Fabre, (Jean) Henri (Casimir) (1823-1915)

French entomologist whose studies of wasps, bees, and other insects, particularly their anatomy and behaviour, have become classics.

Fabre was born in Saint-Léons, southern France, and studied in Paris. In 1852 he became professor of physics and chemistry at the lycée in Avignon. He held this post for 20 years, eventually resigning because the authorities would not allow girls to attend his science classes. He then abandoned his teaching career and embarked on a serious study of entomology.

In 1878 he bought a small plot of waste land in Serignan, Provence. He built a wall around the plot and remained there for the rest of his life, treating it as an open-air laboratory. Towards the end of his life he became world famous as an authority on entomology.

In addition to numerous entomological papers, Fabre wrote the ten-volume Souvenirs entomologiques (1879-1907). Based almost entirely on observations Fabre made in his small plot, this work is a model of meticulous attention to detail.