Peter Malcolm Johns (born 3 June 1935) is a New Zealand entomologist and taxonomist who has made significant contributions to the field of entomology. He is a leading expert in various groups, including cockroaches, craneflies, wētā and millipedes.
Early life Born in Wanganui, he is the second son of Malcolm Johns, a surveyor and Hattie Johns, a research assistant. He was educated at Wanganui East Primary School and Wanganui Collegiate School. Johns started attending the University of Canterbury in 1953, majoring in chemistry and zoology. He gained a masters degree in Zoology with a thesis focused on snakeskin chiton.
Career Johns began lecturing in Zoology at the University of Canterbury in 1959 at the age of 24, and was appointed to a permanent position in 1964 as an assistant lecturer and later as lecturer. Over his 57 year career, Johns interest slowly shifted towards terrestrial invertebrates, eventually amassing a large collection of 140,000 specimens held at Canterbury Museum.
Johns is currently a research fellow at Canterbury Museum and a Fellow of the Entomological Society of New Zealand.
Taxa named by Johns Celatoblatta (1966) Celeriblattina (1966) Parellipsidion (1966) Ornatiblatta (1966) Eumastigonus hallelujah (2009) Eumastigonus waitahae (2009) Motuweta isolata (1997) Transaevum laudatum (1997) Maotoweta virescens (2014)
Taxa named in Johns' honour Cantuaria johnsi (Forster, 1968) Meropathus johnsi (Ordish, 1971) Campbellonemertes johnsi (Moore & Gibson, 1972) Parisolabis johnsi (Hudson, 1975) Nesoperla johnsi (McLellan, 1977) Hydrobiosis johnsi (McFarlane, 1981) Peterjohnsiidae (Mauriès, 1987) Mimopeus johnsi (Watt, 1988) Parentia johnsi (Bickel, 1992) Kupeharpalus johnsi (Larochelle & Larivière, 2005) Lissodesmus johnsi (Mesibov, 2006) Nothotrichocera johnsi (Krzeminska, 2006) Zalea johnsi (McAlpine, 2007) Agathodesmus johnsi (Mesibov, 2009) Hemiandrus johnsi Trewick & Morgan-Richards, 2026
Selected works Johns, P. M. (1962). "Introduction to the endemic and introduced millipedes of New Zealand." New Zealand Entomologist 3(1): 38-46. Johns, P. M. (1964). "Insects of Campbell Island. Chilopoda, Diplopoda (preliminary note on the Myriapoda of the New Zealand subantarctic islands)." Pacific Insects Monograph 7: 170-172.
References