, M., and Vásquez-Martinez, R. 2005. "Late twentieth-century trends in the biomass of Amazonian forest plots." In Tropical Forests and Global Atmospheric Change. Yadvinders, M. and Oliver, O. L., editors. 129–141. Oxford University Press.
  • Phillips, Oliver L., Baker, Timothy R., Arroyo, Luzmilla, Higuchi, N., Killeen, Timothy J., Laurance, William F., Lewis, S. L., Lloyd, J., Malhi, Yadvinder, Monteagudo, A., Neill, David A., Núñez-Vargas, P., Natalino, J., Silva, J. N. M., Terborgh, John W., Vásquez-Martinez, R., Alexiades, Miguel N., Almeida, Samuel, Brown, S., Chave, J., Comiskey, J. A., Czimczik, C. I., Di Fiore, Anthony, Erwin, Terry L., Kuebler, C. et al. 2005. "Late twentieth-century patterns and trends in Amazon tree turnover." In Tropical Foress and Global Atomospheric Change. Yadvinders, M. and Oliver, O. L., editors. 107–128. Oxford University Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2004. "The Biodiversity Question: How many species of terrestrial arthropods are there?" In Forest Canopies, 2nd Edition. Lowman, M. D. and Rrinker, H. B., editors. 259–269. Academic Press, Amsterdam.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2002. "Tropical forests: Their richness in Coleoptera and other arthropod species." In Foundations of Tropical Forest Biology: Classic Papers with Commentaries.. Chazdon, Robin L. and Whitmore, T. C., editors. 74–75. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2001. "Forest Canopies, Animal Diversity." In Encyclopedia of Biodiversity 3. Levin, S., editor. 19–25. New York: Academic Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Kavanaugh, D. H. 2000. "A New Species of the Tachyta Subgenus Paratachyta Erwin (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini: Tachyina) from Southeastern China with a New Key and Analysis of Phylogenetic Relationships among Species of the Subgenus." In Advances in carabidology (Papers dedicated to the memory of Prof. Oleg L. Kryzhanovskij). Zamotajlov, A. and Sciaky, R., editors. 183–194. Krasnodar: MUISO publications.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1998. "Evolution at the equator: Arboreal and alticolous beetles and their taxon pulses with descriptions of a new Agra subclade and its species (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiini)." In Phylogeny and Classification of Caraboidea (Coleoptera: Adephaga). Ball, George E., Casale, A., and Vigna Taglianti, A., editors. 491–510. 1 in XX International Congress of Entomology.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1997. "Natural history of the carabid beetles at the BIOLAT Biological Station, Rio Manu, Pakitza, Perú, Supplement I. Additional records." In Manu, The Biodiversity of Southeastern Peru. Wilson, Don E. and Sandoval, A., editors. 359–368. Lima: Editorial horizonte.
  • Venable, G. L. and Erwin, Terry L. 1997. "Mapping of the biodiversity site at Pakitza." In Manu, The Biodiversity of Southeastern Peru. Wilson, Don E. and Sandoval, A., editors. 29–42. Lima: Editorial horizonte.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1996. "Biodiversity at its utmost: Tropical forest beetles." In Biodiversity II. Understanding and protecting our biological resources. Reaka-Kudla, M. L., Wilson, Don E., and Wilson, E. O., editors. 27–40. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1995. "Measuring arthropod biodiversity in the tropical forest canopy." In Forest Canopies. Lowman, M. and Nadkarni, N., editors. 109–127. San Diego: Academic Press Inc..
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1993. "An evolutionary basis for conservation strategies." In Perspectives on Biodiversity: Case studies of genetic resource conservation and development. Potter, C. S., Cohen, J. I., and Janczewski, D., editors. 19–25. AAAS.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1992. "A Current Vision of Insect Diversity." In México ante los retos de la biodiversidad, Mexico confronts the challenges of biodiversity. 91–97.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1992. "Life in the Treetrops." In Australian Encyclopedia of Life. 1.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1991. "The significance of diversity: New challenges for the entomologist." In Entomology serving society: Emerging technologies and challenges. Vinson, S. B. and Metcalf, R. L., editors. 25–39. Lanham, Maryland: Entomological Society of America.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1988. "The tropical forest canopy: the heart of biotic diversity." In Biodiversity. Wilson, E. O., editor. 123–129. Washingotn, D.C.: National Academy Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Pogue, Michael G. 1988. "Agra, Arboreal Beetles of Neotropical Forests: Biogeography and the Forest Refugium Hypothesis (Carabidae)." In Proceedings of the Brasilian Academy of Sciences. Heyer, W. Ronald and Vanzolini, P. E., editors. 161–188.
  • Farrell, B. D. and Erwin, Terry L. 1988. "Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) of a forest canopy in amazonian Per: synoptic list of taxa, seasonality and host affiliation." In The Biology of Chrysomelidae. Jolivet, P., Petitpierre, E., and Hsiao, t., editors. 73–90. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Adis, Joachim A., Paarmann, W., and Erwin, Terry L. 1986. "On the natural history and ecology of small terrestrial Ground Beetles (Col.: Bembidiini: Tachyina: Polyderis) from an amazonian black water inundation forest." In Carabid Beetles: Their Adaptations and Dynamics. Den Boer, P. J., Theile, H. U., and Weber, F., editors. 413–427. Stuttgart, New York: Gustav Fischer.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1985. "The taxon pulse: A general pattern of lineage radiation and extinction among carabid beetles." In Taxonomy, phylogeny, and zoogeography of beetles and ant: A volume dedicated to the memory of Philip Jackson Darlington Jr. 1904-1983. Ball, George E., editor. 437–472. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1984. "Composition and origin of the ground beetle fauna of Sri Lanka (Coleoptera; Carabidae)." In Ecology and Biogeography in Sri Lanka. Fernando, C. H., editor. 371–398. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1983. "Beetles and other arthropods of the tropical forest canopies at Manaus, Brasil, sampled with insecticidal fogging techniques." In Tropical Rain Forest: Ecology and Management. Sutton, S. L., Whitmore, T. C., and Chadwick, A. C., editors. 59–75. Oxford, United Kingdom: Blackwell Scientific Publications.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Adis, Joachim A. 1982. "Amazon inundation forests: Their role as short term refuges and generators of species richness and taxon pulses." In Biological Diversification in the Tropics. Prance, G., editor. 358–371. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1981. "Taxon pulses, vicariance, and dispersal: An evolutionary synthesis illustrated by carabid beetles." In Vicariance Biogeography: A Critique. Nelson, G. and Rosen, D., editors. 159–183. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1980. "Thoughts on the evolutionary history of ground beetles: hypotheses generated from comparative faunal analyses of lowland forest sites in temperate and tropical regions." In Caribid beetles, their evolution, natural history and classification. Erwin, Terry L., Ball, George E., and Whitehead, Donald R., editors. Boston: Dr. W. Junk, Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1979. "Thoughts on the evolutionary history of ground beetles: Hypotheses generated from comparative faunal analyses of lowland forest sites in temperate and tropical regions." In Carabid beetles : their evolution, natural history and classification : proceedings of the first International Symposium of Carabidology. Erwin, Terry L., Ball, George E., Whitehead, D. R., and Halpern, A. L., editors. 539–592. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1979. "The American connection, past and present, as a model blending dispersal and vicariance in the study of biogeography." In
    Carabid beetles : their evolution, natural history and classification : proceedings of the first International Symposium of Carabidology    . Erwin, Terry L., Ball, George E., Whitehead, D. R., and Halpern, A. L., editors. 355–367. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1979. "A review of the natural history and evolution of ectoparasitoid relationships in carabid beetles." In Carabid beetles : their evolution, natural history and classification : proceedings of the first International Symposium of Carabidology. Erwin, Terry L., Ball, George E., Whitehead, D. R., and Halpern, A. L., editors. 479–484. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk b.v. Publishers.
  • Erwin, Terry L., Whitehead, D. R., and Ball, George E. 1977. "Family 4. CARABIDAE, The Ground Beetles. North American Beetle Fauna Project." In Checklist of the Beetles of Canada, United States, Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. Arnett, R., editor. 4.1–4.68. Gainesville, Florida: The Biological Research Institute of America, Inc..
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1973. "The ground beetle components of the Panamanian fauna." In Environmental Monitoring and Baseline Data. Tropical Studies. 124–128.
Book Review
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2013. [Book review] "FLIES – The Natural History and Diversity of Diptera by Stephen A. Marshall." ZooKeys, 261, 85–86. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.261.4628.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2007. [Book review] ""Applying nature's design: corridors as a strategy for biodiversity conservation. Issues, Gises, and Methods in Biodiversity Conservation" by Anthony B Anderson and Clinton N. Jenkins." The Quarterly Review of Biology, 82, 72.
  • Erwin, Terry L., Liebherr, J. K., and Zimmerman, E. C. 2003. [Book review] "The Insects of Hawaii, Volume 16, Hawaiian Carabidae (Coleoptera), Part 1: Introduction and Tribe Platynini." Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 96, (4), 596.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Swanson, Timothy. 2001. [Book review] "Global Action for Biodiversity, An International Framework for implementing the convention on biological diversity." The Quarterly review of biology, 76, (4), 59–519.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1998. [Book review] "Forests and Insects." Biodiversity and Conservation, 7, (12), 1662–1664.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1994. [Book review] "Insects of Panamá and Mesoamerica: Selected Studies." The Quarterly review of biology, 69, (3), 410.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1991. [Book review] "Gentry, A.H. (ed.), 1990. Four Neotropical Rainforests. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, i-xiii, 1-627." Association of Systematic Collections Newsletter, 19, (3), 38–40.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1978. [Book review] "Handbook of Common New Guinea Beetles, by Gressit, J. L. and Hornabrook, R. W., 1977, Wau Ecology Institute, Box 77, Wau, Papua New Guinea, viii + 87 pp. with 35 figs." Entomological Society of America Bulletin, 24, (4), 443–444.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1974. [Book review] "Surtsey, Iceland: The Development of a New Fauna, 1963-1970, Terrestrial Invertebrates." The Coleopterists Bulletin, 28, (3), 166.
Book
Dataset
Magazine Article
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2000. "Typecast: The Codes of Nomenclature." Whole Earth, 46. San Rafael, CA.
  • Erwin, Terry L. 2000. "Lumpers and Splitters." Whole Earth, 45–46. San Rafael, CA.
  • Erwin, Terry L. and Sandved, Kjell. 1976. "Chirp and rattle, dart and glitter!." Smithsonian, 7, (8), 116–120.
Abstract
  • Erwin, Terry L. 1997. "The Interacting Global Web of Insects, Human Cultures, and Modern Technologies: Global human expansion and diminishing biodiversity." .