Quick Facts
Biography
Cynthia Longfield (16 August 1896 – 27 June 1991) was an expert on the dragonfly and an explorer. She was called "Madame Dragonfly" for her extensive work. She had an analytical mind and was passionately fond of dragonflies. Her dominant area of interest was natural history. She travelled extensively and published The Dragonflies of the British Isles in 1937. She worked as a research associate at the Natural History Museum, London. Longfield was the expert on the dragonflies at the museum, researching particularly African species.
After retirement from the NHM she returned to Castle Mary, the family estate, in Cloyne, County Cork where she lived until her death. She died on 27 June 1991 and was buried in St. Coleman's Church of Ireland Cathedral, close to her home in Cloyne.
Works
- 1914. Royal Army Service Corps, driver (1914–1916)
- 1916. Aeroplane factory worker (1916–1918)
- 1924. St. George Expedition, Assistant Entomologist (unpaid)(1924–1925)
- 1936. Studies on African Odonata, with synonymy, and descriptions of new species and subspecies. Trans. R. ent. Soc. London 85(20): 467–498.
- (1936) Contribution à l'étude de la faune du Mozambique. Voyage de M.P. Lesne (1928–1929). 23e note – Odonata. Memórias e Estudos do Museu Zoológico da Universidade de Coimbra, 89: 1–2 . Insecta. C. Longfield.
- (1945) – The Odonata of South Angola. Arquivos do Museu Bocage, 16, Lisboa.
- (1955) – The Odonata of N. Angola. Publicações Culturais, Companhia de Diamantes de Angola (Diamang), Lisboa, 27: 11–63. Biologia. Entomologia. Angola.
- (1959) – The Odonata of N. Angola. Publicações Culturais, Companhia de Diamantes de Angola (Diamang), Lisboa, 45: 11–42. Entomologia. Angola.
- (1960) Dragonflies Corbet, P.S., Longfield, C.N. and Moore, N.W. New Naturalist No 41, Collins, London.
- ^ Ogilvie, Marilyn; editors, Joy Harvey (2000). The biographical dictionary of women in science : pioneering lives from ancient times to the mid-20th century. New York: Routledge. p. 801. ISBN 041592040X.