George Bignell English entomologist Date of Birth: 01.03.1826 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Military Service
2. Passion for Natural History
3. Career and Entomology Research
4. Exploration of Marine Algae and Other Interests
5. Legacy and Collections

Early Life and Military Service

George Carter Bignell was born on March 1, 1826, in Exeter, Devon, England. He left school at the age of 12 to work as an errand boy. At age 16, he joined the Royal Marines and was assigned to the HMS Superb, a third-rate ship of the line in the Royal Navy. Bignell saw action during the Portuguese Civil War in 1848 as part of the squadron sent to support Queen Maria II.

Passion for Natural History

It was during his service in the Marines that Bignell developed a passion for natural history. He particularly enjoyed studying insects whenever the opportunity arose. He retired from the Marines as a sergeant at the age of 22.

Career and Entomology Research

After his military service, Bignell worked as a registrar at the Stonehouse district office of the General Register Office. In his spare time, he dedicated himself to entomology, exploring the Devon and Cornwall countryside in search of interesting specimens and studying insect habitats.

Bignell specialized in studying ichneumon wasps, parasitic wasps that lay their eggs in the larvae of other insects. He discovered nineteen species of ichneumon wasps that were previously unknown to science. Two of these species were named in his honor. Bignell also devised an ingenious insect collecting tool called the "Bignell Beating Tray," a stretched piece of fabric into which insects could be knocked down from branches.

Exploration of Marine Algae and Other Interests

In addition to insects, Bignell later extended his research to include marine algae. He was a member of the Plymouth Athenaeum, an association dedicated to the study and advancement of art, literature, science, and technology. He served as President of the Plymouth Institution, a non-profit charity, in 1893. Bignell was also a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and contributed numerous articles to the journals "The Entomologist," "Young Naturalist," and "Transactions of the Plymouth Institution."

Legacy and Collections

Bignell's extensive collection of insects is displayed at the Plymouth Museum. A smaller portion of his collection is housed at the Natural History Museum in London. Despite being widowed by his first two wives, Bignell remarried in 1874. He moved from Stonehouse to Saltash in Cornwall in 1898. He passed away on his 84th birthday, March 1, 1910, and was survived by three daughters.