Jean-Jacques Kieffer


Jean-Jacques Kieffer was a French naturalist and entomologist who specialised in the study of parasitic insects. Educated as a priest, Kieffer taught natural science in Bitche, Lorraine while working on the description and classification of insects. His work and publications later became a predominant source of description and classification for entomologists in the early 20th century, in particular with regard to parasitoid wasps, midges and mosquitos.
He collaborated with the English entomologist Peter Cameron.
Kieffer received an honorary Doctor honoris causa degree from the University of Strasbourg in 1904.

Selected publications

Kieffer did not possess a collection. Instead he worked on museum material especially on that of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle which contains his types of the Hymenoptera families Proctotrupidae, Platygasteridae, Ceraphronidae, Diapriidae, Scelionidae, Bethylidae, Dryinidae and Embolemidae. Some other material is held by the Lycée Technique et Lycée Professionnel Henri Nominé in Sarreguemines.

Honours

A number of insect genera and species have been named for him, e.g.