Juan (Jean) Brèthes, also known as Frère Judulien Marie (24 February 1871 in Saint-Sever, Landes – 2 July 1928 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine scientist, naturalist, entomologist, ornithologist, zoologist and geologist. He was the first entomologist of the National Museum, today known as the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences. He was a collaborator of Florentino Ameghino, and translated several of his works into French. He systematized a number of Latin American insect species. He contributed to agricultural pest management before the development of modern insecticides.
His arrival in Buenos Aires Juan Brèthes was born on February 24, 1871 in Saint Sever sur l'Adour (Landes) in southwestern France, to Jean Brèthes and Claire Tauzin. He was their third son. Rossi Belgrano page 13 to 15 His father worked as a planter, and from his childhood he became familiar with the insects that caused the gills of the wood.
At an early age he joined the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, also known as Brothers de La Salle. With them he learned Latin and acquired an education related to his future activities.
In 1890, at the age of nineteen, he arrived in Buenos Aires as a member of a contingent of Brothers who had the mission of serving as a teacher and educator in different environments.
Between 1892 and 1899 he worked as a teacher of the preparatory classes to enter the baccalaureate of the Colegio del Salvador. At the beginning of the 20th century he joined the faculty of the recently completed La Salle School.
One of his first activities was to create the Museum of Natural Sciences of the School. With his own contributions and from the students, he gathered pieces, achieving the value of the collection and laying the foundations for the realization of a museum that continues to this day. He directed it until 1907, his successor being Brother Esteban Fournier.
His first steps Source:Rossi Belgrano page 15 to 17
Beginning in 1897, Brother Judulien went every Thursday to the National Museum of Natural Sciences, requesting help to classify the insects he had kept in a box shaped like a book. In those years, he donated insects and arachnids to the National Museum, which he collected in his research. The contributions of Brèthes can be seen in the "Notes Fitoteratológicas", published by Ángel Gallardo in 1899.Gallardo Angel, Notas Fitoteratologicas, Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, 1899
Collaboration with Jean H. Fabre Brèthes collaborated with Jean H. Fabre, a naturalist, humanist and entomologist, as well as a personal friend of Charles Darwin, despite his conviction that he was opposed to the theory of evolution. Their collaboration began at the end of the 19th century, when Fabre asked for his help to study the South American beetles. In his most recognized work, "Souvenirs Entomologiques", Fabre gave a recognition to Brèthes.Rossi Belgrano page 18 to 21
Collaboration with Florentino Ameghino
In 1902 Florentino Ameghino agreed to the direction of the National Museum of Sciences in Argentina. In recognition of the work developed by Brèthes, Ameghino offered Brèthes the opportunity to take charge of the entomological section, thus making Brèthes the first official entomologist of the museum (previously the task was in charge of the same Carlos Berg, director of the institution). Brèthes served in this position for 26 years, until the time of his death.Rossi Belgrano page 24 to 31
Ameghino reported "... as far as insects are concerned, a few days ago the manager of the entomological section, Mr. Brèthes, took possession of his job. Now he is taking knowledge of the collection, which is in a state that you could not imagine ..."Ameghino Florentino, Obras Completas y Correspondencia Cientifica, Vol. 22, 1935
During the direction of Ameghino the Museum published a number of important and foundational works. Brèthes assisted on a number of these publications. Over the years, remembering those times he would write: "... Ameghino made known his "Recherches de Morphologie Phylogénétique sur les molaires supérieures des Ongulés", a work that occupies the whole volume referred to. It was a work that saw the light in ten months While the first notebooks were being printed (I was in charge of the drawings illustrating the work), the manuscript was followed and the corrections were accompanied: thus with a parallel and multiple work, Ameghino carried out his fruitful and tireless task ..."Brethes Jean, Nunquam Otiosus V, Imp. Ferrari, 1926. Brèthes was also in charge of making the microscopic preparations and of translating the works into French, among them a work of capital importance: "My Creed".
Brèthes' ties with Ameghino became very close. "... The ten years that I have lived in daily contact with Florentino Ameghino, from 1902 to 1911 when he died, allowed me to appreciate the intimate depths of this great man. And to express my thought in one word, I will say that he was a superior man ..."Brethes Jean, Nunquam Otiosus V, Imp. Ferrari, 1926
Collaboration with Felix D'Herelle At the beginning of the 20th century grasshoppers were devastating crops. Ángel Gallardo proposed to bring the specialist Félix d'Hérelle to Argentina so that he could direct the Bacteriological Section of the Entomological Institute and develop a locust parasite coccobacillus, however, the desired results were not obtained.Rossi Belgrano page 53 to 60
Personal life By 1902, he had definitively left his habits and his scientific activities were advancing steadily. His decision did not mean in any way a rupture or estrangement, the Order in which he professed did not imply the ecclesiastical vote, and Brèthes kept unchanged the principles and values that had led him to exercise the ministry. Therefore he continued practicing as a professor of Natural Sciences in the school of Salvador with his former Brothers.Rossi Belgrano page 31 to 34
However, it was difficult for the young scientist to take such an important step, says Dr. José Liebermann "... The beginning was hard for Bréthes; he was received as a public translator, and he had to give lessons and dedicate himself to various activities ... "Dallas E. D. Juan Brethes Bio Bibliografia SEA magazine, 1927
Around 1902 he met his later wife, Leontina Rossi Belgrano, an excellent draftsman and painter. The marriage took place in the Parish of Monserrat, on September 7, 1903. The family of Leontina became an important support for Brèthes who had no relatives in Argentina. In 1904 his first son was born: Juancito Julio Brèthes.Rossi Belgrano page 34 to 37
Scientific Expeditions Shipping from Brazil
In 1918, Dr. Antonio Ronna sent a batch of specimens he had found in the vicinity of San Pablo. In his honor Brèthes baptized one of the new species as Heteroscapus ronnai.
Campaigns in Peru In the same year the first scientific university expedition was organized in Peru, organized by the wise Carlos Rospigliosi Vigil and in 1920 a second expedition with the Swedish aid and the participation of Otto Nordenskjöld . All the collected material was sent to Buenos Aires for its taxonomic classification. As a thank you Brèthes called Tanava rospigliosi to one of the found types.
Links with Chile From the first years of the 20th century Brèthes had established a strong friendship with Carlos Porter, classifying the new species that he sent from the Blanco River (on the western slope of Aconcagua ). Throughout the years, Bréthes made more than fifty publications in the Chilean Magazine of Natural History that founded and directed Porte.
Exemplary of Paraguay In 1910, Moisés Bertoni arrived in the country and had the opportunity to meet with Brèthes. The relationship continued for many years and, after the death of the Swiss scholar, through his son Arnold Winkelried Bertoni. On several occasions entomological material was sent for its classification and mutual tributes were made. So Bertoni called Minixi brethesi a species found by him and Bréthes corresponded with the Nortonia bertonii.Brethes Juan, Quelques insectes du Paraguay, Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, XXVIII, pág. 67-72, 1924.
Australian Expedition At the end of 1920, an Australian mission arrived in Argentina with the objective of finding natural enemies of the cacti that were plagues of agriculture in New South Wales . After contacting Brèthes, they toured La Rioja, Catamarca, Mendoza and Córdoba. Delivering the collected material to the authorities of the National Museum for classification and study.Brethes Juan, Himenópteros y dípteros de varias procedencias. Anales Sociedad Científica Argentina, XCIII, pág. 119-45, 1922.
Brother Apollinaire Marie of Colombia
In Bogotá, he carried out a task similar to that of Brèthes, Brother Apollinaire Marie (Nicolás Séiller) of the La Salle schools. He was therefore an old companion of the Franco-Argentine entomologist. Both scientists contacted about 1926. In the magazine Reason and Faith it was announced: "... Several hymenopterans from Colombia sent by Br. Apolinar María, from Bogotá, to Mr. Brèthes, from Buenos Aires, have given occasion to him to describe several species of the Braconid, Ichneumonid, Apid, Vespid, and a new genus of the latter ... "Brethes Juan, Hyménoptères du Colombia, Nunquam Otiosus V, 1926
The British Museum Much of the collection of coccinellids collected by Charles Darwin on his expedition aboard the Beagle were sent by the British Museum to Brèthes for identification.
Entomological Institute of Berlin
Walther Hermann Richard Horn, director of the Entomological Institute of Berlin, requested the collaboration of Brèthes for the classification of the South American hymenoptera that were part of the collection of his Institute. As a result of this work, two articles published in 1927 were published in the journal Entomologische Mitteilungen. They were called "Hyménoptères Sud-Américains du Deutsches Entomologisches Institut".
Acknowledgments in species There are many species that have been names in honour of Juan Brèthes. A partial list is given below:
Aceria brethesi (Lizer, 1917) Acanthoscurria chacoana (Brèthes, 1909) Aenasius brethesi De Santis, 1964 Aleiodes brethesi (Shenefelt, 1975) Alloscirtetica brethesi (Jörgensen, 1912) Apanteles brethesi Porter, 1917 Augochloropsis brethesi (Vachal, 1903) Balcarcia brethesi Blanchard, 1941 Brachiacantha brethesi (Korschefsky) Centris brethesi Schrottky, 1902 Ceropales brethesi Banks, 1947 Chrysocharis brethesi Schauff & Salvo, 1993 Coccophagus brethesi De Santis, 1967 Colletes brethesi Jörgensen, 1912 Conura brethesi (Blanchard, 1935) Culex (Culex) brethesi Dyar, 1919 Dasybasis brethesi Coscaron & Philip, 1967 Diapetimorpha brethesi Schrottky, 1902 Diomus brethesi Gonzalez & Gordon, 2003 Fillus brethesi Navas, 1919 Gnomidolon brethesi Bruch, 1908 Hemeroplanes brethesi Kohler, 1924) Halictus brethesi Vachal, J. (1903) Helorus brethesi Oglobin, 1928 Heterospilus brethesi Marsh, 2013 Hypodynerus brethesi Jörgensen, 1912 Hyperaspis brethesi Gordon & Canepari, 2008 Hypodynerus brethesi Jörgensen, 1912 Minixi brethesi (Bertoni, 1927) Megachile brethesi Schrottky, 1909 Montezumia brethesi Bertoni, 1918 Mycetophila brethesi Schrottky, 1909 Nectopsyche brethesi (Navas, 1920) Lepidomyia brethesi (Shannon, 1928) Litomastix brethesi Blanchard, 1936 Pepsis brethesi Montet, 1921 Podagritus brethesi Leclercq, 1951 Psychidosmicra brethesi Blanchard, 1936 Rhodnius brethesi (Matta, 1919) Tetralonia brethesi Jorgensen 1912 Tolmerolestes brethesi Gemignani 1936 Trypoxylon brethesi Gemignani 1936 Zikanapis brethesi Compagnucci, 2006.
Works
Quelques notes sur plusieurs coprophages de Buenos Aires, Revista del Museo de La Plata, 1899.
Los escarabajos de Buenos Aires, Folleto de 16 pp. y figs., Bs. Aires, 1900.