Ludek Jindrich Dobroruka (1920 - 2004)

Ing. et RNDr. Ludek J. Dobroruka was an enthusiastic Czech zoologist, born on 20th October 1933. Dobroruka was blue blooded; his oldest historically verified ancestor was Russian prince Jurij Dolgorukij, who founded city Moscow in 1147.
Dobroruka studied at the Charles University, Faculty of Science (1951-1956, RNDr.) and later at the University of Agriculture (1973-1978, Ing.). He was one of the zoologists with a great sphere of action; myriapodology was one from his collateral interests. Because he worked in the zoological gardens (1956-1972 and 1975-1982 in the Prague ZOO and 1972-1975 and 1982-1991 in the ZOO Dvur Králové nad Labem), the main aim of his work was animals much bigger than centipedes. He kept international and national studbooks of nine species of subungulate. He concentrated his scientific work on various aspects of taxonomy, breeding biology and behaviour of different species. Besides various subungulates (deer, antelopes, peccaries, impalas, horses etc.), other groups of vertebrate animals were also studied by him (mainly leopards, monkeys, squirrels, aardwolves, as well as some fish, frogs, salamanders, hamsters, seals, etc.).
During his procreative life Dobroruka wrote 140 scientific papers and 10 studbooks about aforesaid animals, but also14 books about centipedes, monkeys, domestic animals, mammals, dogs and South American and North American animals. Some of his books were translated into various languages. He also wrote 6 textbooks (Natural history for basic schools, Breeding of exotic animals for training college) and 33 popular science papers too. In addition to that, he translated 7 books into Czech. These books were not only about animals, but also about bicycles and some fairy-tales too.
During the last year of his university studies he wrote the first papers about myriapods, besides writing of diploma thesis about gulls. Taxonomy of centipedes and symphylans was Dobroruka´s whole-life hobby, he published about it mainly since the fifties till the seventies. During this period he described 4 new genera, 37 new species and 9 new subspecies of centipedes, 1 new species of symphylan and created 4 nomen novums. He is the author of 43 papers and 1 monograph. He worked on myriapods mainly self-actionly. He collaborated only on one paper, together with Dr. Folkmanová (in the last year of her life). In addition to the material he had collected in the Czech Republic, Kenya or Zambia himself, Dobroruka worked up also some material from museums and some collected by his colleagues during their trips to Asia (Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Gruzia, Iraq, Mongolia, Nepal, Taiwan), Africa (Belgian Congo, Central African Republic, Chad), America (Brazil) and Europe (Greece, Bulgaria, Poland).
Next proportion of Dobroruka´s life was work with kids and teenagers. Besides writing books and textbooks, he also supervised studies of many young researchers in Biology Olympiads. With his wife he had found Club Natura, which organized summer camps, educational programmes for sightless and weak-sighted kids and many other activities.
Recently, after having retired, he was interested in another group of invertebrates - jumping spiders (Aranea: Salticidae). He wrote 8 scientific papers about its behaviour and distribution and in 2004 he described new species from India.
Dr. L.J. Dobroruka died at 4th of July 2004 in a hospital leaving several uncompleted works.


List of Myriapoda taxons described by L.J. Dobroruka


SYMPHYLA
Symphylella winkleri Dobroruka, 1956

CHILOPODA

Lithobiomorpha
Chinobius alenae Dobroruka, 1980
Hessebius major Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Schizopolybothrus folkmanovae Dobroruka, 1965
Schizopolybothrus lebruni Dobroruka, 1968
Lithobius corrigendus Dobroruka, 1988 - nomen novum for Lithobius parvus Folkmanová, 1946
Lithobius creticus Dobroruka, 1977
Lithobius erythrocephalus mohelensis Dobroruka, 1959
Lithobius evae Dobroruka, 1958
Lithobius lusitanus tataricus Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Lithobius magurensis Dobroruka, 1971
Lithobius megapus bidens Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Lithobius mongolicus Dobroruka, 1960
Lithobius porathi major Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Lithobius pseudoagilis Dobroruka, 1965
Lithobius purkynei Dobroruka, 1957
Lithobius tatricus Dobroruka, 1958
Lithobius tatricus monounguis Dobroruka, 1958
Lithobius validus rotteri Dobroruka, 1958
Monotarsobius hauseri Dobroruka, 1965
Monotarsobius homolaci Dobroruka, 1971
Monotarsobius krali Dobroruka, 1979

Scutigeromorpha
Allothereua wilsonae Dobroruka, 1979

Geophilomorpha
Agnathodon Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Agnathodon paradoxus Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Arctogeophilus macrocephalus Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Brachygeophilus sukacevi garutti Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Brachyschendyla verneri Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Eurytion mumbwae Dobroruka, 1969
Folkmanovius Dobroruka, 1957
Folkmanovius paralellus Dobroruka, 1957
Geophilus osquidatum porosum Dobroruka, 1957
Mecistocephalus benoiti Dobroruka, 1958
Mesoschendyla franzi Dobroruka, 1959
Pachymerium dilottiae Dobroruka, 1976
Pachymerium hanzaki Dobroruka, 1976
Polygonarea africana Dobroruka, 1960 - nomen novum for Polygonarea porosa (Porat, 1894) sensu Verhoeff 1937, 1940, 1947 and 1955
Polygonarea verhoeffi Dobroruka, 1960 - nomen novum for Polygonarea porosa (Porat, 1894) sensu Verhoeff 1925 and Attems 1929
Pseudofagetophilus Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Pseudofagetophilus microporus Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Schizotaenia folkmanovae Dobroruka, 1966 - nomen novum for Pachymerium flavum Folkmanová, 1949
Schizotaenia livingstonei Dobroruka, 1969
Schizotaenia ornata Folkmanová & Dobroruka, 1960
Schizotaenia vagneri Dobroruka, 1973
Strigamia olympica Dobroruka, 1977

Scolopendromorpha
Asanada tchadensis Dobroruka, 1968
Asanada zambiana Dobroruka, 1969
Congobius Dobroruka, 1968
Congobius kivuensis Dobroruka, 1968
Congobius schoutedeni Dobroruka, 1968
Cryptops franzi Dobroruka, 1958
Digitipes krausi Dobroruka, 1968
Otostigmus lawrencei Dobroruka, 1968
Otostigmus striatus porteri Dobroruka, 1960
Rhysida lithobioides longopito Dobroruka, 1973


Bibliography

DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1955): O nasich stonozenkách. [Symphyla from Czechoslovakia.] Sborník Krajského vlastivedného musea v Olomouci, Oddíl A - Prírodní vedy, Sborník KVM Olomouc (SLUKO) -               Acta Sluko A, 3: 193-197. (in Czech, English summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1955): Poznámky k ceskoslovenským zástupcum rodu Scolioplanes (Chilopoda). [Anmerkungen nach Tchechoslovakischen Vertreter der Gattung Scolioplanes (Chilopoda).]               Sborník Krajského vlastivedného musea v Olomouci, Oddíl A - Prírodní vedy, 3: 201-204. (in Czech,               German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1956): Brachyschendyla (Schizoschendyla) monoeci Brol., novy zástupce celedi Schendylidae (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha) v CSR. [Brachyschendyla (Schizoschendyla) monoeci               Brol., ein neuer Verteter der Familie Schendylidae in der CSR (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha).] Acta faunistica entomologica Musei nationalis Pragae, 1: 147-149. (in Czech, Russian and German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1956): Dignathodon microcephalum Luc. (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha) v CSR. [Dignathodon microcephalum Luc. (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha) in der CSR.] Ochrana prírody, 11:               174-175. (in Czech, Russian and German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1956): Novy druh Symphyl z okolí Teplic na Morave. Zprávy KVM Olomouc, 64: 107. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1956): O nekterych zajímavych Lithobiidech (Chilopoda) z Mohelenské stepi. [Interessante Lithobius-Arten aus der Mohelno-Steppe.] Ochrana prírody, 11: 271-272. (in Czech,               Russian and German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1956): Stonozenky (Symphyla) Olomouckého kraje. Zprávy KVM Olomouc, 66: 134-135. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1957): Ctyri stonozky (Chilopoda) nové pro faunu CSR. [Vier, für die CSR neue Chilopoden-Formen.] Casopis Národního Musea, 126: 156-158. (in Czech, German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1957): Neue Chilopoden aus dem Böhmischen Mittelgebirge. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 159: 174-179.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1957): Neue oder merkwürdige Zwergfüssler (Symphyla) und Hundertfüssler (Chilopoda) aus Böhmen Acta faunistica entomologica Musei nationalis Pragae, 2: 135-138. (in               German, Czech summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1957): Zajímavé nálezy stonozek (Chilopoda) z Prahy a okolí. [Some interest centipede records (Chilopoda) from Prague and surroudings.] Musejní zprávy Prazského kraje, 2:               118-119. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1958): Chilopoden aus Batumi und Tbilisi, gesammelt von J. Rotter. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 160: 204-206.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1958): Chilopoden des Belgischen Congo, gesammelt von Prof. Dr. Ing. Herbert Franz. Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaine, 58: 54-61.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1958): Dve stonozenky, nové pro faunu CSR (Symphyla). [Two new symphylan for Czechoslovakia] Musejní zprávy Prazského kraje, 3: 122. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1958): Neue Chilopoden aus Böhmen. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 160: 25-28.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1958): Príspevek k poznání stonozek z Tater (Chilopoda). [Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Tausendfüssler aus Tatra (Chilopoda).] Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 22:               113-120. (in Czech, German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1959): Chilopoda státní prírodní reservace Mohelno. [Chilopoden des staatlichen Naturschutzgebeites Mohelno.] Ochrana prírody, 14: 104-106. (in Czech, German summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1959): Drobnusky - Pauropoda. [Pauropoda of Czech Republic - The Key.] In: Kratochvíl, J. (ed.): Klíc zvíreny CSR, Part 3. Praha, NCSAV: 25-26. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1959): Mesoschendyla franzii nov. spec., eine neue Chilopoden-Art aus dem Tschadgebiet. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 63: 414-415.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1959): Stonozenky - Symphyla. [Symphyla of Czech Republic - The Key.] In: Kratochvíl, J. (ed.): Klíc zvíreny CSR, Part 3. Praha, NCSAV: 21-23. (in Czech)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1960): A new Formosan centipede. Otostigmus striatus porteri ssp.n. Annals and Magazine of Natural History ser.13, 3: 61-62.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1960): Bemerkungen zur Gattung Harpolithobius (Chilopoda). Zoologischer Anzeiger, 164: 198-201.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1960): Nomina nova einiger Arten der Gattung Polygonarea Attems 1909 (Chilopoda - Myriapoda). Zoologischer Anzeiger, 165: 400-403.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1960): Über eine kleine Chilopoden-Ausbeute aus der Mongolei. Acta Arachnologica, 17: 15-18.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1961): Die Hundertfüßler (Chilopoda), Neue Brehm-Bucherei, 285. A. Ziemsen Verlag, Lutherstadt-Wittenberg.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1962): Über Lithobius erythrocephalus C. Koch 1847. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 168: 43-45.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1965): Ein Beitrag zur Landtierwelt von Korfu. Chilopoda. Sitzungsberichte der Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Mathematisch-naturwissenshalftliche Classe, Wien,               174: 393-402.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1966): Europäische Schizotaenia - Arten (Chilopoda). Zoologischer Anzeiger, 177: 400-401.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1968): Myriapoda-Chilopoda aus der Sammlung des Musée Royal de l´Afrique Centrale. Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaine, 78 : 201-215.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1969): Some Chilopoda from Zambia. Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaine, 79 : 352-358.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1970): Kurzer Beitrag zur Kenntnis der zentralasiatischen Chilopoden. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 184: 94-96.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1971): Chilopoda von Belanské Tatry und Spisská Magura. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 25: 261-264.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1973): Chilopoda from Kenya. Revue de Zoologie et Botanique Africaine, 87 : 829-834.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1976): Einige chilopoden aus Irak. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 40: 259-262. (in Germany, English abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1977): Bulgarische Chilopoden in der Sammlung von Nationalmuseum Praha. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické,1: 5-7. (in Germany, English abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1977): Chilopoden aus Griechenland und Kreta in der Sammlung des Nationalmuseum Prag. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 3: 161-164. (in Germany, English               abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1977): Neue Funde Seltener Chilopoden-Arten in der Tschechoslowakei (Myriopoda: Chilopoda). Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 41: 245-247. (in Germany, English               abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1979): Allothereua wilsonae sp. n., a new centipede from Nepal (Chilopoda: Scutigeromorpha: Thereuoneminae). Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 43: 101-103.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1979): Notes on the chilopods of Brazil in the collection of the National Nuseum Prague. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 43: 98-100.
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1979): Zur weiteren kenntnis der zentralasiatischen chilopoden. Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 43: 161-164. (in Germany, English abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1980): Chinobius alenae sp.n., eine neue chilopoden-art aus dem Fernen Osten (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha). Vestník Ceskoslovenské spolecnosti zoologické, 44: 92-93. (in               Germany, English abstract)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1988): Chilopoda of the Bialowieza Forest. Parki Narodowe i Rezerwaty Przyrody, 9: 5-7. (in English, Polish summary)
DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1998): Annotated preliminary checklist of Chilopoda of the Podyjí National park. Thayensia, 1: 131-136. (in English, Czech summary)
FOLKMANOVÁ, B. & DOBRORUKA, L.J. (1960): K poznaniju gubohogich mnogonozek (Chilopoda) SSSR. [Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Chilopoda der USSR.] Zoologicheskij journal, 39: 1811-1818. (in               Russian, German summary)

I would like to acknowledge to Pavel Stoev and Stylianos Simaiakis for their help with collecting of papers and to Dr. Jana Dobroruková for help with completing of bibliography and biography.

Ivan H. Tuf, May 2005