OBITUARY PROFESSOR Dr. WALTER KARL JOHANN ROEPKE 1882-1961 After having finished his academic studies and having been engaged for some years in anatomical-taxonomic work on Lepidoptera as an assistant of Professor Standfuss at Zürich, Walter Karl Johann Roepke desired to become acquainted with the tropics and therefore accepted an appointment as a field entomologist in Java, in 1908. He was stationed at Bandung, where it was his first task to study the insects injurious to Cinchona cultivations in the mountains. However, he was soon transferred to Salatiga, at that time a centre for experimental work on be-half of the European-owned estates, and situated amidst plantations characterised by mixed crops. The principal and rather intricate problems he had to advise upon were con-cerned with the control of capsid bugs, Helopellis, which destroyed all tender growth, and a Mirolepidopterous pest, Acrocercops, which attacked the cocoa pods. However, at that time, a "plant doctor" was not supposed to confine his attention to the major problems; planters also wanted to be informed about all kinds of notable insects frequenting their gardens. This enabled Roepke to extend his observations to a great diversity of species. His spare time was devoted to his favourite pursuits, among which was climbing mountain tops and collecting in-sects. The story goes that in those days, whenever he entered a lodging or a rest-house, he would first examine it as to the presence of insect intruders, which might be found on the walls or in odd corners, or which were attracted by the gasoline lamps on the verandahs. Working at a private experimental station meant that results obtained should be published without delay and Roepke's reports and papers soon appeared in the periodicals. They covered diverse subjects, such as a survey of Cinchona insects and of borers in cocoa trunks, the importance of ants in the plantations, the Scolytidae of coffee, the prospects of the biological control of pests, etc. He was an expert in setting and photographing his specimens — particularly small Lepidoptera — and trained a Javanese artist to make minute pen drawings, so that most of his publications were well-illustrated. The clear way in which he expressed himself by means of the written as well as the spoken word also was well suited for the informative work that was required of him, and it was to be of great advantage to him during his further career. A few years later Roepke's adaptability and capacities were again put to the test when measures of economy led to the reorganization of the experimental stations. In 1913 he was put in charge of the station at Salatiga with a much curtailed budget. He was there the only university-trained member of the staff. This situation compelled him to tackle agronomic and technological problems as well. Fortunately, for the continuation of the work on the most urgent entomo-logical problems he soon succeeded in getting appointed as his assistant P. van 78
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