Biography

Johann Friedrich Theodor Muller, German-born Brazilian naturalist (Windischholzhausen Village, near Erfurt 31 March 1821 – Blumenau, Santa Catarina State 21 May 1897)

Authored about 260 works

Discovered and described dimorphism in larvae and pupa of Blephariceridae family

Demonstrated the differences between termite caste from ant caste systems 

Reported that larvae of certain butterflies feed out some plants and that this fact could be take account of by taxonomy  

Discovered tropholaxis phenomenon between a Hemiptera larva (Membracis sp.) and a bee (Melipona sp.) or some ant species  (1873)

Examined that orchids are self-sterile plants  

Discovered the symbiosis between plant Cecropia sp. and the ants

Described a new nictitropic motion of leaves  

Formulated Muller-Haeckel law biogenetic  (today discredited)

Classified the sambaquis in 3 types in according to its shells and described the cranes found in it

Proposed the first mathematical model of population dynamics

Proposed the concept of Mullerian mimicry (1878-9)

DESCRIBED VALID NEW TAXA

Trichoptera

Genera/Subgenera

Dicaminus 1879

Grumicha 1879

Grumichella 1879

Marilia 1878

Nectopsyche 1879   

Peltopsyche 1879

Rhyacophylax 1879

Rhyacopsyche 1879

Species

Dicaminus ladislavii 1879

Eutonella peltopsychodes 1921

Leptonema eugnathum 1921 

Marilia major 1880

Marilia minor 1880

Nectopsyche bella 1921

Nectopsyche gemma 1890

Nectopsyche modesta 1921

Oxyethira hyalina 1879

Oxyethira spirogyrae 1879

Peltopsyche maclachlani 1879

Peltopsyche sieboldi 1879 

Phylloicus bromelianum 1880

Phylloicus major 1880 

Phylloicus medius 1880

Rhyacopsyche hagenii 1879

Xiphocentron saltuum 1921

Annelida

Genera

Glycinde 1858

Hermundura 1858

Magelona 1858

Sigambra 1858

Species

Cherusca nitens 1858

Glycinde multidens 1858

Halosydnella fusca 1858

Hermundura tricuspis 1858

Isolda pulchella 1858

Magelona papillicornis 1858

Magelona papilliformis 1858 

Namanereis littoralis 1872

Pontoscolex corethrurus 1857

Sigambra grubii 1858

Terebellides anguicomus 1858 

Platyhelminthes (with Schultze 1857)

Genus

Geoplana

Species

Geobia subterranea

Geoplana (Geoplana) burmeisteri

Geoplana (Geoplana) marmorata

Geoplana (Geoplana) rufiventris

Geoplana elegans

Notogynaphalia atra

Notogynaphalia octostriata

Pasipha pulchella

Pseudogeoplana maximiliani

Pseudogeoplana nephelis

Pseudogeoplana tristriata

Crustacea

Genera

Batea 1865

Elpidium 1880

Lernaeodiscus 1862

Species

Batea catharinensis 1865

Cancrion cancrorum 1864

Elpidium bromeliarum 1880

Heterias exul 1892

Lernaeodiscus porcellanae 1862

Macrobrachium potiuna 1880

Synurella ambulans 1846

Others

Genera

Aglauropsis 1865 (Cnidaria)

Carijoa 1867 (Cnidaria)

Darwinella 1865 (Porifera)

Olindias 1861 (Cnidaria)

Tamoya 1859 (Cnidaria) 

Species

Aglauropsis agassizi 1865 (Cnidaria)

Chiropsalmus quadrumanus 1859 (Cnidaria)

Glossiphonia verrucata 1844 (Hirudinea) 

Lissomyema exilii 1883 (Echiura)

Olindias sambaquiensis 1861 (Cnidaria)

Paltostoma torrentium (Diptera)  

Placobdella costata 1846 (Hirudinea)

Procornitermes lespesii 1873 (Isoptera)

Tamoya haplonema 1859 (Cnidaria)

EPONYMY

Mullerian association

Muller bodies (in the basis of petiole of Cecropia sp. leaves)

HONORS

Fritzianira Castro & Lima 1977 (Crustacea)  

Fritzia O.P. Cambridge 1879 (Arachnida)

Fritziana Mello Leitão 1937 (Amphibia) 

Muelleritermes Oliveira, Rocha & Cancello 2015 (Isoptera)