Pierre André Latreille
Encyclopedia
Pierre André Latreille was a French
zoologist
, specialising in arthropod
s. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution
, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis
. He published his first important work in 1796 (), and was eventually employed by the . His foresighted work on arthropod systematics
and taxonomy
gained him respect and accolades. He was considered the foremost entomologist
of his time, and was described by one of his pupils as "the prince of entomologists".
, then in the province of Limousin
, as the illegitimate child of Jean Joseph Sahuguet d'Amarzit, général baron d'Espagnac, and an unknown mother; the surname "Latreille" was formally granted to him in 1813, and derives from a nickname
of unclear provenance.
He studied to become a priest
, initially in Brive, and later in Paris
. He entered the of Limoges in 1780, and left as a deacon
in 1786. Despite being qualified to preach, Latreille later wrote that he had never carried out his functions as a minister, although for a few years he signed the letters he wrote "" ("the Reverend Latreille") or "" ("Latreille, Priest").
Even during his studies, Latreille had taken on an interest in natural history
, visiting the planted by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
, and catching insects
around Paris. He received lessons on botany
from René Just Haüy
, which allowed him to meet Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
.
, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
was declared in 1790, which required priests to swear an oath of allegiance to the state. Latreille failed to do so and was therefore imprisoned in November 1793 under threat of execution.
When the prison's doctor inspected the prisoners, he was surprised to find Latreille scrutinising a beetle on the dungeon floor. When Latreille explained that it was a rare insect, the physician was impressed, and sent the insect to a 15-year old local naturalist, Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent
. Bory de St.-Vincent knew Latreille's work, and managed to obtain the release of Latreille and one of his cell-mates. All the other inmates were dead within one month. The beetle had been described by Johan Christian Fabricius
in 1775, but recognising it had saved Latreille's life.
Thereafter, Latreille lived as a teacher and corresponded with various entomologists, including Fabricius. In 1796, and with Fabricius' encouragement, Latreille published his at his own expense. He was briefly placed under house arrest
in 1797, and his books were confiscated, but the influence of Georges Cuvier
, Bernard Germain de Lacépède and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
(who all held chairs of zoology at the recently instituted ) succeeded in freeing Latreille. In 1798, Latreille was appointed to the museum, where he worked alongside Lamarck, curating the arthropod collections, and published a number of zoological works.
in 1814, Latreille succeeded him as titular member of the . In the following few years, Latreille was especially productive, producing important papers for the , all of the volume on arthropods for George Cuvier's ("The animal kingdom"), and hundreds of entries in the on entomological subjects. As Lamarck became blind, Latreille took on an increasing proportion of his teaching and research work. In 1821, Latreille was made a knight of the .
and took on several assistants for his research work, including Amédée Louis Michel Lepeletier, Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
and Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
. He was instrumental in the founding of the , and served as its honorary president.
Latreille's wife became ill in 1830 and died in May of that year; the date of Latreille's marriage is unclear, and his request to be released from his vow of celibacy
was never acknowledged. He resigned his position at the museum on April 10, 1832, in order to move to the country and thereby avoid the cholera epidemic
. He returned to Paris in November, and died of bladder disease
on February 6, 1833. He had no children but was survived by a niece whom he had adopted.
, and comprised a 9 feet (2.7 m) obelisk
with various inscriptions, including one to the beetle which had saved Latreille's life: "" ("Necrobia ruficollis, Latreille's saviour").
As testimony to the high esteem in which Latreille was held, many books were dedicated
to him, and up to 163 species were named in his honour between 1798 and 1850. Taxa commemorating Latreille include:
as ("the foremost entomologist of our time"), and by Jean Victoire Audouin
as ("the prince of entomology").
incorporated evidence from all available characters without assuming a pre-defined goal; Latreille repeatedly dismissed anthropocentrism
and teleology
.
As well as many species
and countless genera
, the names of many higher taxa are also attributable to Latreille, including Thysanura
, Siphonaptera
, Pycnogonida, Ostracod
a, Stomatopoda
, Decapoda
, Amphipoda
, Isopoda
, Xiphosura
and Myriapoda
.
", a species to which the name of a genus is firmly attached. Similarly, he favoured the method of naming families after one of the constituent genera, rather than some defining feature of the group, implicitly designating a type genus
for the family.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, specialising in arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom after recognising a rare species he found in the prison, Necrobia ruficollis
Necrobia ruficollis
Necrobia ruficollis, the ham beetle, red-shouldered ham beetle or red-necked bacon beetle, is a predatory beetle in the family Cleridae with a cosmopolitan distribution.-Description:...
. He published his first important work in 1796 (), and was eventually employed by the . His foresighted work on arthropod systematics
Systematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
and taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
gained him respect and accolades. He was considered the foremost entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
of his time, and was described by one of his pupils as "the prince of entomologists".
Biography
Early life
Pierre André Latreille was born on November 29, 1762 in the town of BriveBrive-la-Gaillarde
Brive-la-Gaillarde is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Corrèze department. The population of the urban area was 89,260 as of 1999. Although it is by far the biggest commune in Corrèze, the capital is Tulle.-History:...
, then in the province of Limousin
Limousin (province)
Limousin is one of the traditional provinces of France around the city of Limoges. Limousin lies in the foothills of the western edge of the Massif Central, with cold weather in the winter...
, as the illegitimate child of Jean Joseph Sahuguet d'Amarzit, général baron d'Espagnac, and an unknown mother; the surname "Latreille" was formally granted to him in 1813, and derives from a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of unclear provenance.
He studied to become a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, initially in Brive, and later in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He entered the of Limoges in 1780, and left as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1786. Despite being qualified to preach, Latreille later wrote that he had never carried out his functions as a minister, although for a few years he signed the letters he wrote "" ("the Reverend Latreille") or "" ("Latreille, Priest").
Even during his studies, Latreille had taken on an interest in natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, visiting the planted by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon
Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon was a French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist, and encyclopedic author.His works influenced the next two generations of naturalists, including Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Georges Cuvier...
, and catching insects
Insect collecting
Insect collecting is the collection of insects for hobby, scientific study or profit. Historically insect collecting has been widespread and a very popular educational hobby. Insect collecting has left traces in European cultural history, literature and songs Insect collecting is the collection of...
around Paris. He received lessons on botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
from René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy
René Just Haüy – 3 June 1822 in Paris) was a French mineralogist, commonly styled the Abbé Haüy after he was made an honorary canon of Notre Dame. He is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Crystallography." -Biography:...
, which allowed him to meet Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
.
Necrobia ruficollis
After the fall of the and the start of the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy
Civil Constitution of the Clergy
The Civil Constitution of the Clergy was a law passed on 12 July 1790 during the French Revolution, that subordinated the Roman Catholic Church in France to the French government....
was declared in 1790, which required priests to swear an oath of allegiance to the state. Latreille failed to do so and was therefore imprisoned in November 1793 under threat of execution.
When the prison's doctor inspected the prisoners, he was surprised to find Latreille scrutinising a beetle on the dungeon floor. When Latreille explained that it was a rare insect, the physician was impressed, and sent the insect to a 15-year old local naturalist, Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent
Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent
Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent was a French naturalist. He was born at Agen...
. Bory de St.-Vincent knew Latreille's work, and managed to obtain the release of Latreille and one of his cell-mates. All the other inmates were dead within one month. The beetle had been described by Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
in 1775, but recognising it had saved Latreille's life.
Thereafter, Latreille lived as a teacher and corresponded with various entomologists, including Fabricius. In 1796, and with Fabricius' encouragement, Latreille published his at his own expense. He was briefly placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
in 1797, and his books were confiscated, but the influence of Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, Bernard Germain de Lacépède and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
(who all held chairs of zoology at the recently instituted ) succeeded in freeing Latreille. In 1798, Latreille was appointed to the museum, where he worked alongside Lamarck, curating the arthropod collections, and published a number of zoological works.
First Empire
Following the death of Guillaume-Antoine OlivierGuillaume-Antoine Olivier
Guillaume-Antoine Olivier was a French entomologist.He was the author of Entomologie, ou histoire naturelle des Insectes and Le Voyage dans l'Empire Othoman, l'Égypte et la Perse . He was a close friend of Johan Christian Fabricius and a patron of Pierre André Latreille.-References:...
in 1814, Latreille succeeded him as titular member of the . In the following few years, Latreille was especially productive, producing important papers for the , all of the volume on arthropods for George Cuvier's ("The animal kingdom"), and hundreds of entries in the on entomological subjects. As Lamarck became blind, Latreille took on an increasing proportion of his teaching and research work. In 1821, Latreille was made a knight of the .
Later years
From 1824, Latreille's health deteriorated. He handed his lectures over to Jean Victoire AudouinJean Victoire Audouin
thumb|Victor AudouinJean Victoire Audouin , sometimes Victor Audouin, was a French naturalist, an entomologist, ornithologist and malacologist.Audouin was born in Paris and studied medicine...
and took on several assistants for his research work, including Amédée Louis Michel Lepeletier, Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville
Jean Guillaume Audinet-Serville was a French entomologist, born on November 11, 1775 in Paris. He died on March 27 , 1858 in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre....
and Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville
Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville was a French entomologist.Guérin-Méneville changed his surname from Guérin in 1836. He was the author of the illustrated work Iconographie du Règne Animal de G. Cuvier 1829–1844, a complement to the work of Georges Cuvier and Pierre André Latreille, which lacked...
. He was instrumental in the founding of the , and served as its honorary president.
Latreille's wife became ill in 1830 and died in May of that year; the date of Latreille's marriage is unclear, and his request to be released from his vow of celibacy
Clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy also requires abstension from these...
was never acknowledged. He resigned his position at the museum on April 10, 1832, in order to move to the country and thereby avoid the cholera epidemic
Second cholera pandemic
The second cholera pandemic also known as the Asiatic Cholera Pandemic was a Cholera pandemic from 1829-1849.-History:This pandemic began, like the first, with outbreaks along the Ganges River delta. From there the disease spread along trade routes to cover most of India. By 1828 the disease had...
. He returned to Paris in November, and died of bladder disease
Urinary bladder disease
-Cystitis:Cystitis is a term that refers to urinary bladder inflammation that results from any one of a number of distinct syndromes. It is most commonly caused by a bacterial infection in which case it is referred to as a urinary tract infection.-Bladder rupture:...
on February 6, 1833. He had no children but was survived by a niece whom he had adopted.
Commemoration
The raised the money to pay for a monument to Latreille. This was erected over Latreille's grave at Père Lachaise CemeteryPère Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
, and comprised a 9 feet (2.7 m) obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
with various inscriptions, including one to the beetle which had saved Latreille's life: "" ("Necrobia ruficollis, Latreille's saviour").
As testimony to the high esteem in which Latreille was held, many books were dedicated
Dedication (publishing)
A Dedication is the expression of friendly connection or thank by the author towards another person...
to him, and up to 163 species were named in his honour between 1798 and 1850. Taxa commemorating Latreille include:
- Lumbrineris latreilli Audouin & H. Milne-Edwards, 1833
- Cecrops latreillii Leach, 1816
- Apseudes latreillii (H. Milne-Edwards, 1828)
- Orbinia latreillii (Audouin & H. Milne-Edwards, 1833)
- LatreilliaLatreilliaLatreillia can refer to:*Latreillia , a genus of crabs in the family Latreilliidae*Latreillia, a name applied to a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae; see Belvosia...
Roux, 1830 - Cilicaea latreillei Leach, 1818
- Bittium latreilliiBittium latreilliiBittium latreillii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cerithiidae....
(Payraudeau, 1826) - Macrophthalmus latreillei (Desmarest, 1822)
- Eurypodius latreillei Guérin, 1828
Work
Latreille produced a significant body of scientific work, extending across several fields. He was described by Johan Christian FabriciusJohan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
as ("the foremost entomologist of our time"), and by Jean Victoire Audouin
Jean Victoire Audouin
thumb|Victor AudouinJean Victoire Audouin , sometimes Victor Audouin, was a French naturalist, an entomologist, ornithologist and malacologist.Audouin was born in Paris and studied medicine...
as ("the prince of entomology").
Taxonomy and systematics
Latreille was significant as the first person to attempt a natural classification of the arthropods. His "eclectic method" of systematicsSystematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
incorporated evidence from all available characters without assuming a pre-defined goal; Latreille repeatedly dismissed anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism describes the tendency for human beings to regard themselves as the central and most significant entities in the universe, or the assessment of reality through an exclusively human perspective....
and teleology
Teleology
A teleology is any philosophical account which holds that final causes exist in nature, meaning that design and purpose analogous to that found in human actions are inherent also in the rest of nature. The word comes from the Greek τέλος, telos; root: τελε-, "end, purpose...
.
As well as many species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and countless genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, the names of many higher taxa are also attributable to Latreille, including Thysanura
Thysanura
Thysanura is an order of insects, encompassing silverfish and firebrats, known for their three long caudal filaments.The families Machilidae and Meinertellidae of the jumping bristletails were once included with Thysanura....
, Siphonaptera
Flea
Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects with mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood...
, Pycnogonida, Ostracod
Ostracod
Ostracoda is a class of the Crustacea, sometimes known as the seed shrimp because of their appearance. Some 65,000 species have been identified, grouped into several orders....
a, Stomatopoda
Mantis shrimp
Mantis shrimp or stomatopods are marine crustaceans, the members of the order Stomatopoda. They are neither shrimp nor mantids, but receive their name purely from the physical resemblance to both the terrestrial praying mantis and the shrimp. They may reach in length, although exceptional cases of...
, Decapoda
Decapoda
The decapods or Decapoda are an order of crustaceans within the class Malacostraca, including many familiar groups, such as crayfish, crabs, lobsters, prawns and shrimp. Most decapods are scavengers. It is estimated that the order contains nearly 15,000 species in around 2,700 genera, with...
, Amphipoda
Amphipoda
Amphipoda is an order of malacostracan crustaceans with no carapace and generally with laterally compressed bodies. The name amphipoda means "different-footed", and refers to the different forms of appendages, unlike isopods, where all the legs are alike. Of the 7,000 species, 5,500 are classified...
, Isopoda
Isopoda
Isopods are an order of peracarid crustaceans, including familiar animals such as woodlice and pill bugs. The name Isopoda derives from the Greek roots and...
, Xiphosura
Xiphosura
Xiphosura is an order of marine chelicerates which includes a large number of extinct lineages and only four recent species in the family Limulidae, which include the horseshoe crabs...
and Myriapoda
Myriapoda
Myriapoda is a subphylum of arthropods containing millipedes, centipedes, and others. The group contains 13,000 species, all of which are terrestrial...
.
Typification
Although Latreille named many species, his primary interest was in describing genera. He introduced the concept of the "type speciesType species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
", a species to which the name of a genus is firmly attached. Similarly, he favoured the method of naming families after one of the constituent genera, rather than some defining feature of the group, implicitly designating a type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
for the family.
Selected publiations
- 1796: Précis des caracteres generiques des insectes, disposes dans un ordre naturel. – Paris-Brive, Prevot – F. Boudreaux XII, 3 201 [7].
- 1801 (with Sonnini de ManoncourtCharles-Nicolas-Sigisbert Sonnini de ManoncourtCharles-Nicolas-Sigisbert Sonnini de Manoncourt was a French naturalist. Between 1799 to 1808 he wrote 127 volumes of the Histoire naturelle. Noteworthy among these, especially for herpetologists, is Histoire naturelle des Reptiles, avec figures desinées d'après nature, in four volumes, which he...
) Histoire naturelle des reptiles, avec figures desinées d'apres nature (2 vols., 332 pp.) - 1802–1805: Histoire naturelle générale et particulière des crustacés et insectes (14 vols.)
- 1806–1809. Genera crustaceorum et insectorum, secundum ordinem naturalem ut familias disposita (4 vols.)
- 1810: Considérations sur l'ordre naturel des animaux composant les classes des crustacés, des arachnides, et des insectes.
- 1822 (with Pierre François Marie Auguste DejeanPierre François Marie Auguste DejeanPierre François Marie Auguste Dejean , was a French entomologist. A soldier of fortune during the Napoleonic Wars, he rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and aide de campe to Napoleon. He amassed vast collections of Coleoptera some even collected on the battlefield at Waterloo...
): Histoire naturelle et iconographie des insectes coléoptères d'Europe Paris: Crevot. - 1825: Familles naturelles du règne animal, exposés succinctement et dans un ordre analytique/
- 1829: Volume 4. Les crustacés, les arachnides, les insectes: 1–653 In: Georges Cuvier Le règne animal distribue d'apres son organisation, pour servir de base à l'histoire naturelle des animaux et d'introduction a l'anatomie Paris, Deterville.
- 1831: Cours d'entomologie.
- many papers in the Annales du Museum, the Encyclopédie MéthodiqueEncyclopédie MéthodiqueThe Encyclopédie méthodique par ordre des matières is a roughly 210 to 216 volumes encyclopedia that was published between 1782 and 1832 by the French publisher Charles Joseph Panckoucke, his son-in-law Henri Agasse, and the latter´s wife, Thérèse-Charlotte Agasse...
, the Dictionnaire classique d'histoire naturelle and elsewhere.
External links
- Works by Pierre André Latreille at the Biodiversity Heritage LibraryBiodiversity Heritage LibraryThe Biodiversity Heritage Library is a project for the digitization of literature on biodiversity. It was founded in 2005 and was initially formed by ten United States and British libraries....