Réaumur ( 1683 – 1757 ): the discoverer of parasitoids in France

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2005
Authors:Y. Carton
Journal:Biological Control
Volume:32
Pagination:40-48
Keywords:biological control, cotesia glomerata, france, history of insect parasitism, Hymenoptera, insect behaviour, parasitoids
Abstract:

Early French discoveries of insect parasitoids and various aspects of their life cycle are discussed in this paper. Parasitism in insects Wrst attracted the attention of French scientists in the 18th century, despite indiVerence of the famous encyclopedists of “the Age of Enlightenment” to this group of animals. Fortunately, a distinguished scientist of many talents, R.A. Ferchault de Réaumur (1683–1757), was interested in the study of insects. His work on insects, “Mémoires pour servir à l’histoire des insectes” published in six volumes, remains his most well known opus. He was the Wrst person in France to describe an entomophagous insect (probably a Cotesia species) as well as several aspects of the biological characteristics of parasitoid life in 1736. Together with Latreille (1762– 1833), he may be considered one of the founding fathers of entomology in France

Wed, 2011-12-14 21:27 -- YBRAET
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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith