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

Early French discoveries of insect parasitoids and various aspects of their life cycle are discussed in this paper. Parasitism in insects first attracted the attention of French scientists in the 18th century, despite indifference 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 first 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.