P006081 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2018-06-26 human Elizabeth Daniels and Helen Cohn updated 2025-10-14 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P006081b.htm person Richards Aola Mary AACR2 16 December 1927 2 November 2021 Place of Birth Wellington, New Zealand Place of Death London, United Kingdom Entomologist Aola Richards was an renowned entomologist much of whose research was on the taxonomy of cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) of Australia and New Zealand. An expert on these insects (known as wētā), she described five new genera from New Zealand and over 20 species from Australia. She is reputed to have described almost all the Australian species. Her other main field of research was on Australian ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae). Richards and her colleague L. W. Filewood were the first to note how these beetles could avoid plant toxins by chewing through the leafstalk of their food plan. Her published output comprised more that 80 papers, the most cited being on wētā and the feeding behaviour of beetles. Richards was a keen speleologist. With Ted Lane, she was the founding editor of Helictite, the newsletter of the Australian Speleological Federation. For over 30 years she lectured in entomology in the Biology Department of the University of New South Wales. On retiring in 1993, she donated her collections to the Australian National Insect Collection. Disappointed that the teaching of entomology ceased at the University after her retirement she made significant bequests to this University and the Victoria University of Wellington to support postgraduate and postdoctoral entomological research. 1954 1954 Education - Master of Science (MSc (hons)), in zoology, Victoria University of Wellington 1958 1958 Education - PhD, Victoria University of Wellington 1959 1960? Career position - Entomologist, Plant Diseases Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Auckland 1961? 1993 Career position - Lectured in entomology, Biology Department, University of New South Wales 1993 1993 Life event - Retired 1993 1994 Career position - Honorary researcher, University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (1958 - )

Lectured in entomology 1961? - 1933

 Australian National Insect Collection, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1962 - )

Richards donated her collection 1993

Wikidata

 Richards, Aola Mary

Trove

 'Richards, Aola Mary', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Richards, Aola Mary Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Cave animals and their environment Richards, Aola M. Cave animals and their environment 1962 Helictite 1 1 3-13 Journal Article: A comparative study of the biology of the Giant wetas Deinacrida heteracantha and D. fallai (Orthoptera: Henicidae) from New Zealand Richards, Aola M. A comparative study of the biology of the Giant wetas <span style="font-style:italic">Deinacrida heteracantha</span> and <span style="font-style:italic">D. fallai</span> (Orthoptera: Henicidae) from New Zealand 1973 Journal of zoology 169 2 195-236 Journal Article: Feeding behaviour and food preferences of the pest species comprising the Epilachna vigintioctopunctata (F.) complex (Col., Coccinellidae) Richards, Aola M. and Filewood, L. W. Feeding behaviour and food preferences of the pest species comprising the <span style="font-style:italic">Epilachna vigintioctopunctata</span> (F.) complex (Col., Coccinellidae) 1990 Journal of applied entomology 110 1/5 501-15 Journal Article: An ecological study of the cavernicolous fauna of the Nullarbor Plain Southern Australia Richards, Aola M. An ecological study of the cavernicolous fauna of the Nullarbor Plain Southern Australia 1971 Journal of zoology 164 1 1-60 Journal Article: The discovery, exploration and scientific investigation of the Wellington Caves, New South Wales Lane, E., and Richards, A. The discovery, exploration and scientific investigation of the Wellington Caves, New South Wales 1963 Helictite 2 1 1-53 Journal Article: Dr Aola Richards Merritt, David Dr Aola Richards 2024 Myrmecia 60 2 7