Edgard García

Edgard García(February 12 - November 21) was a racecar driver, conservationist and environmentalist deeply entrenched in the Venezuelan expeditionary community. known for his contributions to the discovery of 11 new scorpion species, one of these species, initially classified as Broteochactas Gaciai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978) and later renamed Neochactas garciai (Soleglad & Fet, 2003), was named in honor of García's contribution in the understanding of the Venezuela's scorpion fauna. 
==Personal life==
He was born in Guatire, Venezuela. He was a passionate race car driver with five consecutive win record before his untimely demise. Beyond the racetrack, García harbored a deep fascination with the natural world. In 1974,he led an expedition to Mount Roraima. This expedition proved to be a significant scientific success, resulting in the discovery of eleven new scorpion species. A species of the genus Chactidae was named in his honor: Neochactas Garciai.https://api.eol.org/pages/13656871, for his contributions to the understanding of scorpion species. 
Edgard and his wife perished in a car accident in late 2006 while returning from a family vacation. Their daughter, the renowned Venezuelan actress Sheyene Gerardi, survived the accident.
===Gems museum===
In 2024, Gerardi, honoring her parents' scientific legacy, announced the creation of the Gems Museum. This science museum serves as a testament to their dedication to scientific exploration and research.
==Scientific contributions==
On November 26, 1974, an expedition embarked on the ascent of Mount Roraima. This journey yielded a remarkable scientific discovery. The team collected 208 scorpion specimens, leading to the identification of a 11 new species. 
The collected specimens facilitated the description of three entirely new genera within the Chactidae family: Taurepania, Vachionochactas, and Auyantepuia. Furthermore, the expedition led to the crucial revalidation and re-description of the genus Hadrurochactas. This taxonomic windfall wasn't limited to genera. Eight new species were meticulously characterized, including: Taurepania vestigialis, Vachionochactas lasallei, Broteochactas bilbaoi, efreni lioneli, garciai, santanai, Broteas libinallyi and dasilvai; garciai: named Broteochactas Gaciai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978), was later reclassified as Neochactas garciai (Soleglad & Fet, 2003)https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237720472_BROTEOCHACTAS_FEI_A_NEW_SCORPION_SPECIES_SCORPIONES_CHACTIDAE_FROM_BRAZILIAN_AMAZONIA_WITH_NOTES_ON_ITS_ABUNDANCE_AND_ASSOCIATION_WITH_TERMITES
The expedition's contributions established three new taxonomic combinations: Taurepania porosus, Hadrurochactas Schaumi, and Auyantepuia scorzai. These advancements provided a comprehensive framework for understanding scorpion taxonomy in Venezuela, laying the groundwork for future research.
A key was developed to identify all Chactidae genera in Venezuela, including subgenera of Chactas and species of Taurepania, Broteochactas, and Broteas. Detailed maps were also created, illustrating the distribution of both Chactidae and Buthidae families across the region.
The expedition's impact reached even further, contributing to a deeper understanding of "trichobotryotaxy," the fascinating study of sensory hairs on scorpions. This knowledge sheds light on how these creatures navigate their environment.
===A Lasting Tribute===
As a testament to the expedition's historical significance, a metal plaque commemorating the team members and the date of their ascent rests atop Mount Roraima.
==Scorpion species discovered by Edgard García==
* Neochactas garciai (Soleglad & Fet, 2003)
* Brotheas libinallyi (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Neochactas bilbaoi (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Neochactas efren (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Neochactas leoneli (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Neochactas santanai (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Vachionochactas lasallei (González-Sponga, 1978)
* Brotheas Fei (González-Sponga, 1978)
==Publications==
===1978===
*Chactas choroniensis (Scorpionida: Chactidae) nueva especie del Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, estado Aragua, Venezuela”. Monografías Científicas Augusto Pi Suñer. 10:1-18.
*Chactas oxfordi (Scorpionida: Chactidae) nueva especie de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia". Monog. Cient. ”A. Pi Suñer", Inst. Univ. Pedagog., 9:1-20.
*Escorpiofauna de la región oriental del Estado Bolívar, Venezuela”. Ed. Roto-Impresos. 216 p.
*Escorpiones del Distrito Zamora del Estado Miranda. Pub. Esp. del Centro de Educación Artística “Andrés Eloi Blanco”, 29 Pgs.
===1980===
*Ananteris turmbanenesis n. sp. (Scorpionida: Buthidae) nueva especie de la Guyana de Venezuela”. ). Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle. XL(113):95-107.
*“Siete nuevas especies de escorpiones de la región sur de Venezuela (Chactidae)”. Monografías Científicas Augusto Pi Suñer. 11:1-75.
===1984===
*Escorpiones de Venezuela”. Cuadernos Lagoven. Lagoven, S. A. Caracas – Venezuela.
*“Tres nuevas especies de la amazonia de Venezuela (Scorpionida. Chactidae). Boletín de la Academia de Ciencias Físicas, Matemáticas y Naturales. 44(135-136) :142-165
===1985===
*“Tres nuevas especies de arácnidos de Venezuela (Scorpionida. Chactidae, Buthidae). Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle. XLV(123) :25-45
===1987===
*“Arácnidos de Venezuela. Nuevas especies del género Chactas y redescripción de Chactas gestroi Kraepelin, 1912 (Scorpionida: Chactidae). Boletín de la Academia de Ciencias Físicas, Matemáticas y Naturales.47(149-150):95-136.
*“Arácnidos de Venezuela. Opiliones Laniatores I. Familias Phalangodidae y Agoristenidae”. Academia de Ciencias Físicas, Matemáticas y Naturales. XXIII 562 pp. Caracas, Venezuela. ISBN 980-265-653-4 Pdf
*“Tres nuevas especies del género Tityus de Venezuela (Scorpionida. Buthidae)”. Boletín de la Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales. 41(144):217-249
Category:Racing drivers
Category:2005 deaths
Category:Venezuelan people
Category:People from Guatire
Category:Environmentalists