Lutz, Frank Eugene, 1879-1943

Frank E. Lutz, a biologist and entomologist, was associate curator of the Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 1917-1921, and chairman of Insects and Spiders, Dept. of Entomology, 1921-1943.

For his postgraduate work, Lutz concentrated in the new field of biometry, the combination of biology and mathematics, studying species of Gryllus (crickets) and Drosophila (fruit-flies), and developing a life-long interest in experimental biology. After joining the AMNH, Lutz went on 24 collecting field trips to locations in Europe, the United States, and Central and South America. During his tenure in the Dept. of Entomology, Lutz built it into one of the four largest repositories in the U.S., with 2 million specimens, and gained an international reputation for his research on the genetics, physiology, and ecology of insects. Lutz's particular interests involved insect sounds, diurnal rhythms, and insects' responses to environmental factors, especially ultraviolet light. He was an enthusiastic publicizer and popularizer of the study of insects, and of natural history in general. From 1925 to 1928, Lutz was the director of the Station for the Study of Insects (SSI) at Harriman State Park (N.Y.), and gave talks on the "nature trails" program at Bear Mountain State Park. He was the editor of the AMNH's scientific publications for many years.