Carver, Mary (1930 - 2022)

Summary

Mary Carver was an entomologist whose research focussed on aphids. Her doctoral investigations into the taxonomy, biology, host relations, and economic importance of the hymenopterous parasites, hyperparasites and insect predators of brassica-feeding aphids, laid the foundations for her work in Australia. She was particularly interested in Australian and New Zealand indigenous species, and in biological control. Carver's publications included over 40 papers on taxonomy and biology of aphids, whiteflies, and various parasitic wasps. She produced notes on exotic aphid species as they arrived - by air usually - and towards the end of her career was preparing checklists and databases using her exhaustive knowledge. For many years she was the principal person in Australia for aphid and aphid parasitoid identifications. This was despite her employment being mostly of a temporary or honorary nature. Having been at the Waite Institute of Agricultural Research between 1962 and 1978, she joined the CSIRO Division of Entomology after moving to Canberra on her husband John's appointment to the Research School of Physical Sciences at the Australian National University.

Details

In 2014 Carver was awarded the CSIRO Chairman's Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence as a member of the Silverleaf Whitefly Integrated Pest Management Team, a multidisciplinary project which delivered a long-term, sustainable pest control solution for Australia's horticultural, nursery, cotton and grain legume industries.

Chronology

1951

Education - BSc (hons), University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

1954

Life event - Migrated to Australia

1954

Education - PhD, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

1954 - 1955

Career position - Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1962 - 1978

Career position - Entomologist, Waite Agricultural Research Institute

1968

Award - Churchill Fellowship

1983 - 1989

Career position - Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1992 - ?

Career position - Honorary Fellow, CSIRO Division of Entomology

1992

Education - DSc, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

2014

Award - CSIRO Chairman's Medal, as a member of the Silverleaf Whitefly Integrated Pest Management Team

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Carver, Mary, 'Euryischomyia Girault (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea:Aphelinidae: Eriapirinae; Euryischiini)', Journal of Hymenoptera research, 4 (1995), 64-76. Details
• Carver, Mary and Woolcock, L. T., ' The introduction into Australia of biological control agents for Hyperomyzus lactucae (L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae)', Australian journal of entomology, 25 (1) (1986), 65-9, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1986.tb01073.x. Details
• Carver, Mary; and Stary, Petr, 'A preliminary review of the Aphidiidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea) and Australia and New Zealand', Australian journal of entomology, 13 (3) (1974), 235-40, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-6055.1974,tb02178.x. Details
• Hales, Dinah, 'Mary Carver [list of publications]', Myrmecia, 59 (4) (2023), 33-7, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12609. Details
• Hales, Dinah F. and Carver, Mary, 'A study of Schoutedenia lutea (van der Goot, 1917) (Homoptera: Aphididae)', Australian zoologist, 19 (1976), 85-94. Details
• Hales, Dinah; Naumann, Ian; and Fletcher, Murray, 'Obituary: Mary Carver, 1930 - 2022', Myrmecia, 59 (1) (2023), 6-8. Details
• Stevens, M. M. and Carver, Mary, 'Type specimens of Hemiptera (insecta) transferred from the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, to the Australian National Insect Collection', Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 108 (4) (1986), 263-6. Details

See also

• Brumley, Cameron, 'A checklist and host catalogue of the aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) held in the Australian National Insect Collection', Zootaxa, 4728 (4) (2020), 575-600. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4728.4.12. Details