Maximilian Spinola


Maximilian Spinola was an Italian entomologist.

Background

Spinola was born in Pézenas, Hérault, France. The family of Spinola was of very long standing and had great wealth and power in Genoa. Maximilian Spinola was a descendant of the famous Spanish General Ambrogio Spinola, marqués de los Balbases and much of his wealth derived from land held in Spain and South America. He was linked to
Camillo Pallavicini.

Research

He received many insects from his properties in Spain and South America. He also made extensive, and expensive purchases especially of large showy tropical beetles and wasps. His entomological contributions were mainly in the orders Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Hemiptera.
Spinola made very important contributions to entomology, describing many taxa, especially in Spinola M. M., 1850.Tavola sinottica dei generi spettanti alla classe degli insetti Arthroidignati, Hemiptera Linn., Latr. - Rhyngota Fab. - Rhynchota Burm. Memoria del Socio Attuale signor Marchese Massimiliano Spinola Modena, Dal tipi delle R.D. Camera. Soc. Ital. Sci., T.25, pt.1: 138 pp.
He is listed, as Count Maximilian Spinola, as an ordinary member of the Entomological Society of London in the Society's first volume of transactions published in 1836. At that time he lived in Genoa.
Spinola's Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera collection is in Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali in Turin, Italy. Other specimens are in Museo di storia naturale dell'Università di Pisa. Most of his type specimens are extant and in good condition.
He died in Tassarolo, Alessandria, Italy.

Works

partial list