Maria Sibylla Merian -Naturalist and Illustrator

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) took a keen interest in entomology from thirteen by raising silkworms, butterflies, and moths. She would make observations and drawings, noting their behaviour and habitat. Her interest multiplied from there and resulted in a life dedicated to exploring insects. Merian greatly contributed to our understanding of the life-cycle of insects and became a world-known naturalist during her adult life. 

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717). Image from wikimedia commons

“In my youth, I spent my time investigating insects.”

By combining her twin loves of drawing and nature, she provided the world with insights into the lives of insects and plants. She achieved fame due to her detailed illustrations while also highlighting insect behaviour, habitats, and life cycles. Most notable was her description of metamorphosis in over 100 insect species, when at the time, the dominating belief was that such insects were born from spontaneous generation. 

Throughout her career, Merian was presented with many preserved animal and insect specimens to study. Still, she was not satisfied by their inability to show the true nature of the species and their innate behaviours and interactions with their environment. For this reason, Merian pursued her study of insects in their natural habitats and documented them via observation. 

"Spiders, ants and hummingbird on a branch of a guava" - from Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (1705). Image from wikimedia commons

In 1699, she sailed on a self-funded expedition with her daughter Dorothea to Dutch Surinam (now called Suriname) in South America with the aim of studying tropical insects. At the time, this raised many questions as it was an unusual endeavour for a woman to make. Merian made many discoveries through her expedition and made significant contributions to the understanding of different animal and plant species and their synergy. She is also credited for the classification of several insect species, including butterflies and moths. In addition to insects, Merian documented many plants, reptiles, and amphibian species. Her illustrations of these are famous in their own right and are greatly valued by collectors worldwide. 

In 1705, Merian's Suriname expedition resulted in the publication of the self-funded tome Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, which contains a collection of engravings and descriptions of insects and plants, and is considered her magnum opus. The book is regarded by many, including Sir David Attenborough, as a highly significant contribution to entomology.