Jonas Rimantas Stonis

Jonas Rimantas Stonis (born 26 August 1958, in Klaipėda District, Lithuania), is a Lithuanian professor, scientist, educator and popularizer of science.

Scientific biography

In 1984, Jonas Rimantas Stonis successfully completed his doctoral studies at the Institute of Zoology of the Russian (formerly USSR) Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) and received his first scientific (Candidate) degree in Biology in 1985, which was nostrified as Doctor of Biology by the Research Council of Lithuania in 1993. In 1992, he completed his second doctoral studies at the Institute of Zoology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg and defended the dissertation “The Evolution and System of the Nepticulidae with a Review of Mining Mode of Life in Lepidoptera” (supervisor Prof. Dr. V. I. Kuztnetzov) [3] [7]. In 1992, he received a degree of Doctor of Biology, which was nostrified as Doctor Habilitatus by the Research Council of Lithuania in 1993. The United Kingdom national agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications (UK NARIC), performing on behalf of the UK Government, confirmed the degree of Doctor of Biology as the second (higher) doctoral degree comparable to the British Post Doctoral standard. In 1996, he received a title and diploma of Professor (Full Professor) [1] [4].

Since 1985, Jonas Rimantas Stonis has been working for the Faculty of Science and Technology of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences (LEU); since 1994, as Full Professor at the Zoology Department (currently Biology Department) and head of the Biotaxonomy Research Programme; in 1989–1994, as Head of the Laboratory of Minological Research; in 1994–2013, as Head of the Laboratory (Centre) of Biosystematics Research; and in 1994–2012, as a member of the Senate of LEU, and a member (and chairman) of the Science Committee [3] [7]. Since 2015, Jonas Rimantas Stonis has been holding the position of the Executive Director of the Baltic-American Biotaxonomy Institute (B.A.B.I.). In 2015, he was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the B.A.B.I. [10]

Scientific activities

Jonas Rimantas Stonis’s fields of scientific interests are biological diversity of strategic regions of conservation priority, the fauna and new taxa of organisms and taxonomy and evolution of global fauna of the smallest Lepidoptera (Insecta) – Nepticulidae, Opostegidae and Tischeriidae [7].

He was the leader and participant of more than 40 long-term entomological expeditions or fieldwork in the Crimea, the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan), Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan) [2], Far East Asia (Russian Far East), the Himalayas, Central America [5], the Andes and Amazon (various countries of South America), etc. [6] [9]

He discovered and described about 400 new taxa of organisms (mostly new species) [10] from Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia), East Asia (Russian Far East and Japan), South and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, India and Oman), Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Tunisia), Madagascar, North America (USA and Mexico), the Caribbean, Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina) [4].

He improved his qualifications (undertook professional development visits and worked (conducted scientific research) at scientific institutions abroad: in the Netherlands (at Naturalis in 1991), United Kingdom (at the Natural History Museum in London and the University of Cambridge, in 1995, 1997–1999, 2008–2009 and 2014), Denmark (at the University of Copenhagen in 1995–1996) and the USA (at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., in 2002 and 2011), etc. [1] [7] He participated in the training and evaluation of over 50 researchers in Lithuania or abroad (including Doctors Habilitatus or Full Professors), supervised doctoral students and acted as a member of doctoral defense councils or as an opponent. In 2009–2014, he was Head of the Doctoral Committee for Entomology and Plant Parasitology at LEU.

The subjects that he has been teaching for bachelor, master and doctoral students are Zoology of Invertebrates, Global Biodiversity, Evolutionary Systems, Concepts of Biological Research, Entomology, etc. [3]

Jonas Rimantas Stonis has published over 230 publications (including 6 monographs and 5 books) on global biodiversity and taxonomy [10]. Encompassing a global view of organism groups, and being involved in continuous development and maintenance of an international network of collaborators, he has gained national and international support and respect, including various prestigious scientific awards and nominations [4].

Selected publications

Stonis, J. R., Remeikis, A., Davis, D. R. 2014. Ten new species from the Patagonian Andes (Argentina and Chile), mostly belonging to a newly designated Stigmella purpurimaculae group (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae). Zootaxa, 3887 (3): 321–353.
Stonis, J. R., Diškus, A., Remeikis, A., Navickaitė, A., Rocienė, A. 2013. Description of new species of oak leaf-miners (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), with notes on the species groups of Stigmella Schrank associated with Quercus as a host-plant. Zootaxa, 3737 (3): 201–222.
Stonis, J. R., Diškus, A., Remeikis, A., Schuster, J. 2013. First discovery of Quercus feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in Central America. Zootaxa, 3737 (1): 1–23.
Diškus, A., Stonis, J. R. 2012. Leaf-mining insects of Lithuania. The Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera): taxonomy, chorological composition and trophic relationships. Monograph. Lututė, Kaunas. 220 pp. ISBN 978-9955-37-148-9
Stonis, J. R., Diškus, A. 2008. Checklist of American Coptotriche (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae) with descriptions of two new species from the tropical forest of Belize (Central America). Zoological Science, 25 (1): 99–106.
Davis, D. R., Stonis, J. R. 2007. A revision of the New World plant-mining moths of the family Opostegidae (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea). Smithsonian contribution to Zoology, 625. Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press, Washington, D.C. 212 pp. ISSN 0081-0282
Lees, D. C., Stonis, J. R. 2007. The first record of Tischeriidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from Madagascar, with description of Coptotriche alavelona sp. n. and an updated distributional checklist of Afrotropical Tischeriidae. Zootaxa, 1645: 35–45. ISSN 1175-5326 (print), ISSN 1175-5334 (online)
Stonis, J. R., Diškus, A. 2007. Description of Tischeria gouaniae sp. n. from the tropical forest of Belize – an exotic new addition to the American fauna of Tischeria (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae). Zoological Science, 24 (12): 1286–1291. ISSN 0289-0003 Stonis, J. R., Rocienė, A. (2013) Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) of East Asia (1). Re-examination of the male genitalia of types deposited at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Zootaxa, 3652, 1–59. ISSN 1175-5326 (print), 1175-5334 (online) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3652.1.1.

(In total about 240 publications)

Recognition

Award from the Open Lithuania Fund (1992).

Diploma and award from the George Soros Foundation, USA (1994).

Award for achievements in scientific research and education form the Nation Fund (Tautos Fondas, USA) (1995).

The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (The Cross of the Knight) for the contribution to education and science (1996).

Distinguished Scholar of the Highest Degree from the Lithuanian State Scholarship (1997–1998).

Lithuanian National Science Award (the nation’s highest honor for achievement in the field of science) [4] (2003–2004).

Memorial Medal from the President of the Republic of Lithuania (2004).

Laureate Diploma for Popularization of Science from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).

Award for Honest and Transparent Studies from the Lithuanian Students Union (2008).

Memorial Medal for Merits to the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences (2015).

Various nominations, awards and other acknowledgments from the Royal Society of London; the Nordic Consuls, Prof. M. Hering Memorial Research Fund (UK), Prof. P. Sladen Memorial Fund/Linnean Society (London, UK), Godman Exploration Fund, EU SYS–Resource Fund, NATO, the Lithuanian State Studies Foundation, the Research Council of Lithuania, The State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, International Science Foundation (USA), etc.[1] [3]

References

American Biographical Institute. The International Directory of Distinguished Leadership. Ninth Edition: 342
Batavičius A. 2007. Tauragė šimtmečių vingiuose. Žmonės, įvykiai, vaizdai. 1507–2007: 434.
Marmaitė-Snitkienė L. 2008. Užsispyręs nenuorama žemaitis, gyvenimą paskyręs pasaulio gamtos paslapčių tyrinėjimui. Žurnalas apie gamtą, 6: 6–9.
Marmaitė-Snitkienė L. 2009. Gyvenimas, skirtas gamtos paslaptims tyrinėti. Mokslas ir gyvenimas, 3: 38–41.
Nosevičienė O. 2012. Į tolimus kraštus verčia vykti tyrimų planai. Kelionės ir pramogos, 135: 7–15.
Šakienė J. 2006. Lietuvis mokslininkas dėl vikšrų sukaria tūkstančius kilometrų. Kauno diena, 2006-04-22.
Who Is Who in Lithuania 97/98. 1998. Kaunas: Neolitas: 332.
Žemulis F. 2012. Mokslininkams nekvepia džiunglių egzotika. Lietuvos žinios, 30 (13 158): 14–15.
Žiemytė I. 2006. Gyvos Amazonės paslaptys. Vakarų ekspresas, 2006 m. spalio 8 d.
Who is Who in Lithuania, 2015. Jonas Rimantas Stonis. Kaunas: Leidybos studija.

External links

"Prof. habil. dr. Jonas Rimantas Stonis". Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. Retrieved November 11, 2015. (Lithuanian)

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