Edmond de Sélys Longchamps

Who was Edmond de Sélys Longchamps?

Baron Michel Edmond de Sélys Longchamps was a Belgian liberal politician and scientist.

Selys-Longchamps was regarded as the world's greatest authority on dragonflies and damselflies. His wealth and influence enabled him to amass one of the finest collections of neuropteroid insects and to describe many species from around the world. His collection is housed in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

He was the author of Monographie des Libellulidées d'Europe and Faune Belge.

Selys-Longchamps was a wealthy aristocrat born at Paris. He was educated at home and never at University but became the leading student of Odonata and the Neuropteroid and Orthopteroid insects. He was also a leading ornithologist. A liberal representative in the Belgian Parliament he became Councillor for Waremme in 1846 entered the Belgian Senate in 1855 and was finally elected President of the Belgian Senate from 1880 - 1884. His early interest in birds is shown by a book of coloured figures of Belgian species painted when he was 16.