Étienne Léopold Trouvelot

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot (December 26, 1827–April 22, 1895) was a French artist, astronomer and amateur entomologist. He is most noted for the unfortunate introduction of the Gypsy Moth into North America. He was born at Aisne, France. During his early years he was apparently involved in politics and had Republican leanings. Following a coup d'état by Louis Napoleon in 1852, he fled with his family to the United States. They settled in the town ... more

Étienne Léopold Trouvelot (December 26, 1827–April 22, 1895) was a French artist, astronomer and amateur entomologist. He is most noted for the unfortunate introduction of the Gypsy Moth into North America. He was born at Aisne, France. During his early years he was apparently involved in politics and had Republican leanings. Following a coup d'état by Louis Napoleon in 1852, he fled with his family to the United States. They settled in the town of Medford, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, at the address of 27 Myrtle St. There he supported himself and his family as an artist. Étienne had an interest as an amateur entomologist. In the U.S., silk-producing moths were being killed off from various diseases. Étienne decided to experiment with cross-breeding these moths with the disease-resistant Gypsy Moth from Europe. Ignoring the known problems with this species, in the late 1860s he imported a cluster of Gypsy Moth eggs into the country. While attempting to cultivate these eggs on a... less