Weber, Neil Albert (1908-2001)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota.

This diverse collection includes correspondence, field notes, lecture and meeting notes, publication material, drawings, and lantern slides. It documents Weber's professional career as an internationally known myrmecologist, or ant scientist, and his wider ranging interests in entomology and ecology. There are class and lab notes for his educational period at Harvard University (A.M. 1933; Ph.D. 1935), and substantial documentation on his primary academic career at Swarthmore College (1947-1974; includes teaching records, data on the Biology Dept. and the College). His field notes, 1930s-1970s (ca. 3 lin. ft.), contain detailed observations of the many scientific expeditions he was a member of, including trips to: West Indies, 1933-1936; Colombia, 1938; Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya, 1939. He also participated in numerous American Museum of Natural History expeditions: Central Africa, 1948; Middle East, 1950, 1952; and Tropical America, 1954.

There are data for his time as visiting professor at the University of Baghdad, Iraq, 1950-1952, and his period as Scientific Attaché, Buenos Aires, for the U. S. Dept. of State, 1960-1962. Weber's contributions to polar scientific studies can be studied through his files of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Polar Research, 1958-1960 (he was on the panel on biological and medical science), as well as many numerous miscellaneous files on polar research.

Significant correspondents include:


 * Thomas Peter Bennett
 * Joseph C. Bequaert
 * William L. Brown, Jr.
 * Frank L. Campbell
 * Horace Donisthorpe
 * Alfred E. Emerson
 * Caryl Parker Haskins
 * William M. Mann
 * Michael M. Martin
 * William J. Robbins
 * Mary Talbot
 * George C. Wheeler
 * William Morton Wheele

From American Philosophical Society web site: Weber, Neal Albert (1908- ) Entomologist. Papers, ca. 1930s-1980s. ca. 19,000 items (ca. 22 lin. ft.).

Neal Weber, professor emeritus of zoology at Swarthmore, died on Jan. 21 at age 92. Weber was an internationally known expert on tropical ants. His research took him all over the world and led to more than 150 publications, including a monograph on gardening ants that won the American Philosophical Society's John F. Lewis Prize. After receiving a doctorate from Harvard in 1935, Weber embarked on a series of scientific expeditions that took him through Africa, the Middle East, South America, and the West Indies. He taught biology at the University of North Dakota for several years, then spent four years instructing military medical students during the war. Weber, the first scientific attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, came to Swarthmore in 1947. As a visiting professor in the 1950s, he started the Zoology Department at the University of Baghdad in Iraq. He retired in 1974. Swarthmore College Bulletin, Sept 2001 Primary location of author's collection:,.

PUBLICATIONS

 * [[Media:Weber 1934.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1934a. Notes on neotropical ants, including the descriptions of new forms. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 4: 22-59.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1934.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1934b. A new Strumigenys from Illinois (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Psyche (Camb.) 41: 63-65.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1935.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1935. The biology of the thatching ant, Formica rufa obscuripes Forel, in North Dakota. Ecol. Monogr. 5: 165-206.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1937.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1937. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part l. New forms. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 7: 378-409.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1938a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1938a. New ants from stomachs of Bufo marinus L. and Typhlops reticulatus (L). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 31: 207-210.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1938b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1938b. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part IV. Additional new forms. Part V. The Attini of Bolivia. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 9: 154-206.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1938c.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1938c. The food of the giant toad, Bufo marinus (L.), in Trinidad and British Guiana with special reference to the ants. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 31:499-503.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1939a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1939a. New ants of rare genera and a new genus of ponerine ants. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 32: 91-104.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1939b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1939b. Description of new North American species and subspecies of Myrmica Latreille (Hym.: Formicidae). Lloydia 2: 144-152.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1939c. Tourist ants. Ecology 20:442-446.
 * Weber, N. A. 1940a. Ants on a Nile River steamer. Ecology 21:292-293.
 * [[Media:Weber 1940b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1940b. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part VI. Key to Cyphomyrmex, new Attini and a new guest ant. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 11: 406-427.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1940c.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1940c. Rare ponerine genera in Panama and British Guiana (Hym.: Formicidae). Psyche (Camb.) 47: 75-84.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1941a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1941a. Four new genera of Ethiopian and Neotropical Formicidae. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 34: 183-194.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1941b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1941b. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part VII. The Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, species. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 12: 93-130.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1941c.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1941c. The rediscovery of the queen of Eciton (Labidus) coecum Latr. (Hym.: Formicidae). Am. Midl. Nat. 26: 325-329.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1942a. A biocoenose of papyrus heads (Cyperus papyrus). Ecology 23:115-119.
 * [[Media:Weber 1942b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1942b. New doryline, cerapachyine and ponerine ants from the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 44: 40-49.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1942c.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1942c. The genus Thaumatomyrmex Mayr with description of a Venezuelan species (Hym.: Formicidae). Bol. Entomol. Venez. 1: 65-71.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1943a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1943a. The queen of a British Guiana Eciton and a new ant garden Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 45: 88-91.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1943b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1943b. New ants from Venezuela and neighboring countries. Bol. Entomol. Venez. 2: 67-78.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1943c. Parabiosis in Neotropical "ant gardens". Ecology 24:400-404.
 * [[Media:Weber 1943d.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1943d. The ants of the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 93: 263-389.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1944a.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1944a. The tree ants (Dendromyrmex) of South and Central America. Ecology 25:117-120.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1944b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1944b. The neotropical coccid-tending ants of the genus Acropyga Roger. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 37: 89-122.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1945.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1945. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part VIII. The Trinidad, B. W. I., species. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 16: 1-88.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1946a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1946a. Two common ponerine ants of possible economic significance, Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier) and E. ruidum Roger. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 48: 1-16.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1946b.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1946b. Dimorphism in the African Oecophylla worker and an anomaly (Hym.: Formicidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 39:7-10.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1946c.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1946c. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part IX. The British Guiana species. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 17: 114-172.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1947a.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1947a. Binary anterior ocelli in ants. Biological Bulletin (Woods Hole) 93:112-113.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1947b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1947b. A revision of the North American ants of the genus Myrmica Latreille with a synopsis of the Palearctic species. I. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 40: 437-474.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1947c. Lower Orinoco River fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Attini). Boletín de Entomologia Venezolana 6:143-161.
 * [[Media:Weber 1948a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1948a. A revision of the North American ants of the genus Myrmica Latreille with a synopsis of the Palearctic species. II. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 41: 267-308.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1948b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1948b. Studies on the fauna of Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire and the Venezuelan islands: No. 14. Ants from the Leeward Group and some other Caribbean localities. Natuurwet. Studiekring Suriname Ned. Antillen 5: 78-86.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1949a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1949a. New African ants of the genera Cerapachys, Phryacaces, and Simopone. Am. Mus. Novit. 1396: 1-9.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1949b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1949b. New ponerine ants from equatorial Africa. Am. Mus. Novit. 1398: 1-9.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1949c.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1949c. The functional significance of dimorphism in the African ant, Oecophylla. Ecology 30:397-400.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1949d.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1949d. A new Panama Eciton (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1441: 1-8.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1950a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1950a. The African species of the genus Oligomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1442: 1-19.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1950b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1950b. Ants from Saipan, Marianas Islands. Entomological News 61:99-102.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1950c.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1950c. A revision of the North American ants of the genus Myrmica Latreille with a synopsis of the Palearctic species. III. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 43: 189-226.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1950d.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1950d. New Trinidad Myrmicinae, with a note on Basiceros Schulz (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1465: 1-6.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1950e. A survey of the insects and related arthropods of Arctic Alaska. Part I. Transactions of the American Entomological Society 76:147-206.
 * [[Media:Weber 1952a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1952a. Studies on African Myrmicinae, I (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1548: 1-32.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1952b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1952b. Biological notes on Dacetini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1554: 1-7.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1952c. Observations on Baghdad ants. Baghdad: The Trading and Printing Co., 30 pp.
 * [[Media:Weber 1958a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1958a. Nomenclatural notes on Proatta and Atta (Hym.: Formicidae). Entomol. News 69: 7-13.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1958b.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1958b. Nomenclatural changes in Trachymyrmex (Hym.: Formicidae). Entomol. News 69: 49-55.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1958c.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1958c ("1957"). The nest of an anomalous colony of the arboreal ant Cephalotes atratus. Psyche (Cambridge) 64:60-69.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1958d.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1958d. Synonymies and types of Apterostigma (Hym: Formicidae). Entomol. News 69: 243-251.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1958e.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1958e. Some attine synonyms and types (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Proc. Entomol.Soc. Wash. 60: 259-264.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1958f. Evolution in fungus-growing ants. Pp. 459-473 in: Becker, E. C. et al. (eds.) 1958. Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of Entomology, Montreal, August 17-25, 1956. Volume 2. Ottawa: Mortimer Ltd., 1055 pp. [1958-12]
 * [[Media:Weber 1963.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1963. Argentine myrmecology. Entomological News 74:205-208. [1963-10-02]]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1964.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1964. Termite prey of some African ants. Entomological News 75:197-204. [1964-09-24]]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1965.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1965. Note on the European pavement ant, Tetramorium caespitum, in the Philadelphia area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 76:137-139.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1966a.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1966a. The subgenus Cyphomannia Weber 1938 of Cyphomyrmex Mayr 1862, reinstated, and systematic notes (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. News 77: 166-168.]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1966b. Fungus-growing ants. Science (Washington, D. C.) 153:587-604.
 * Weber, N. A. 1966c. Development of pigmentation in the pupa and callow of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 77:241-246.
 * [[Media:Weber 1967.pdf|Weber, N. A. 1967. Synonyms of Trachymyrmex bugnioni Forel and Trachymyrmex diversus Mann (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 69: 273-274.]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1968a.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1968a. Tobago Island fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomological News 79:141-145. [1968-06-07]]]
 * [[Media:Weber 1968b.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1968b. The Panamanian Atta species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 70:348-350. [1968-12-18]]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1969a. A comparative study of the nests, gardens and fungi of the fungus-growing ants, Attini. Pp. 299-307 in: Ernst, E. et al. (eds.) 1969. International Union for the Study of Social Insects. VI Congress. Bern 15-20 September 1969. Proceedings. Bern: Organizing Committee of the VI Congress IUSSI, 309 pp. [1969-09-15]
 * Weber, N. A. 1969b. Ecological relations of three Atta species in Panama. Ecology 50:141-147. [1969]
 * [[Media:Weber 1970.pdf| Weber, N. A. 1970. Northern extent of attine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 72:414-415. [1970-09-25]]]
 * Weber, N. A. 1972. Gardening ants, the attines. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, xvii + 146 pp. [1972] 129707
 * Weber, N. A. 1982. Fungus ants. Pp. 255-363 in: Hermann, H. R. (ed.) Social insects. Volume 4. New York: Academic Press, xiii + 385 pp.
 * [[Media:Weber & Anderson 1950.pdf|Weber, N. A.; Anderson, J. L. 1950. Studies on central African ants of the genus Pseudolasius Emery (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Am. Mus. Novit. 1443: 1-7.]]