Richard L. Hoffman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | September 25, 1927 |
| Died | June 10, 2012 (aged 84) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Virginia Tech (PhD) Cornell University (M.S.) |
| Known for | Millipede taxonomy and natural history of Virginia |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Diplopodology, entomology, herpetology |
| Institutions | Radford University, Virginia Museum of Natural History |
| Doctoral advisor | Perry C. Holt |
Richard Lawrence Hoffman (September 25, 1927 – June 10, 2012) was an American zoologist known as an international expert on millipedes, and a leading authority on the natural history of Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains. He was a biology professor at Virginia's Radford College for almost thirty years, and curator of invertebrates at the Virginia Museum of Natural History for another twenty years. He co-founded the Virginia Natural History Society, described over 400 species of millipedes, and produced more than 480 scientific publications. He is commemorated in the scientific and/or common names of over 30 animal species, including the valley and ridge salamander (Plethodon hoffmani) and Hoffman's dwarf centipede (Nannarrup hoffmani).