Pierre Bonnet (naturalist)
Encyclopedia
Pierre Bonnet was a French
arachnologist who wrote Bibliographia Araneorum, an immense work (6,481 pages) listing publications on spiders. It was the result of forty years work.
Pierre Bonnet was the son of Eugene Bonnet, a college teacher , and Clotilde, daughter of the comte (count) Jean-Bapitste de Villeneuve. He studied in Vic-Bigorrein the Hautes-Pyrénées
before being called up for military service in January 1916. He was demobilized in April 1919 with the Croix de guerre
. He resumed his studies in Montpellier
and Toulouse
where he graduated in zoology in 1922. He then became a preparator at the University of Toulouse
where he will passed all his career retiring in 1962 as a senior lecturer.
His thesis, written in 1930, was devoted to the development, the phenomenon of ecdysis
, autotomy
and regeneration
in the spiders, mainly in the European species of the genus Dolomedes
. Bonnet published around fifty scientific papers before 1945. They were the result of very many observations on hundreds of specimens which he preserves in bred, sometimes for many years. He thus studied the life cycle of Philaeus chrysops
(Salticidae), Latrodectus geometricus
and Theridion tepidariorum (two Theridiidae), of Physocyclus simoni (Pholcidae), Filistata insidiatrix
(Filistatidae), etc. In 1945, he published the first volume of Bibliographia Araneorum. The last appeared in 1961. In this he analyses all the literature on spiders prior to 1930. He indexed all the scientific names , lists the errors and misinterpretation made by their original authors and establishes strict synonymies. In addition to biographies of the principal arachnologists in the first part, he gives an analysis of the themes of this literature. This work, which would be simple today with data processing, was carried out entirely manually. He testifies that he sometimes recopied whole works, lent by various institutions. Bonnet sent in 1947 a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
asking it to accept, by derogation, the scientific names created by Carl Alexander Clerck
(v. 1710-1765) in 1757. These names were made admissible even though they were published before the tenth edition
of Systema Naturae
of Carl von Linné (1707-1778).
He was with his wife, Camille, a professor of Spanish
, an authority on Spanish culture and published several articles on the nationality of Christopher Columbus
.
The International Society of Arachnology
http://www.arachnology.org/ offers a Bonnet Award recognising services to the arachnological community.
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...
arachnologist who wrote Bibliographia Araneorum, an immense work (6,481 pages) listing publications on spiders. It was the result of forty years work.
Pierre Bonnet was the son of Eugene Bonnet, a college teacher , and Clotilde, daughter of the comte (count) Jean-Bapitste de Villeneuve. He studied in Vic-Bigorrein the Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées
Hautes-Pyrénées is a department in southwestern France. It is part of the Midi-Pyrénées region.-History:...
before being called up for military service in January 1916. He was demobilized in April 1919 with the Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
. He resumed his studies in Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
and Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
where he graduated in zoology in 1922. He then became a preparator at the University of Toulouse
University of Toulouse
The Université de Toulouse is a consortium of French universities, grandes écoles and other institutions of higher education and research, named after one of the earliest universities established in Europe in 1229, and including the successor universities to that earlier university...
where he will passed all his career retiring in 1962 as a senior lecturer.
His thesis, written in 1930, was devoted to the development, the phenomenon of ecdysis
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
, autotomy
Autotomy
Autotomy or self amputation is the act whereby an animal severs one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism designed to elude a predator's grasp...
and regeneration
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
in the spiders, mainly in the European species of the genus Dolomedes
Dolomedes
Dolomedes is a genus of large spiders of the family Pisauridae. They are also known as fishing spiders, raft spiders, dock spiders or wharf spiders. Almost all Dolomedes species are semi-aquatic, with the exception of the tree-dwelling D. albineus of the southwestern United States...
. Bonnet published around fifty scientific papers before 1945. They were the result of very many observations on hundreds of specimens which he preserves in bred, sometimes for many years. He thus studied the life cycle of Philaeus chrysops
Philaeus chrysops
Philaeus chrysops is a species of jumping spider .-Description:Normal body length is 7 to 12 mm, but 5 mm small males do occur. Unusual for spiders, the males are often bigger. The sexes differ extremely: males are very colorful with a glaringly red opisthosoma...
(Salticidae), Latrodectus geometricus
Latrodectus geometricus
The spider Latrodectus geometricus, commonly known as the brown widow, grey widow, or geometric button spider, is one of the widow spiders in the genus Latrodectus. As such, it is a "cousin" to the more famous Latrodectus mactans...
and Theridion tepidariorum (two Theridiidae), of Physocyclus simoni (Pholcidae), Filistata insidiatrix
Filistata insidiatrix
Filistata insidiatrix is a spider species that occurs in the Mediterranean up to Turkmenistan, and on the Cape Verde Islands.It is the biggest filistatid species, with females up to 14mm . These slender brown spiders have long pedipalps. Of the eight eyes, two appear white and are easily discerned...
(Filistatidae), etc. In 1945, he published the first volume of Bibliographia Araneorum. The last appeared in 1961. In this he analyses all the literature on spiders prior to 1930. He indexed all the scientific names , lists the errors and misinterpretation made by their original authors and establishes strict synonymies. In addition to biographies of the principal arachnologists in the first part, he gives an analysis of the themes of this literature. This work, which would be simple today with data processing, was carried out entirely manually. He testifies that he sometimes recopied whole works, lent by various institutions. Bonnet sent in 1947 a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 28 members from 20 countries, mainly practicing zoological taxonomists...
asking it to accept, by derogation, the scientific names created by Carl Alexander Clerck
Carl Alexander Clerck
Carl Alexander Clerck was a Swedish entomologist and arachnologist.Clerck came from a family in the petty nobility and entered the University of Uppsala in 1726. Little is known of his studies; although a contemporary of Linnaeus, it is unknown whether he had any contact with him during his time...
(v. 1710-1765) in 1757. These names were made admissible even though they were published before the tenth edition
10th edition of Systema Naturae
The 10th edition of Systema Naturae was a book written by Carl Linnaeus and published in two volumes in 1758 and 1759, which marks the starting point of zoological nomenclature...
of Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
of Carl von Linné (1707-1778).
He was with his wife, Camille, a professor of Spanish
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the state of Spain...
, an authority on Spanish culture and published several articles on the nationality of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
.
The International Society of Arachnology
International Society of Arachnology
The International Society of Arachnology promotes the study of arachnids and the exchange of information among researchers in this field. It acts as an umbrella organisation for regional societies and individuals interested in spiders, and related animals, and organises an International Congress...
http://www.arachnology.org/ offers a Bonnet Award recognising services to the arachnological community.