RNDr. Vladimir Černy, CSc., a prominent Čzech acarologist, died on February 18, 2002, in Prague. He was born in Olsany near Kladno (Čzech Republic) on August 24, 1928.He graduated from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University, Prague, in 1952. He received his degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences in 1956. Since 1952 he has been working at the Institute of Biology, Department of Parasitology, of the Čzechoslovak Academy of Sciences. After the transformation of this Department into the Institute of Parasitology, Čzechoslovak Academy of Department of Experimental Medical Acarology and Entomology until 1988. In the years 1964-65 and 1967-68 he worked as a specialist at the Institute of Zoology, Cuban Academy of Sciences, Havana. During 1989-1991 he worked as adviser at the Institute of Parasitology, Čzechoslovak Academy of Sciences, in České Budejovice, from which he retired on July 1, 1991. Vladimir Černy studied many problems of medical arachnoentomology, natural foci of diseases research, etc., but his main interest was focused on acarology, namely the ecology of Ixodid ticks and the faunistics and taxonomy of parasitic mites, particularly those on birds (Analgoidea, Rhinonyssidae, etc.). He published over 220 original research papers, faunistical and taxonomical articles in arachnoentomology and parasitology. The major part of V. Černy´s acarological publications (115 articles) dealt with the ecology and medical significance of Ixodid and Argasid ticks.The other dealt with feather mites (36) and various parasitic mites (13); the rest of his publications was devoted to parasitic insects and their control and to general parasitological problems. He was also co-author or co-editor of 12 books. Vladimir Černy described around 85 new taxa of mites and ticks. Milan Daniel
