José María Hugo de la Fuente Morales facts for kids

José María Hugo de la Fuente Morales (born April 1, 1855 – died June 21, 1932) was a Spanish entomologist. An entomologist is a scientist who studies insects. He was also a priest. José María de la Fuente Morales became one of the most important insect experts in Europe. He spent his life studying and classifying many different types of insects.

Life of a Scientist and Priest

José María was born in Pozuelo de Calatrava, a town in Spain. His father was a doctor, and his mother was from Pozuelo de Calatrava. He was one of nine children, but only four of them lived to be adults.

Early Studies and a Special Gift

José María started studying to become a priest. He learned Latin and went to seminaries in Toledo and Jaén. During his breaks from studying, he had a big interest in insects. He once found an insect he thought was a Pycnogaster graellsi. This is a type of orthoptera, which includes grasshoppers and crickets.

He sent this insect to Ignacio Bolivar Urrutia. Urrutia was a professor who studied insects at the University of Madrid. Professor Urrutia confirmed that José María had identified the insect correctly. To encourage him, Professor Urrutia sent him three trays full of insects! This gift made José María even more excited about science. It set him on the path to becoming a leading expert in entomology.

A Priest's Journey

In 1879, José María became a priest in Ciudad Real. Later, in 1888, he moved to Almagro. While there, he continued to add to his collection of reptiles and amphibians. He also wrote a small book of poetry. This book is now kept in the Museum of Ciudad Real.

After a short time, he worked as a co-assistant priest in San Bartholomew from 1890 to 1891. He always wanted to return to his hometown, Pozuelo de Calatrava. Finally, his wish came true, and he was assigned there permanently as a priest.

Deepening His Insect Studies

Once back in Pozuelo de Calatrava, José María started to study insects very intensely. To understand all the scientific books, he learned several different languages. He built an important library with over 400 books, all about entomology. He also created a large collection of insects. Both his library and his insect collection are now kept in the Museum of Ciudad Real.

Two years later, the Royal Spanish Society of Natural History began to work with him. His first scientific paper was published in 1893. In it, he described two new species of Orthoptera. He also discovered many new species during a visit to a bath in Archena, Murcia, where he went for his rheumatism. In 1897, he started publishing a series of works called Datos para la fauna de la provincia de Ciudad Real. This means "Information for the fauna of the province of Ciudad Real."

Important Works

José María de la Fuente Morales wrote several important books about insects. These books helped other scientists understand and classify insects found in Spain.

• Catálogo sistemático-geográfico de los coleópteros observados en la Península Ibérica, Pirineos propiamente dichos y Baleares (1918–1932)
• Tablas analíticas para la clasificación de los coleópteros de la Península Ibérica. Barcelona: Imprenta Altés, 1927.
• La fauna de la provincia de Ciudad Real Ciudad Real: Tipografía del Hospicio Provincial, 1929.

See also

In Spanish: José María de la Fuente para niños