Longfield, Cynthia (1896–1991)
Longfield, Cynthia (1896–1991)
English entomologist and explorer. Born Cynthia Longfield, Aug 16, 1896; died June 27, 1991; dau. of Alice Mason Longfield and Mountifort Longfield (Anglo-Irish landowners).
An expert on damselflies, dragonflies and the Odonata (insects), served as the 1st woman president of the London Natural History Society (1932); collected beetles and butterflies for Cyril Collinette on a scientific expedition in Pacific Islands (1924); as a British Museum entomologist (1927–57), collected plants, archaeological artifacts, and insects; joined Entomological Society of London (1925) and Royal Geographic Society; from a family trust, financed collection trips abroad to Canada, Brazil (with Collinette), British Africa (1934) and South Africa (1937); during WWII, joined the Auxiliary Fire Service and saved the Natural History Museum (April 1941).