Peter Lamont Miller

7 Pages·1997·2.1 MB·English

by  Moore, N W

Odonatologica26(4): 377-383 December I,1997
PeterLamontMiller
N.W.Moore
The Farm House, 117Boxworth End, Swavesey, Cambridge,CB4 5RA, UK
Received December 9, 1996/BibliographyupdatedJune 18, 1997
A briefbiography ofDr P.L. Miller(20 May 1931 - 24March 1996), Council Member ofthe
Societas Intemationalis Odonatologicaand oneofthe world's leadingodonatologistsisfollowed by
hisodonatologicalbibliography(1961-1996;81 titles). Mostofhispapers combine anatomy,physi-
ology and studiesofbehaviour. Abibliographyofobituaries isappended.
DrPETER MILLER,oneoftheworld’sleadingodonatologists diedofmelanoma
on24thMarch 1996,afterashortillnesswhichdeveloped whilehewas inUganda.
HehadbeenawardedaProfessorship by theThirdWorldAcademy ofScienceand
wasjuststarting aperiod ofteaching andresearchthereaccompanied by hiswife
Kate.
Peter was bornin Edinburgh. His childhoodwas spent at BametnearLondon;
Peterusedtoenjoyaccompanying hisfatheronhisfishing expeditions toScotland
- perhaps his interest in dragonflies started then. Later the family moved to
Houghton, near Huntingdon, and then to Exning in Suffolk. On his bicycle he
becamevery familiarwith SuffolkandNorfolkandthenaturalhistory there.
In 1951,afterdoing hisNationalService, hewent uptoDowning College, Cam-
bridge. Initially heplanned tobecomea veterinarianlikehis father,whohadbeen
aProfessorofVeterinaryScienceinEdinburgh andLondon.AtCambridge Peter’s
veterinary studiesintroducedhimtophysiology, butconvincedthatitwasthephysi-
ology ofinsectsandotherinvertebratesthathereally wantedtostudy, hechanged
course andreadPhysiology, Zoology andBotany forPartIoftheNaturalSciences
Tripos andZoology forPartII.HeobtainedaFirstClass inbothpartsoftheTripos
and was awardedtheFrank Smart Prizein 1955as thebest zoologist oftheyear.
HeremainedintheZoologyDepartment to doresearchinthefamousInsectPhysi-
ologyUnitofthelateProfessorV.B.Wigglesworth,whilefrom 1956to 1959hold-
ingaResearchFellowship atDowning College. HewasawardedhisPhDforwork
on the controlofrespiration in the desert locust and in a numberof species of
378 N.W.Moore
dragonflies.
1959wasanextremelyim-
portantyearforPeter:hemar-
ried Kate Palmer, a fellow
Cambridge biologist whom
he had first met on abotany
field course in Austria in
1954,andheembarkedonhis
teaching career by becoming
a Lecturer in Zoology at
Makerere College, Kampala,
Uganda. Hewas nowable to
realiseaburning ambitionto
become acquainted with the
Fig. 1. WithKate and his mother in the gardenin Oxford: biology ofatropical country.
summer 1989. He began at once to collect
andobservedragonflies andhe delightedinthevarietyandabundancetobefound
In 1962heleftMakerereon appointment as aLecturerinZoology attheUniver-
sity ofOxford. He became aFellow andTutoratThe Queen’s College, Oxford.
Therest ofhis working lifewas based onOxford, though hemadefrequent visits
abroad,mainly toAfrica.Helectured andundertookresearch atMakerereUniver-
sity, Uganda andatIbadanUniversity, Nigeria. In 1973he spenta sabbaticalpe-
riodofeight monthsworking on locustendocrinemechanismsattheInternational
Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (I.C.I.P.E.), Nairobi, Kenya. For four
separateyears he was anexternal examinerat HarareUniversity, Zimbabwe.He
madefive visitstoHunter'sLodge inKenya tostudy dragonfly reproduction, liais-
ing with NairobiUniversity and I.C.I.P.E. In 1987 and 1990he maderesearch
visits to Madurai University, Tamil Nadu, India. He retired in September 1994,
aged63,frombothhisDepartment andhisCollege. HevisitedUganda twicebriefly
inthe sameyearandin 1995heandKate spentnearly fivemonthsthere, teaching
anddoingresearch. Anothersuch visitplanned for 1996was sadly cut shortby his
sudden illness. Hehadhoped torepeatthiswork in eachofthenext threeor even
fouryears,keen to doallhe couldto help the struggling University atMakerere
andto writeonthe dragonflies ofUganda andalso Kenya. Hehad a senseofur-
gency to conserve forest species threatenedby habitat destmctionandby water
pollution, andto educateyoungUgandans abouttheirown270 or morespecies.
Inhisearlierwork Peterstudiedthephysiology ofawiderangeoforganisms -
Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera andOpiliones - butfromabout 1981
onwards virtuallyall his work was on Odonata.Muchofhis early work followed
from hisPhD studieson respiration, including work on neural controlofspiracle
movementinOdonata;increasingly hewidenedhisfieldto cover locomotion and
hencebehaviour.Peterbecame interestedinalmostevery aspectofthebiology of
ObituaryP.L. Miller 379
dragonflies,but perhaps par-
ticularly incopulatory mecha-
nisms, oviposition, territorial
strategies and courtship. His
wide experience in Europe
and Africa enabled him to
make valuable comparisons
and to provide authoritative
reviewsoftypesofbehaviour.
Peter’sworkwas character-
isedby theway hecombined
a wide range ofskills from
neurobiology, electronmicro-
scopy andmicro-dissectionto
methodicalfieldobservations Fig. 2. Dragonflycollectinginthe BudongoForest, Uganda;
and experiments. His papers September1992 (see 1993f).
are models ofprecision and
clarity. He scrupulously avoided dogmatic conclusions.By listingalternative hy-
potheses to account forwhathehaddiscovered heactively stimulatedfurtherre-
search.
The depthofhisknowledge ofdragonflies andotheranimalsmeantthat hewas
in greatdemandfor writing chapters in leading textbooks and symposium vol-
umes. His book “Dragonflies”, published in 1987in the Naturalists’ Handbook
seriesofthe Cambridge University Press was amodelofits kind.Arevised and
muchenlargedsecondeditionofthisexcellentlittlebookwaspublished in 1995.It
givesgreatpleasure tohisfamilyandfriendsthathelivedtoseethesecondedition
inprint.
As onewouldgather fromhis writingsPeterwas alucidandinspiring lecturer,
andhecouldbe very amusing. Heisrememberedwithgreatrespectandaffection
by his numerous undergraduate students, research students andresearch associ-
ates.He generously gavemuchofhistime insupportofS.I.O. ofwhichhewas a
CouncilMember, and the British Dragonfly Society ofwhich hewas VicePresi-
dentforsix years. He became increasingly concerned with the conservationof
dragonfliesandwas amuchvaluedmemberoftheDragonfly ConservationGroup
oftheBritishDragonfly Society. By quiet diplomacy andthestrengthofhis char-
acterhewas oftenabletosolve difficultorganisational problems.
Peterwas particularly happy whenarousing enthusiasminchildrento sharehis
loveofdragonflies. He would havebeen delighted to know thatthe PeterMiller
MemorialFund,organised byKate,hiswifeand collaboratorinthefield,willfund
theestablishmentofwildlifeponds inschoolplaygrounds throughout Britain.
PeterandKatewere hoststoodonatologists fromallover theworldattheirde-
lightful homein Oxford.Visitors were not surprised to findamostoriginally de-
380 N.W.Moore
signed garden centredround
ponds, but I suspect many
were surprised to discover
thatPeter was agreatcollec-
torofbooks,especially those
onsculpture, Gothic andRo-
manesquearchitectureandon
early travellersin Africaand
Arabia.Peter,likehisbrother
Warden,gotgreat enjoyment
outofwords;heenjoyed thea-
treandalso music.Peterand
Kate’sfamilyconsistsofFred
andClare, with her husband
Mosesandtheirtwo children
Fig. 3.WithhissonFred, in Bradford;September 1994. Ndomupei and Chiwoniso.
ThehappinessoftheMillerfamilywas infectious.Peterwas amostgenerousper-
son, whocombinedstrengthofcharacterwithgentlekindness,energyandenthusi-
asm.Hewillberememberedby hismany friendsas anoutstanding odonatologist
andanoutstanding man.
ODONATOLOGICALBIBLIOGRAPHYOFDrPETERMILLER, 1961-1996*
1961. Spiraclecontrol in dragonflies.Nature, Land. 191:621-622
1962. Spiraclecontrol in adultdragonflies(Odonata).J.exp. Biol. 39: 513-535
1964a. Factors alteringspiraclecontrol in adult dragonflies:waterbalance. J.exp. Biol. 41: 331-
-343.
1964b. Factors alteringspiraclecontrol inadultdragonflies:hypoxiaandtemperature. J. exp. Biol.
41: 345-357.
1964c, Notes onIctinogomphusferox Rambur(Odonata:Gomphidae).Entomologist97: 52-66.
1974. Rhythmicactivitiesandtheinsectnervoussystem.In:L.B.Browne[Ed.],Experimentalanaly-
sisofinsect behaviour. Springer,Berlin-Heidelberg-NewYork,pp. 114-138.
1981a. Copulatorymechanisms in Odonata. Abstr. Pap.6th Int.Symp. Odonatol, Chur, pp. 59-60.
1981b. (-& C.A. MILLER).Field observations oncopulatorybehaviour inZygopterawith anex-
amination ofthe structure andactivity ofthemalegenitalia.Odonatologica 10: 201-218.
1982a. Functionalmorphologyofthepenis ofCelithemiseponina(Drury)(Anisoptera:Libellulidae).
Odonatologica 10: 293-300.
1982b. Genital structure, sperm competitionandreproductivebehaviour insome African libellulid
dragonflies.Adv. Odonatol. 1: 175-192.
1982c. Observations on the reproductivebehaviour ofCelithemis eponinaDrury (Libellulidae:
Odonata)inFlorida, Ent.mon. Mag. 117: 209-212.
I982d. Post-copulatory“resting”in Nesciothemis farinosa(Foerster). Tombo 25: 27-28,
1982e. Temporalpartitioningandother aspects ofreproductive behaviour intwoAfrican libellulid
dragonflies.Ent. mon. Mag. 118: 177-188.
*Dr PeterMilleralsopublished47papers andparts ofbooksonotherentomologicalsubjects.
ObituaryPL. Miller 381
1982f. Theoccurrenceandactivity ofsperminmaturefemaleEnallagmacyathigerum(Charpentier)
(Zygoptera:Odonata). Odonatologica11: 159-161.
1983a. Contact guarding duringovipositionin Hemianax ephippiger(Burmeister) and Anax
parthenope(Selys) (Aeshnidae:Odonata). Tomho 26: 17-19.
1983b. The durationof copulationcorrelates withother aspects ofmatingbehaviour inOrthetrum
chrysostigma(Burmeister) (Anisoptera;Libellulidae).Odonatologica12: 227-238.
1983c. (SIVA-JOTHY,M.&-).Spermcompetitionindragonflies.Abstr.Pap. 7thInt.Symp.Odonatol.,
Calgary,pp. 34-35.
1984a. ThestructureofthegenitaliaandthevolumesofspermstoredinmaleandfemaleNesciothemis
farinosa (Foerster) andOrthetrum chrysostigma (Burmeister) (Anisoptera: Libellulidae).
Odonatologica 13:415-428.
1984b. (MILLER, A.K.,- & M.T. SIVA-JOTHY).Pre-copulatory guardingand other aspectsofre-
productivebehaviour in Sympetrumdepressiusculum(Selys) atricefields in southernFrance
(Anisoptera:Libellulidae). Odonatologica 13:407-414.
1985a. Ovipositionby Phaon iridipennis(Burmeister) in Kenya (Zygoptera: Calopterygidae).
Odonatologica 14: 251-256.
1985b. (MILLER, A.K.& -).Flightstyle, sexualidentity andmaleinteractions in anon-territorial
dragonfly,Onychogomphusforcipatusunguiculatus(Van derLinden)(Odonata:Gomphidae).
Ent. mon.Mag. 121: 127-132.
1985c. (MILLER,A.K. &-).Rates ofovipositionandsomeotheraspectsofreproductivebehaviour
in Tholymistillarga(Fabricius)inKenya(Anisoptera:Libellulidae).Odonatologica 14:287-
-299.
1985d. (MILLER,A.K. &-). Simultaneous occurrenceofcrepuscularfeedingandsexualactivityin
Boyeriairene (Fonsc.)insouthern France (Odonata:Aeshnidae).Ent.mon.Mag. 121: 123-
-124.
1985e. (-&M.T.SIVA-JOTHY). MechanismsofspermcompetitioninOdonata. Abstr.Pap. 8thInt.
Symp. Odonatol., Paris,p. 15.
1987a. AnexaminationoftheprolongedcopulationsofIschnuraelegans(VanderLinden)(Zygoptera:
Coenagrionidae). Odonatologica 16: 37-56.
1987b. Dragonflies.Naturalists’ Handb. 7. CambridgeUniversityPress,Cambridge.
1987c. Ovipositionbehaviour andeggshellstructure in some libellulid dragonflies,with particular
reference to Brachythemis lacustris (Kirby) and Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius)
(Anisoptera). Odonatologica 16: 361-374.
I987d. Spermcompetitionin Ischnura elegans (VanderLinden) (Coenagrionidae:Odonata).
Odonatologica 16: 201-207.
1988a. [NotesonPantalaflavescens].Soc.int. odonatol. rapidComm.(Suppl.) 8: 10.
1988b. Reproductivebehaviour and two modes ofoviposition in Phaon iridipennis(Burm.)
(Zygoptera:Calopterygidae). Odonatologica17: 187-194.
1988c. Similaritiesinthe genitaliaandreproductivebehaviour ofmaleandfemaleTholymistillarga
(Fabr.),Parazyxommaflavicans (Martin),Brachythemis lacustris (Kirby) and B.leucosticta
(Bunn.)(Anisoptera:Libellulidae). Odonatologica 17:59-64.
1988d. The functions ofthesub-genitalplates offemale libellulid dragonflies.AbstrPap. 9th Int.
Symp. Odonatol.,Madurai, p. 28.
1988e. VisaextensionatMadurai. OxfordMag. 1988 (2ndWeek,Michaelmas Term):6-7,9.
1989a. Communal roostinginPotamarchacongener(Rambur)anditspossiblefunctions(Anisoptera:
Libellulidae).Odonatologica 18: 179-194.
1989b. Possible functions ofthe sub-genitalplate offemale libellulid dragonflies(Odonata:
Anisoptera). Adv. Odonatol. 4: 57-71.
1989c. Theoccurrenceofcourtshipinsomelibellulids.Abstr.Pap.10thInt.Symp.Odonatol..Johnson
City/TN,p. 25.
1989d. (MATHAVAN,S.& -).Acollection ofdragonflies(Odonata)madein thePeriyarNational
382 N.W.Moore
Park,Kerala, SouthIndia,in January, 1988.S.I.O. RapidComm. (Suppl.) 10: 1-10.
1989e. (-& A.K. MILLER) Post-copulatory"resting”in Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius) and
some other Libellulidae; time for “spermhandling”?(Anisoptera). Odonatologica 18: 33-
-41.
1990a. Mechanisms of spermremoval and spermtransfer in Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius)
(Odonata: Libellulidae).Physiol.Ent. 15(2): 199-209.
1990b. News frommembers. Kimminsia 1(1):3.
1990c. News fromtheuniversities - Oxford. Kimminsia UD: 5
1990d, The rescue service providedby male Enallagmacyathigerum(Charp.)for females after
oviposition. J.Br. DragonflySoc. 6: 8-14
1991a. Dragonfliesin India. Kimminsia 2(1):7-8.
1991b. Hatchingtriggersin libellulid eggs[sic!]. Abstr. Pap.IlthIni.Symp.Odonatol.,Trevi.p. 19.
1991c. Notes onthe reproductivebiology ofZyxommapetiolatumRambur in India (Anisoptera:
Libellulidae). Odonatologica20: 433-440.
199Id. OvipositioninLibellula depressaL. (Anisoptera:Libellulidae).Abstr. Pap. IlthInt. Symp.
Odonatol.. Trevi,p. 20.
I991e. Pre-tandem andpost-tandem courtship in Libellulidae (Anisoptera).Adv. Odonatol. 5: 89-
-101.
199If. Pre-tandem courtship in Palpopleurasexmaculata (Fabr.)(Anisoptera:Libellulidae).Notul.
odonatol. 3:99-101.
1991g. The structure andfunctionofthe genitaliainthe Libellulidae (Odonata). Zool.J. Linn.Soc.
102: 43-73.
1991h. (CORBET, P.S. & -). “Accompanying” behaviour asa meansofprey acquisitionby
Brachythemisleucosticta (Burmeister)and other Anisoptera. Odonatologica20:29-26.
199H. (-&A.K.MILLER).The dragonfliesofHunter’sLodge,Kenya, 1981-1991.Notul.odonatol.
3: 123-129.
199Ij. (PERRY. SJ.&-).ThedurationofthestagesofcopulationinEnallagmacyathigerum(Charp.)
(Zygoptera:Coenagrionidae).Odonatologica20: 349-355.
1991k. (TYAG1,B.K.&-).AnoteontheOdonatacollectedinsouthwesternRajasthan,India.Notul.
odonatol. 3: 134-135.
1992a. [Discussionondifferentmodes ofovipositionindragonflies].Soc.int.odonatol.rapidComm.
(Suppl.) 15;3.
1992b. DragonfliesofthecampusatMaduraiKamarajUniversity,TamilNadu,India.Notul.odonatol.
3: 160-165.
1992c. [Guardedovipositionin Ictinogomphusrapax].Soc.int. odonatol. rapidComm. (Suppl.) 15:
II.
1992d. News from the universities - Oxford: undergraduateprojects, graduateresearch, visitor.
Kimminsia3(1):2-3.
1992e. [Notesonoviposition inLibelluladepressa].Soc.int. odonatol. rapidComm. (Suppl.)15:4.
1992f. [NotesonovipositioninNesciothemis farinosaand Hadrothemis coacta].Soc. int. odonatol.
rraappiiddCCoommmm..(Suppl.) 15: 3.
1992g. The effectofoxygen lack onegg hatchingin an Indiandragonfly,Potamarcha congener.
Physiol.Ent. 17;68-72.
1992h. VisittoEastAfrica in 1991, Kimminsia3(1): 3-4.
19921. (CORDERO, A. & -).Spermtransfer, displacementand precedence inIschnura graellsi
(Odonata: Coenagrionidae).Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 30: 261-267.
1993a. Fast temperature-controlledcolour changes in Chlorocyphastraeleni Fraser (Zygoptera:
Chlorocyphidae).Notul. odonatol.4: 6-8.
1993b. MaladaptiveguardingintheCommonBlueDamselfly,(Enallagmacyathigerum).J.Br. Drag-
onflySoc. 9: 14-16.
1993c. Newsfromtheuniversities- Oxford. Kimminsia4(1):3-4.
Obituary P.L.Miller 383
1993d. News fromthe universities - Oxford.Kimminsia 4(2): 11.
1993e. Responses ofrectal pumpingto oxygen lack by larval Calopteryxsplendens (Zygoptera:
Odonata). Physiol. Ent. 18:379-388.
I993f. Some dragonfliesofthe Budongoforest, western Uganda(Odonata). Opusc. zool. flumin.
102: 1-12.
1993g. Submergedoviposition andresponses to oxygen lack in Enallagmacyathigerum(Charp.)
(Zygoptera:Coenagrionidae).Adv. Odonatol. 6: 79-88.
1994a. News fromtheuniversities - Oxford. Kimminsia5(2): 11.
1994b. The functionsofwingclappingintheCalopterygidae(Zygoptera). Odonatologica23; 13-22.
1994c. The responses ofrectal pumpingin some zygopteran larvae (Odonata)to oxygen and ion
availability.J.InsectPhysiol.40: 333-339.
1995a. Dragonflies.Naturalists’Handb.7. [2ndedn].RichmondPubl.Co.,Slough,UK.
1995b. Some dragonfliesin Uganda.Kimminsia6(2): 12-13.
1995c. Somedragonfliesofforests nearKampala,Uganda,with notes ontheir ecologyandbehav-
iour (Odonata). Opusc. zool.flumin. 136: 1-19,
1995d. Spermcompetitionand penis structure in some libellulid dragonflies (Anisoptera).
Odonatologica24: 63-72.
1995e. Visuallycontrolledheadmovementsinperchedanisopterandragonflies.Odonatologica24:
301-310.
1995f. XIIISymposiumin Essen Aug. 20-25, 1995: field tripto 2 reservesabout 16km SW of
MUnster. Kimminsia 6(2): 11.
1996a. (COOPER,G.,P.W.H.HOLLAND&-).CaptivebreedingofIschnuraelegans(VanderLinden):
observations on longevity, copulationand oviposition (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae).
Odonatologica25: 261-273.
1996b. (COOPER,G.,- &P.W.H.HOLLAND). Moleculargeneticanalysis ofsperm competitionin
the damselflyIschnuraelegans(VanderLinden).Proc. R. Soc.Land. B 263: 1343-1349.
1996c. (MILLER,K.&-).Hemianax ephippigerandAeshnamixtainIstanbul. Kimminsia7(1): 3.
OBITUARIESDEDICATEDTOTHE MEMORYOFDr P.L.MILLER
(uptoSeptember1, 1997)
- INDEPENDENT, issue of6 May 1996, P.Corbet [withportrait],
- KIMMINSIA(1996)7(1): 1-2,by N. Moore
- LINDENIA (1996)26/27: 116,byC.Utzeri.
- NAVASIA (1996)5: 3,byA.Cordero.
- NEWSL. BRIT. DRAGONFLYSOC.(1996)30;2,by J.Silsby.
- PHYSIOLENT. (1996)21(3); 165-166, byS.J. Simpson[withportrait].
- QUEEN’SCOLL. REC., OXFORD(1996) 7(2): 14-17,by D.Constantine [withportrait].
- SELYSIA(1996)24(1): 1-2,by P.S.Corbet.
- SIOJA 1996 (1);4,byK.Inoue.