{{Short description|British entomologist (1841–1903)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Augustus Radcliffe Grote | image = File:Annual report of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, 1894 (1895) (19178069459).jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = 7 February 1841 | birth_place = [[Liverpool]], [[England]] | death_date = {{death date and age text|12 September 1903 |7 February 1841}} | death_place = [[Hildesheim]], [[Germany]] | residence = | citizenship = | ethnicity = | field = [[Entomology]] | work_institution = | alma_mater = | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | known_for = | author_abbreviation_bot = | author_abbreviation_zoo = | prizes = | religion = | footnotes = }} '''Augustus Radcliffe Grote''' (February 7, 1841 – September 12, 1903) was a British [[entomologist]] who [[Species description|described]] over 1,000 species of [[Lepidoptera|butterflies and moths]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">Osborn, H. 1937. Fragments of Entomological History. Columbus, OH: Published by the author.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Weiss|first=H.B.|title=The Pioneer Century of American Entomology|year=1936|location=New Brunswick, New Jersey|pages=249}}</ref> He is best known for his work on North American [[Noctuidae]].<ref name=":2" /> A number of species were named after him, including the moth ''[[Horama grotei]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Butler|first=Arthur G.|date=1876|title=Notes on the Lepidoptera of the Family Zygaenidae, with Descriptions of new Genera and Species.|url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1876.tb00686.x|journal=Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology|language=en|volume=12|issue=60–62|pages=342–407|doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1876.tb00686.x}}</ref>
== Early life and family == Grote was born in [[Aigburth]], a suburb of [[Liverpool]], in 1841.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Bethune|author-link=Charles James Stewart Bethune|first=C.J.S.|title=Professor Augustus Radcliffe Grote|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8971627|journal=34th Annual Report of the Entomological Society of Ontario|date=1903|publisher=Ontario Department of Agriculture|pages=109–112}}</ref> His mother was [[English people|English]], and his maternal grandfather, Augustus Radcliffe, was a partner in the house of [[Sir Joseph Bailey, 1st Baronet|Sir Joseph Bailey]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Anonymous|date=1903|title=Augustus Radcliffe Grote, M.A.|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/24624089|journal=Entomological News and Proceedings of the Entomology Section, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia|volume=14|issue=9|pages=277–278}}</ref> Grote was a [[first cousin]] on his mother's side to [[Ethel Romanes]].<ref name=":0" />
Grote's father was born in [[Gdańsk|Danzig]], and his paternal lineage traced back to Dutch philosopher [[Hugo Grotius]].<ref name=":0" /> His family name was changed from 'Grohté' to 'Grote' when his father became an English citizen.<ref name=":0" />
Augustus Grote came to [[New York City|New York]] at age 7, one year after his parents had moved there from England, and spent his youth on [[Staten Island]] where his father had purchased a farm in [[New Dorp, Staten Island|New Dorp]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last=Graef|first=Edward L.|date=1914|title=Some early Brooklyn entomologists|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30322362|journal=Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society|volume=9|issue=3|pages=47–56}}</ref> He attended school under [[Joseph Deghuée]] where he became childhood friends with [[Edward Graef]] and [[Frederick Tepper]], both of whom who also became entomologists.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Wilterding|first=John H.|date=1997|title=Type specimens of Lepidoptera in the Tepper Collection at Michigan State University|journal=Journal of the New York Entomological Society|volume=105|pages=65–104}}</ref> Grote's interest in [[entomology]], and moths in particular, began at a young age as he explored the natural areas around his home on Staten Island with Graef and Tepper.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Grote|first=Augustus Radcliffe|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/38321|title=The hawk moths of North America|date=1886|isbn=978-0-665-13494-4|location=Bremen|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.38321}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> Graef describes their childhood insect collecting as follows:<ref name=":6" />
{{Blockquote |text=Equipped with the usual outfit of nets, cigar boxes, pill boxes and pins, we resorted as often as possible to the suburbs of the then relatively small city of Brooklyn. One favorite collecting spot was a vegetable garden, where now is the junction of Flatbush Ave. and Fulton St. Fort Greene Hill, now Washington Park, was another nice wild place. Then, there was the meadow, or sheep pasture, now part of Prospect Park, at that time devoted to pigeon shooting. Occasionally we took long trips to East New York, Bay Ridge and Parkville, as well as the many intervening unpopulated localities. }}
The entomological interest of the three boys was nurtured by [[John Ackhurst]].<ref name=":6" />
His father invested in real estate and was involved in the founding of the [[Staten Island Railway]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Anonymous|date=1903-10-10|title=Augustus Radcliffe Grote|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31128224|journal=Proceedings of the Natural Science Association of Staten Island|volume=8|issue=24|pages=67–68}}</ref> An economic downturn in 1857 resulted in significant financial distress for the family and prevented Augustus' planned attendance at [[Harvard University]].<ref name=":0" /> He later returned to Europe to further his education, and upon returning to the United States, attended [[Lafayette College]], [[Pennsylvania]], and graduated with a [[Master of Arts|M.A. degree]].<ref name=":0" />
In 1870, Grote married a woman from [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[South Carolina]]; she died three years later in [[Alabama]] on the birth of their second child.<ref name=":0" /> About 10 years later he married Minna Ruyter, in [[Germany]].<ref name=":0" />
Aside from his natural history publications, Grote wrote two books on religious themes: 'The New Infidelity' and 'Genesis I,II': An Essay on the Biblical Narrative of Creation'. His other works include 'Education and the Succession of Experiences' and a book of poetry ('Rip van Winkle: A Sunmyth, and Other Poems').<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Grote also composed music, though only one piece was ever sold.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />
While living in [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], Grote served as [[organist]] at an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal]] church.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == Grote's formal scientific work began around 1862 with the publication of his first entomology articles.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He was living in Buffalo around this time and became a member of the [[Buffalo Museum of Science|Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Howland|first=Henry R.|date=1907-01-01|title=The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences Historical Sketch|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40895749|journal=Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences|volume=8|pages=3–25}}</ref>
From Buffalo, Grote moved to [[Demopolis, Alabama|Demopolis]], Alabama where he studied the [[cotton worm]] and lobbied for increased attention to the problems it caused for cotton production.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last1=Riley|first1=Charles V.|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/123035|title=Fourth report of the United States Entomological Commission : being a revised edition of bulletin no. 3, and the final report on the cotton worm : together with a chapter on boll worm|last2=Commission|first2=United States Entomological|last3=States|first3=United|date=1885|publisher=Government Printing Office|location=Washington |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.123035}}</ref> His lobbying efforts were initially unsuccessful.<ref name=":0" /> Shortly after the death of his wife in 1873, Grote was invited by the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences to return to Buffalo and become director of its museum; he accepted the invitation and served in this capacity for seven years.<ref name=":4" /> His efforts greatly expanded the museum's [[Insect collecting|collection]] such that when he left Buffalo in 1880, it held specimens of over 1,000 [[Noctuidae|Noctuid]] species and 505 [[type specimens]].<ref name=":4" /> This collection was subsequently sold to the [[British Museum]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4" />
In 1878, Grote traveled to [[Florida]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and Alabama by appointment of the [[United States Entomological Commission]] to study insects injurious to cotton plants, with his work incorporated into the commission's report in 1885.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":5" /> Grote had earlier been disappointed he had not been selected to serve on the commission itself, and attributed this perceived oversight to the "adverse influence of [[Charles Valentine Riley|Dr. Riley]], and for many years he took every opportunity of criticizing in vehement language the work of this distinguished Entomologist."<ref name=":0" />
In July 1879, he began publication of ''The North American Entomologist'', though only one volume of 12 issues was published.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He served on the editorial committee of the journal ''The'' ''Practical Entomologist'' and the publication committee of ''[[Papilio (journal)|Papilio]]''.<ref name=":1" />
Shortly after the death of his father, Grote moved back to Staten Island in 1880, taking up residence in [[New Brighton, Staten Island|New Brighton]] where he entertained friends such as [[Charles H. Fernald|C.H. Fernald]] and [[William Henry Edwards|Henry Edwards]].<ref name=":3" />
Grote moved to Bremen, Germany, in 1884 and tried, unsuccessfully, to obtain a position at the [[British Museum]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> In 1895, he moved to Hildesheim, where he took a position at the [[Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim|Roemer und Pelizaeus Museum]].<ref name=":0" /> He continued to publish papers on North American Lepidoptera while in Germany.<ref name=":3" />
Grote was a fellow of the [[Royal Entomological Society|Entomological Society of London]] and an honorary member of both the [[Entomological Society of Canada]] and the [[American Entomological Society]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> He was elected as a member to the [[American Philosophical Society]] in 1876.<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=1876&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-05-10|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}</ref>
He published many articles, primarily on North American Lepidoptera, in the ''Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural History, [[The Canadian Entomologist]],'' and numerous other journals.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4" /> Non-entomology articles include 'Descriptions of new crustaceans from the water lime group' and 'On the peopling of North America'.<ref name=":2" /> Several of his public lectures were published in ''[[Scientific American]]'' and ''[[Popular Science Monthly]]''.<ref name=":0" />
== Death == Grote died after a long and painful bout of [[endocarditis]] in Hildesheim in 1903 at age 62, and was survived by his wife, Minna, and six children.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Anonymous|title=Obituary|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9015562|journal=The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine|date=15 September 2023 |volume=14 (2nd Series)|pages=255–256}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Internet Archive author |sname=Augustus Radcliffe Grote}} {{wikisource|works=or}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grote, Augustus}} [[Category:English lepidopterists]] [[Category:1841 births]] [[Category:1903 deaths]] [[Category:English taxonomists]] [[Category:Scientists from Liverpool]] [[Category:19th-century British zoologists]] [[Category:20th-century British zoologists]] [[Category:People from New Dorp, Staten Island]] [[Category:Grote family|Augustus]] [[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]