Thomas Wallace Donnelly
Thomas Wallace "Nick" Donnelly (23 December 1932 - 7 May 2025).[1] was an American odonatologist and geologist. He obtained a BSc in Geology at Cornell University and went on to complete a Master’s degree at California Institute of Technology. Finally, he obtained his PhD from Princeton University[2]. His dissertation described the geology of Saint Thomas and Saint John in the American Virgin Islands[3]. After completing his PhD he taught at Rice University for seven years. From 1966 until his retirement in 1996, Donnelly worked at Binghamton University[4].
Work in Odonatology
Donnelly began publishing on dragonflies in the 1960s.[5] Throughout his life, Donnelly described four new Damselfly genera including two within Coenagrionidae (Enacantha and Melanobasis) and two within Isostictidae (Cnemisticta and Titanosticta) [2]. He also described a number of new Odonata species including nine Gomphidae and six Platystictidae[6][7]. In total, Donnelly described 65 new odonate species.
Donnelly was also a founding member of the Dragonfly Society of the Americas and served as president and interim editor for their quarterly newsletter, Argia[2]. It was in Argia that Donnelly first announced the dot-map project[8], which aimed to map the distribution of odonate species across the United States of America. Subsequently, he published his observations in a three part series[9][10][11]. This initiative also helped spark the creation of Odonata Central, a citizen science inniative focused on expanding understanding of odonate distribution, biogeography, biodiversity and identification in North America[12]
Odonate Species Named in his Honour
- Argia donnellyi Garrison & von Ellenrieder, 2015
- Cora chirripa donnellyi Bick & Bick, 1990
- Drepanoneura donnellyi von Ellenrieder & Garrison, 2008
- Epigomphus donnellyi González-Soriano & Cook, 1988
- Hemicordulia tenera donnellyi Kosterin, Karube & Futahashi, 2015
- Odontogomphus donnellyi Watson, 1991
Books
Donnelly, T.W., 1970. The Odonata of Dominica British West Indies. Washington
References
- ^ Schmoldt, A.; Benthe, H. F.; Haberland, G. (September 1, 1975). "Digitoxin metabolism by rat liver microsomes". Biochemical Pharmacology. 24 (17): 1639–1641. ISSN 1873-2968. PMID 10.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Keith (July 2025). "Thomas Wallace 'Nick' Donnelly 1932-2025" (PDF). Agrion Newsletter. 29 (2): 3–4.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallaca (1959). "Geology of St. Thomas and St. John Virgin Islands". Princeton University ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
- ^ "Thomas Wallace Donnelly Obituary - Press & Sun-Bulletin". pressconnects.com. 2025-05-09. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
- ^ John, Michalski. "Memories of Thomas "Nick" W. Donnelly, 1932–2025". Argia. 37 (3): 17–34.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas W. (1961). "A New Species of Damselfly from St. Lucia, British West Indies (Odonata: Protoneuridae)". The Florida Entomologist. 44 (3): 119–121. doi:10.2307/3492969. ISSN 0015-4040. JSTOR 3492969.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallace (1961). "Aeshna persephone, a new species of dragonfly from Arizona, with notes on Aeshna arida Kennedy" (PDF). Proceedings of the Entomology Society, Washington. 63 (3): 193–202.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallace (1994). "The US dot-map project" (PDF). Argia. 6 (3): 8–10.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallace (2004). "Distribution of North American Odonata. Part I: Aeshnidae, Petaluridae, Gomphidae, Cordulegastridae" (PDF). Bulletin of American Odonatology. 7 (4): 61–90.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallace (2004). "Distribution of North American Odonata. Part II: Macromiidae, Corduliidae and Libellulidae" (PDF). Bulletin of American Odonatology. 8 (1): 1–32.
- ^ Donnelly, Thomas Wallace (2004). "istribution of North American Odonata. Part III: Calopterygidae, Lestidae, Coenagrionidae, Protoneuridae, Platystictidae" (PDF). Bulletin of American Odonatology. 8 (2–3): 33–99.
- ^ "Odonata Central". www.odonatacentral.org. Retrieved 2026-01-09.