The Secret of Everyday Things

Jean Henri Fabre, (born Dec. 22, 1823, Saint-Léons, Fr.—died Oct. 11, 1915, Sérignan-du-Comtat), French entomologist famous for his study of the anatomy and behaviour of insects. Largely self-taught, Fabre was appointed a teacher at the lycée of Carpentras, Fr. (1842), was made physics teacher at the lycée of Ajaccio, Corsica (1843–51), and was given a teaching position at the lycée of Avignon (1853). Fabre did important research on the insect orders Hymenoptera (e.g., bees and wasps), Coleoptera (e.g., beetles), and Orthoptera (e.g., grasshoppers, crickets). Based on his observations of the paralyzing actions of wasps in response to stimulating zones in their prey, he described the importance of inherited instinct as a behaviour pattern in insects. In 1866 he isolated from the madder plant a colouring substance, later identified as alizarin, which became useful as a biological stain. He wrote many books to popularize science. Although Fabre never accepted the theory of evolution, his work was respected by Darwin.