Gonzalo Halffter

Gonzalo Halffter

Gonzalo Halffter has a long and distinguished career in Mexican entomology. He is one of the world's leading specialists on the ecology, biology, and ethology of dung beetles, and he has published two major works (one with Eric Matthews and the other with David Edmunds) as well as a host of book chapters and scientific papers on this subject . Dr. Halffter has described numerous new taxa of Scarabaeinae, and he provided (with Antonio Martinéz) a review of the American Canthonini. Analyses of Mexican biogeography and biodiversity are also strong areas of research. Most recently, Dr. Halffter is writing about biosphere reserves and their importance to conservation of the native biota.

He founded the Instituto de Ecologia in Mexico City in 1974 and continued as its Director through its reorganization and move to Xalapa, Veracruz in 1988. He was also the Director of the Museum of Natural History in Mexico City from 1974 to 1982 as well as the Adjunct Director for Scientific Development of the National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT) from 1982 to 1986. Gonzalo Halffter was honored by the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores of Mexico with its highest lifetime distinction as a National Researcher Emeritus.